DNF Duel

 PlayStation 5
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 5 out of 15
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  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.
    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    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 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 aGraphics 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

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. 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]
  2. IGN Italia
    Jul 18, 2022
    75
    DNF Duel is a surprisingly deep fighting game, that doesn't require a whole lot of learning to be enjoyed. Mechanically interesting and with a very diverse cast of fighters, this videogame has the potential to entertain both new players and old fans of this genre.
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  3. Screen Rant
    Jul 13, 2022
    70
    All in all, DNF Duel is a raucously enjoyable fighter in spite of its seemingly haphazard design.
    Read full review
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