DNF Duel Breaks the Modern Focus of eSports Fighting Games
Esports has noticed a significant presence of fighting games. Fighting games are the best in 1v1 competitive play, whereas MOBA and first-person shooters dominate the scene. Many games make up the main stage at major tournaments like Street Fighter V or Guilty Gear Strive. But DNF duel is new to the scene and takes a different approach than its predecessors that old-school players might be familiar with.
DNF Duel, the first significant event, has shown that high-level competitive play is not for the weak of heart. Many swings in momentum, guard breaks, and even one-touch kill combinations keep the action exciting and unpredictable. Characters like the Swift Master, Grappler, Berserker, and Hitman all display a string of insane attacks that seem almost impossible to avoid. This contrasts with the titles above, which take a more balanced approach to fighting.
Accessibility is a crucial feature of many popular fighting games. In interviews with Capcom, Arc System Works discuss their focus on bringing new players to their franchises through various mechanics such as Guilty Gear Strive’s serious damage and wall-breaking mechanic. Interview with Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite reveals that the philosophy of accessibility is much deeper than that. While DNF Duel’s mechanics are simple to grasp, it feels very different when all of it comes together.
DNF Duel is distinctly old-fashioned. Tekken 7 sticks to its roots, with its Rage mechanic giving characters a decisive move and damage boost at low health. However, the game could still be considered one of the last of its type as it was released in 2015 for arcades. It can also be compared to ArcSys stablemate Dragon Ball FighterZ. This game combines the high-octane Dragon Ball action with tag team fighting, where up to four characters can be displayed at once. Although a tag-team fighter can expect intense fighting, this is not true for most 2D fighting games.
The insane power levels, inexplicable situations, and game-changing Awakening mechanics are all intentional. Awakening’s unique buffs make each character more potent than Tekken’s Rage mechanic. This adds depth to already tension-filled games. Guard Breaks can be intense and oppressive. They are similar to the pressure felt in classic titles like Street Fighter Alpha 3. In the first tournament, we see how characters such as Hitman can use their Awakening mode to completely rob their opponents by doing massive damage in one combo using the extra hite granted to them by entering his low HP status.
The strengths of certain characters are evident, but the metagame constantly evolves with every tournament. It seems to be becoming a game that encourages aggressive play and unrelenting aggression. The Lost Warrior, the game’s boss character, is perhaps the best example of this evolution.
Top players like Go1, the #1 ranked console gamer, have created Tier lists, with characters like Swift Master, Kunoichi, and Dragon Knight occupying top slots. an offline tournament has shown how powerful Lost Warrior can be. The Grand Finals of the DNF Duel event saw the casters comment on Lost Warrior’s “bad character” and the weaknesses surrounding him. Shahani, the player who used Lost Warrior, wins the tournament using the time-stopping ability of the character.
The skill test for Lost Warrior is incredibly difficult. Although the character’s options are limited and his movement speed slow, Lost Warrior forces an opponent to take action by using attacks that can be used from any location on the screen. Lost Warrior can stop time while performing his combos in an Awakening mode for a nearly guaranteed kill. Modern fighting games have a strange concept of balance. DNF Duel’s controls are easy to use, but the gameplay is difficult.
The online ranked mode is a great way to get a feel for the concept. You can skip to a higher rank if you’re an experienced fighter game player. This will place you in a group of people who are mastering these combos. While they can be fun and flashy, it can be difficult to receive them. This can be frustrating for players who have been used to fighting the game balance over the past five to six years.
