[Fighter] DnF Duel

[Big Thanks]

Releases today on steam in about 2 hours.



I would personally say what differentiates this fighter from others is:
-Flashy move sets and design of characters
-Easy to pick up due to easier "execution" of moves
-Crazy attacks
-Every characters seems to have overpowered moves
-Guard damage and even break if you block too much
-Nice cutscenes on the ultimate attacks

Trailer:

[cocomen2]

NGL, first 10 seconds i thought its Guilty Gear. Lets see if they gonna compete against each other.

[Big Thanks]

I recorded myself playing the game is so much fun
My commentary...im sorry in advance but i love the adrenaline!

[Fencers]

Been waiting on this one for a bit. Gonna give it a go after work.

NGL, first 10 seconds i thought its Guilty Gear. Lets see if they gonna compete against each other.

It was co-developed by the GG devs, Arc System Works.

[Wrecktangle]

I want to get back into the FGC, but I'm not friends with my buddy who was really into them with me (not that he ever liked anime fighters) so I've been hesitant. It looks sharp though and I like the source material.

[StrawberryZebra]

After having a bit of a play around the online seems solid enough. I've not yet encountered anything out of the ordinary. There was one somewhat jerky game which I suspect was due to the other player using Wifi. So about what you'd expect. Not having the usual ArcSys lobbies here helps I think, as cool as the idea is I don't think it ever really worked too well in practice.

Mechanically, I like the simple inputs. I know some people are going to complain how they had to learn DP motions on Arcade Machines and how it was uphill both ways in the snow to get there to even practice it. The MP cost balances out some of their execution requirements as a balancing lever and since you recover MP faster for using the input you're still getting rewarded for being able to do them. Fighting games are at their best when both players are at equal levels of skill and simple inputs quickly get everyone to the same starting line of being able to perform all of their characters actions.

I like having all specials use your meter, and having your max meter increase as health drops gives a built in come back mechanic without having to resort to anything like X Factor or Ultras where you're worried that by doing damage you're helpling some characters reach their win conditions. The Guard Cancel mechanic is also very cool, using 100 MP makes it a high-risk-high-reward action.

I'm not sure what to make about the Guard button though. It's going to be restrictive for left/right mixups and with some of the other movement options taken into consideration I think it's going to settle into a more neutral based game. On the other hand, the dodge mechanic opens up some other defensive options, as does having easy to use reversal moves. I'm not going to make any snap judgements on it, but it seems as though they've given us a beginner defensive option with the guard button, then built on that with more advanced options for more experienced players. It gives an easy on boarding experience but also enough depth to keep you engaged.

In terms of the characters, Grappler is very, very popular. Of the 10 or so games I played 7 were against Grappler. It could be because he's the only grappler on the roster so far, but people really do seem to love him.

Crusader's special to create a wall is hella cool, it's a very interesting way for a big bodied character to artifically close the distance on their opponent. I'm 100% certain that someone is going to come up with some insane trap combos with it that leave your opponent the other side of the wall to you so you can use Crusaders massive normals with impunity. Or else some pretty bonkers wall bounces. Either way, it's an awesome skill and I can't wait to see what's possible with it.

I also had fun with Inquisitor, she's looks to have a solid pressure game with both her command dash and Burning Wheel special. I had a mess around with using the wheel as an Oki tool without much success, it's a little bit too slow to be active for it though I expect you can probably get some nice corner setups with it and being able to use it as a juggle tool is going to lead to some extremely high damage combos when she's at low HP.

Vanguard was probably my favourite of the characters I tried. I liked his hit confirms into knockbacks, his ability to quickly drain guard meters and his dependence on proper spacing and meter management. He's also got somewhat of an Axl Low vibe to him with both pull in and push out moves. He feels weighty and forceful when he attacks and the animations really sell it to me.
Admittedly some of that is probably because I played him against Grapplers exclusively, and that kind of match up is heavilly skewed in favour of the zoner. My opinion might change when I've played him against a faster rush down character. I've not seen anyone with a sliding low move, but I expect one that goes under his long range normals is going to give him serious problems. It also may change as people get better with the dodge mechanic, his normals are slow both to start up and on recovery. Quickly getting in and whiff punishing seems like his achilles heel.

