E3 2019: ‘Dauntless’ Is As Familiar As It Is Difficult

When a game becomes a runaway success, it’s expected to see large and small developers alike try to build on that momentum in their own way. Capcom’s Monster Hunter series is no exception, leading to a variety of offshoots that feature demons, robots and the like. Then you have games like Dauntless, which takes a more straightforward approach. By trying to be a faster, more challenging version of the game its emulating, the Switch E3 demo showed that there’s room for more hunters on the platform.

Teams of up to four can get together and fight giant monsters by using a variety of classes and items. Sword and club users are expected, but some surprising weaponry such as pistols help Dauntless stand out. Once on the field, it doesn’t take much time for combat to take over since the map is much smaller, giving the monster fewer places to hide. All of this is displayed with a simplistic visual style that makes it look almost like it takes place in a neon wilderness. 

If players feel familiar with how Dauntless works however, they could be in for a wake-up call when up against some of its most imposing beasts.  The player does have many advantages compared to their Monster Hunter counterparts, such as faster item use, the limited ability to revive downed teammates and greater mobility. However, the monsters have nearly the same improvements, making it so they can leap right on you despite their massive size. Aside from their movement, the monster we fought had such long reach that it almost seemed unfair when being constantly pummeled. Needless to say, the enemy got the best of us, but for all its similarities, it was clear that Dauntless needs to be approached differently compared to other games in the genre.

With new monsters constantly being added to the existing versions of the game, the Switch version is expected to receive the same support after it launches this year. Those who want that portable hunting fix would do well to check this one out.