DNF Duel

 PlayStation 5
DNF Duel Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

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  • Summary: Action fighting to the extreme. Enter the new beat ’em up world of Arad as your favorite character from the esteemed Dungeon and Fighter franchise. One of the most popular and widely played RPGs in the world, Dungeon and Fighter is now back as a 2.5D action fighting game. Choose from 10Action fighting to the extreme. Enter the new beat ’em up world of Arad as your favorite character from the esteemed Dungeon and Fighter franchise. One of the most popular and widely played RPGs in the world, Dungeon and Fighter is now back as a 2.5D action fighting game. Choose from 10 charming characters, each with their own distinct skills and personalities. Outsmart, outplay, or downright beat up your opponents and become the master of the Ultimate Will.… Expand
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DNF Duel｜Story Mode

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. The Mako Reactor
    Jul 4, 2022
    85
    DNF Duel on PS5 delivered in almost every way. I was hoping to have another fighting game that satiated my Granblue Fantasy Versus itch, and this is exactly that. The online has held up brilliantly over the last week on both PS5 and Steam Deck, and the game looks gorgeous. I hope the mobility can improve in a future update, but in its current state, I'm having a ton of fun playing DNF Duel both online and offline, and look forward to playing it regularly.
  2. VG247
    Jun 28, 2022
    80
    In an industry slowly and often clumsily stomping towards some nebulous washed out esports future where it feels as though all games must be perfectly balanced with big bucks competitive gaming in mind, I’m happy that some developers like Eighting and Arc System Works remain willing to make games that are still a little jank, still a little busted. DNF Duel is unapologetic - and a lot of fun. For Dungeon Fighter fans this is obviously a great purchase, for fans of the genre the same thing goes.
  3. Noisy Pixel
    Jun 28, 2022
    80
    DNF Duel has so much to offer fighting game fans. The stylish rooster of characters pairs well with the exciting and accessible combat system. There isn’t much here for casual fans looking for offline content, but mastering any of the characters opens the door for competitive online play. Like most fighting games, this is a title that will live and die by its community, and luckily it’s one hell of a fun game.
  4. GameSpew
    Jun 28, 2022
    80
    It’s safe to say that we’ve been taken by surprise by DNF Duel. We were drawn in by its trailer showcasing its eye-catching visuals, but have been very happy to find that it has real substance. Its combat is exhilarating and easy to get to grips with, yet has enough depth to keep you going back for more. And with its many characters – ahem, classes – as well as a pleasing selection of modes, there’s plenty to go at. Whether you’re new to the fighting game malarkey, or a seasoned pro, this definitely deserves your attention.
  5. PSX Brasil
    Jul 8, 2022
    80
    DNF Duel is a good game with beautiful graphics and accessible mechanics. The cast of characters is relatively varied and the modes are what we currently expect from a fighting title. Online is great with its netcode via rollback, although there is no cross-play. DNF Duel's biggest problem is perhaps its lack of innovation and being too simple in its essence.
  6. PLAY
    Aug 1, 2022
    80
    A masterclass in onboarding new players to fighting games, its basic archetypes and 8 simpler package than Guilty Gear may struggle to win hearts. [Issue#17, p.84]
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  7. Screen Rant
    Jul 13, 2022
    70
    All in all, DNF Duel is a raucously enjoyable fighter in spite of its seemingly haphazard design.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
  1. Jt0429
    Jun 29, 2022
    8
    Good-
    Outstanding graphics and audio across the board. Fun and diverse roster of characters. The survival mode is incredibly addictive.    Good-
    Outstanding graphics and audio across the board. Fun and diverse roster of characters. The survival mode is incredibly addictive.

    Bad-
    Almost no customization hurts the experience. Not as deep or complex as many hardcore 2D fighting fans would like.

    Thoughts-
    With remarkably digestible combat for the genre and more unrestricted approach to where and when you can land your attacks than most of its contemporaries, DNF Duel could prove to be somewhat divisive, especially down the road once all of its nooks and crannies have been thoroughly explored by the masses. But as with any fighting game, it really comes down to the variety, personality, and execution of its ideas – old hat or not. DNF Duel walks that dangerous tightrope between accessibility and longevity extremely well, and while that might not be a balancing act some fighting fans are even interested in, it certainly is a space worth exploring, especially if it’s going to be done this well.    … Expand
  2. Kirbyfan45
    Feb 25, 2023
    2
    Graphics can only take you so far in games. And this is a perfect example. Yes, it looks fantastic and is super smooth, but if the gameplayGraphics can only take you so far in games. And this is a perfect example. Yes, it looks fantastic and is super smooth, but if the gameplay falls flat, it becomes a waste of eye candy. And that is what DNF Duel is. A waste. It could have been good, but there were some just stupid decisions made. Like the one button specials, meaning you're limited to 4 special moves. One of them being a one button invincible DP. On top of that, the game is so set on these one button specials that even using the command input sit provides (Where the only benefit is waiting less for meter to recharge) can only be done via the special button, so you don't even get special move strengths! AND ON TOP OF THAT, despite them being normal ass special moves, they still require meter. I would understand if they were EX moves, but they're not. That makes no sense, why should I be locked out of playing the game for playing the game? Not that you could do much with them because the hitstun decay is so strict that you need full setups just to do basic BnBs, trying to do combos normally has a 90% chance of it prematurely ending. On top of that, the balance is piss poor. Why do characters have moves that basically cover the entire screen? Why is it that there is a character with a move that keeps you in block for 5 seconds and beats guard cancel? Why was there not a single nerf done in the patch?! Some of this would be excused if the combat engine at least gave you options to combat this, but besides a dodge roll, you get nothing. Not even an air dash, which would have been really useful against those long moves. The game doesn't even give you the benefit of air blocking, in a game where moves are as tall as the screen. And if you're out of meter, you can't do a guard cancel, which means you will get hit with a guard break because even though this was developed by a team who has made multiple games with a pushblock, this game doesn't have pushblocking. Nothing about this game is fun in any way, it's an exercise in frustration that gets overhyped because of how people view graphics in games as the be all end all. About the only good thing I can say about this game is that it has rollback netcode, but there are so many better rollback games you can play. Hell, I would rather play a delay based netcode game than this trash!
    Recap: Over simplified engine and missing mechanics lead to a frustrating game that shows the developers did not care in anyway, and how exploitable the FGC can be    … Expand

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34
#34 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

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