I also gave Maximillian Dood Troubleshooter a try as well. I'm not too sure what to make of him yet, though it was the last game and I matched with a beginner and got a double perfect. He's got some flashy combos, pretty good damage and seems on the face of it to have a well rounded tool kit. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Fencers]

I want to get back into the FGC, but I'm not friends with my buddy who was really into them with me (not that he ever liked anime fighters) so I've been hesitant. It looks sharp though and I like the source material.

My brother. We have tools now that are amazing.

https://www.fightcade.com/

[Ghost of Cow]

As much as I love fighters, it seems like every time I shell out list price for a new one it's dead in 3 weeks and I gotta troll Discord to try to find matches. And I'm too far from population centers to have a local scene or anything.

Looks great, though. I'll probably stare at streams of it for a while feeling profound sadness.

[Fencers]

Hmm. The combat tempo could be higher. Movement is so slow you feel you are stuck in the mud. Most of the neutrals are very good in recovery or have an insane range- so it does indeed feel you are likely playing this in neutral. I guess I should have played the demo but the feel of it so far is a little bleh to me.

At least I got Vampire Saviour and Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo via Capcom Fighting Game Collection recently. Hit me with that Red Earth too.

[Wrecktangle]

My brother. We have tools now that are amazing.

https://www.fightcade.com/

Appreciate the link.

Hmm. The combat tempo could be higher. Movement is so slow you feel you are stuck in the mud. Most of the neutrals are very good in recovery or have an insane range- so it does indeed feel you are likely playing this in neutral. I guess I should have played the demo but the feel of it so far is a little bleh to me.

At least I got Vampire Saviour and Super Puzzle Fighter 2: Turbo via Capcom Fighting Game Collection recently. Hit me with that Red Earth too.

I've found that some of ASW games are either too slow for me (Guilty gear, Granblue, etc.) and then some others are just too fast paced (DBFZ, Blazblue, etc.)

Is it so much a crime to just want a new bloody roar?

[Fencers]

I've found that some of ASW games are either too slow for me (Guilty gear, Granblue, etc.) and then some others are just too fast paced (DBFZ, Blazblue, etc.)

Is it so much a crime to just want a new bloody roar?

I love Granblue! I still play it every few days even though everyone is about GG: Strive.

Have you tried Melty Blood?

[StrawberryZebra]

The combat tempo could be higher.

Even the faster characters are quite restricted in their movement, and after trying some high/low mixups I quickly found that jumping tends to give most people an easy chance to use their reversal. Some aereal moves can be blocked low, particulary if you use them close to the ground. I've not yet seen any characters with a grounded overhead.

I've been getting most of my damage from whiff punishes, frame traps and delay tech. It scratches that same itch as UNIEL in that respect.

So far it doesn't seem like it'll be a good spectator game. There are explosive moments where a good read lets you go all in to get huge damage from a Conversion then there are long waits in between before someone gets the chance to do it again. There are quite a few zoners on the roster which also tend to be bad for casual viewers.

The elephant in the room is dodging. Being able to slip through a big telegraphed attack is a hype moment but it might not be enough by itself to keep it interesting long term.

Is it so much a crime to just want a new bloody roar?

It's only a crime to want a new Rise of the Robots.

[Fencers]

I think the dodge is fine if it wasn't that the guard button auto corrects from cross-ups for no real cost to the user. In general, I am not tha big a fan of block button as a dedicated mechanism. I didn't like it if Dragonball Fighterz all that much either. Through DBZF was so quick and the moves so logically spaced I enjoyed it greatly. That's the real problem with dodge, forward-only, in combination with the guard button from cross-ups and overheads. Where characters such as Stiker can get bodied with ease or Ghost can zone you out you are left doing the two-step shuffle on Ghost or Inquisitor like a chump.

Yes, I am playing Grappler and Striker because I am a basic bitch. But Playing against Ghost and Inquisitor feels bad largely because I am wanting that second to third gear but there is too much correction.

Also, let me add this, I do not look at games as a strictly value proposition. Things are worthwhile to folks for different reasons and different levels of income and pricing.

That said, I hate to see the FGC split or left out because of lack of regional pricing. And I think Fighting game devs and pubs are only doing themselves and their games a disservice by not offering regional pricing that inevitably locks out many in the FGC that bring life to the games.

