In May 2018, Microsoft Windows served as the platform for the initial beta launch of the Phoenix Labs action video game Dauntless. A year later, early access versions were released for PlayStation4 and Xbox One. Phoenix Labs’s Dauntless is a game that allows players to live in a mythical world where they strive to survive against the gigantic monsters plaguing the world.

A Design Created For Dauntless Fighters

Greatly influenced by other games of its genre, including World of Warcraft, Dark Souls, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, Dauntless is the first video game released by its studio, Phoenix Labs. It was designed to be a hardcore action game after several predecessors of its kind proved that there is indeed a market for hardcore action games. Dauntless is a free-to-play role-playing game that focuses primarily on player vs environment settings rather than player vs player encounters as it is intended to be played as a cooperative game. 

Just like some of the persistent themes in World of Warcraft Destiny, Dauntless features several social multiplayer interactions as well as extremely difficult quests that make it as much of an exhilarating experience as it is a battle. 

In terms of graphics, Dauntless has been designed in such a way that the look and feel are heavily based on the soft and almost cartoon-like inflections found in several Disney productions, such as the animated film “Tangled.” This quickly takes away the risks that may be encountered when video games are done with hyper real graphics, such as aging badly. 

Phoenix Labs earlier revealed that they did not intend to close off the game so much that players would need to go past a paywall to have access to the most basic aspects of the game. While Dauntless is fitted with a couple of microtransactions here and there, the developers have so brilliantly put cosmetic items and temporary boosts behind a paywall. Accessing game content is as free as it can get for any player to truly explore and enjoy. 

Gameplay

Set in a fantasy world that has been mercilessly ripped apart by some cataclysmic event, Dauntless follows the life and the environment after such a significant world-altering event that led to the release of monstrous and terrifying creatures known as Behemoths. These scary creatures terrify the remaining humans that have been left alive and prey on them. In order to protect themselves and the other humans who live with them, a group of fighters known as Slayers emerge. 

Players assume the roles of Slayers and work together to down the Behemoths however way that they can. While hunting and killing these gigantic monsters, the Slayers can collect loot with which they can then use to craft and upgrade their weapons and equipment. Upgrades in weapons and equipment automatically mean better chances and resources to take down even more powerful Behemoths that threaten the lives of humans. 

Modes To Keep You In The Heat Of The Game

Dauntless’s developers have remained consistent on making the game a social experiment. In the spirit of making it an interactive, social multiplayer experience, players are allowed to play Dauntless in two different modes. 

The first mode allows players to play as single players alongside other individual Slayers, while the second mode allows a cooperative effort. This second mode allows players to either play in a party of up to four players or in a public party of up to six people. 

A Combat System Worthy Of Champions

The combat system presented in Dauntless is absolutely fantastic. Players are faced with six different element types called Blaze, frost, terra, shock, radiant, and umbral, with which each of the behemoth monsters aligns. Each element has its weaknesses, for example, Frost is susceptible to fire and vice versa. The actual hunting of the behemoth monsters is where the fu truly lies. The combat is fast-paced and edgy enough to keep you on your toes and as alert as you can possibly be. 

While hunting the Behemoths during the game, players operate by using a combo system. This describes a series of actions taken in an exact sequence to attack and kill the enemy creatures, all the while maintaining their stamina and health gauges. 

Weapons That Puts Enemies To Shame

Dauntless proved its worth in quite a number of ways. While it’s free to play presentation, solid combat system, and clever-enough design are highly appreciated, it is the variety found in the arsenal of weapons that truly pulls it all together with one big bow. In the basic version, there are essentially three different types of attack mechanisms. These are slashing, blunt, and piercing. Slashing is a type of damage mechanism that allows you to deal part damage such as slicing off a behemoth’s tail or its horns. Blunt attacks, although less powerful, can do enough damage to stagger the creatures. Piercing attacks increase damage to the creature. There are about six weapons found in Dauntless’s weapon arsenal. these include the Axe, chain blades, hammer, Ostian repeaters, swords, and a war pike.

The ax is best used in slow-slashing attacks that can cause serious damage to behemoths when it is used in the right way. Still, seeing as it can be a tricky weapon, it takes some time to fully get a hang of it and use it to really hurt the creatures. The chain blades come in pairs and are small sharp sickles attached by a chain. These are great because they can be used both up close and from a distance. With enough practice, you can even use the chain blades to drag your enemies closer while they also have some slashing effects.

The only blunt weapon provided in Dauntless is the hammer which has a hidden cannon. Although its main use is staggering the behemoths, it can be used in powerful combinations with other weapons to cause serious damage. The Ostian Repeaters are versatile modular weapons that are best used when you need to keep distance between you and Behemoths. Although they are unable to boop or interrupt a Behemoth’s attack, they still serve a good purpose.

Best useful in close-quarter combat, the swords are one of the most liked slashing weapons in Dauntless. The weapon is even more exciting because as you continue to fight, you can build up a special meter. When activated, the meter gives you an increased attack speed and power. The only piercing weapon in Dauntless is the war pike and it is excellent for weakening a behemoth’s defense, allowing you to do as much damage as you can to it.