An expert on Monster Hunter has been engaged with the alpha of Dauntless for a long time. What conclusion has he come to? Is he enjoying the combat system and gameplay of Dauntless even in the alpha?
YouTuber Gaijin Hunter has created numerous videos on his channel about the various Monster Hunter games. He has been doing this for years, with the first videos on Monster Hunter 4 appearing in 2014. He has now garnered over 32 million views on his videos. He can certainly be called an expert on Monster Hunter.
The YouTuber had the opportunity to spend 12 hours with the alpha build of Dauntless. Dauntless is the new “Monster Hunter”-like F2P game, which is set to enter beta soon and then release shortly after.
Monster Hunter Expert Praises Dauntless Combat
What does the YouTuber say about Dauntless?
- The most important thing for a game that revolves around killing monsters is the combat system. The developers know this, and Dauntless nails it excellently.
- The combat system is not as action-heavy as in Monster Hunter. There aren’t countless actions, but only relatively few standard attacks that must hit. It’s about timing and getting into the perfect position. This is more reminiscent of Dark Souls.
- The Behemoths, the enemies, are interesting and diverse. They force players to learn and counter their tactics. If players do not do this, they could go home.
- The combat system of Dauntless includes the most important Monster Hunter elements: The animations are stylish, the hits feel impactful, and players can sever body parts from the Behemoths. Moreover, players can disrupt the Behemoths’ major attacks and interrupt them; the environment plays a role as well.
- Teamplay is important; players need to pay attention to their teammates and revive them so the hunt doesn’t fail. Therefore, players must be close to each other, but not too close, so that one attack doesn’t wipe the entire hunting party. Many items buff or heal the group.
- A praise for the AI: The Behemoth are clever and exploit the players’ weaknesses.
The Weapons in Dauntless
Currently, there are 4 weapons in Dauntless, but the selection is expected to expand.
- With the sword, much revolves around building combos and then unleashing them. It is important to sometimes break off and dodge instead of stubbornly executing the combo. The sword is a starter weapon.
- The hammer or gun-hammer is a particularly stylish weapon because it combines striking with shooting. It feels great to dodge a Behemoth while reloading. For Gaijin Hunter, it’s clear: Many will love this weapon.
- With the axe, stamina management and timing are crucial. A player needs to know when to go “all-in” here.
- The chain blades are fast and stylish. They have a relatively high range but only short “i-frames.” “i-frames” refer to the period when the character performs a move and is invulnerable during that time. Therefore, the player with chain blades is particularly vulnerable and must pay close attention to movement.
Alpha Gameplay from Dauntless: Combat System and Behemoth
Overall, the expert has a high opinion of Dauntless at this early stage.
You can read our author Jürgen’s opinion here:
Dauntless – Preview: What does the Monster Hunter competitor offer?