I stand with you, my brothers.

[Ghost of Cow]

Also, let me add this, I do not look at games as a strictly value proposition. Things are worthwhile to folks for different reasons and different levels of income and pricing.

That said, I hate to see the FGC split or left out because of lack of regional pricing. And I think Fighting game devs and pubs are only doing themselves and their games a disservice by not offering regional pricing that inevitably locks out many in the FGC that bring life to the games.

I stand with you, my brothers.

It's not just regional pricing and such, it's the constant influx of completely new titles and lack of crossplay and constant fragmentation of the community.

I mean, I can afford to just keep dropping $50-$60 for every new FG that looks like it could have just been a DLC of an existing one and will be dead in a month, but why the hell should I?

[Fencers]

It's not just regional pricing and such, it's the constant influx of completely new titles and lack of crossplay, and constant fragmentation of the community.

I mean, I can afford to just keep dropping $50-$60 for every new FG that looks like it could have just been a DLC of an existing one and will be dead in a month, but why splitting hell should I?

I understand where you are coming from to a degree. At least in that at times it feels like we get a new game a month. The rise in popularity of the anime fighter makes for a lot of superficially similar-looking games too.

Though I think it's maybe too reductive overall and is hand-in-glove with a lack of equity in accessing fighting games across the board. There is some issue with Fighting games being ubiquitous enough there is a greater fracturing of the FGC than in the 90s and 00s. True, but I also would say we have greater potential global reach now that we have online play.

For those that want to take part in this hobby and particularly FGs; playing multiple games is a big part of the community too. A lot of unnecessary community splitting simply comes from a lack of regional pricing, cross-play options, and net code implementation.

Stuff like Fightcade proves the FGC is willing to meet each other in Star Gladiator or Fighting Vipers as eagerly as in MVC2 or SF3S. Access is important.

I see a lot of folks willing to pay for a new fighter at $60 to play with the community but $200 is too much depending on geography. That's a real shame in my opinion.

Also, I would say it's a little unfair to say some of these games could be DLC for one another. DNF Duel has a lot of mechanics that keep it different from Granblue, Strive, or King of Fighters. So I don't think it is necessarily fair to say there isn't enough distinction in the games at least on a mechanical or gameplay level. Because it's pretty apparent playing Melty Blood is nothing like DNF Duel, Dragonball, etc.

[Ghost of Cow]

I understand where you are coming from to a degree. At least in that at times it feels like we get a new game a month. The rise in popularity of the anime fighter makes for a lot of superficially similar-looking games too.

Though I think it's maybe too reductive overall and is hand-in-glove with a lack of equity in accessing fighting games across the board. There is some issue with Fighting games being ubiquitous enough there is a greater fracturing of the FGC than in the 90s and 00s. True, but I also would say we have greater potential global reach now that we have online play.

For those that want to take part in this hobby and particularly FGs; playing multiple games is a big part of the community too. A lot of unnecessary community splitting simply comes from a lack of regional pricing, cross-play options, and net code implementation.

Stuff like Fightcade proves the FGC is willing to meet each other in Star Gladiator or Fighting Vipers as eagerly as in MVC2 or SF3S. Access is important.

I see a lot of folks willing to pay for a new fighter at $60 to play with the community but $200 is too much depending on geography. That's a real shame in my opinion.

Also, I would say it's a little unfair to say some of these games could be DLC for one another. DNF Duel has a lot of mechanics that keep it different from Granblue, Strive, or King of Fighters. So I don't think it is necessarily fair to say there isn't enough distinction in the games at least on a mechanical or gameplay level. Because it's pretty apparent playing Melty Blood is nothing like DNF Duel, Dragonball, etc.

I agree that it's a bit reductive, but not by too much.

Hell, we don't see Riot out there releasing "League of Legends" and "League of Legends 2" and "League of Legends Turducken" and "League of Legends Combine Harvester X" each of which is a totally different game, and another MOBA series named "Cracklin' Oat Battle" and so on. But FG's are just in love with that shit.

And it's not like each release brings something big and new to the table. No big swath of content, or anything. Sure, the games are often just different enough mechanically to tell them apart, but they're not THAT different within certain groupings.

[Big Thanks]

"One button specials" are what makes me love this game so much.
I always wanted to be competitive in 2D fighters without ever succeeding/giving up due to hard execution of abilities and timing of combos.

Isnt this amazing to you guys too?
You guys seem like major PROS at 2D fighting games You always managed to do the hard execution stuff?

[Ghost of Cow]

You guys seem like major PROS at 2D fighting games You always managed to do the hard execution stuff?

Hell no, execution takes work. Execution under pressure even more so.

But hey, that's part of the appeal, I guess. FG's have this massive skill cap that's satisfying to chase.

[StrawberryZebra]

You always managed to do the hard execution stuff?

Yes and no. I generally gravitate towards charge characters in most 2D fighters. I'm fine with those kinds of execution requirements normally even when they involve very tight timing for charging and charge partitioning etc. It took a lot of practice to get there, but the skill is transferable to almost any character with charge inputs.

I have been known to screw up DP inputs when under pressure, especially when there are 1-3 frame gaps in blockstrings to pull it off. Depending on the game and character, it would sometimes end up with a super or another invincible move instead that consumes meter. Usually it ends in me getting stuffed on a button press and eating a combo.

TK inputs are litterally impossible and I will not be taking criticism at this time.

So yes, I can manage some very execution heavy characters like Under-Nights Vatistia, who has 4 way charge motions, but I'm going to flail around helplessly with Sagat or Cammy.

Honestly though, it's not worth getting hung up on execution. Especially as a beginner. I've seen plenty of players in Bronze ranks who can do optimised combos, but they're stuck in Bronze because they've got no fundamentals to back it up with. They never get to use these combos because no one is going to give them the chance to.

Being able to anti air, hit confirm and having a basic understanding of your characters neutral game are going to take you a lot further than having top notch execution. If you round this out with having a good gameplan and knowing your matchups you've got everything you need to take you to intermediate ranks in most fighters, strong execution or not.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't practice your execution and combos, because you absolutely should. They're just not the be-all and end-all of fighters.

[Fencers]

I agree that it's a bit reductive, but not by too much.

Hell, we don't see Riot out there releasing "League of Legends" and "League of Legends 2" and "League of Legends Turducken" and "League of Legends Combine Harvester X" each of which is a totally different game, and another MOBA series named "Cracklin' Oat Battle" and so on. But FG's are just in love with that shit.

And it's not like each release brings something big and new to the table. No big swath of content, or anything. Sure, the games are often just different enough mechanically to tell them apart, but they're not THAT different within certain groupings.

Have you actually played DNF Duel? I can't tell from your post, but it is pretty different from a lot of other recent fighting games.

Even if you look at it and say something like, "Well DNFD has Roman Cancel, dashing is like KOF, Conversion is sorta like Dragonball, etc"

None of them have the gameplay gestalt as the other game. That is largely what makes fighting games, well, fighting games. And a source of the "Play multiple games" mantra in the FGC.

I think DNF Duel distinguishes itself pretty well. I am not over the moon about the game personally. Though I think they did a great job of building out their own gameplay system and characters.

"One button specials" are what makes me love this game so much.
I always wanted to be competitive in 2D fighters without ever succeeding/giving up due to hard execution of abilities and timing of combos.

The only way to learn is to just do it, brother. Forged in battle, so to speak. You just need the mentality to want to push through, look at what you are doing well/not well and improve.

Isnt this amazing to you guys too?
You guys seem like major PROS at 2D fighting games You always managed to do the hard execution stuff?

Other games have one-button specials too. It is part of a popular design push in recent years toward accessibility and easier onboarding for players.

A lot of commands are the same game to game. So after a while, it becomes second nature. I doubt most folks who play FGs regularly have to think much to play any Shoto (Ken and Ryu style commands) for example.

Sometimes it's faster/easier to do the command than the one-button special. In DNF you get a mana bonus for using the command and a lot of skills can be charged for extra damage too. A couple of characters have negative edge and reverse beats too, so you can kinda mash a bit on Striker, Kuno or Ghost and feel cool. Or pull off something wicked on Swift or Ranger. I guess Hitman too.

That's a good place to start and get better.