Dauntless for consoles hands-on impressions

Dauntless is a game that I’ve seen grow from a pre-alpha build being shown behind closed doors at E3 to a fully realized interactive experience. Now, on the cusp of its full launch, the team at Phoenix Labs is rolling out a number of surprises including an official launch date and the big news that Dauntless will be available on Xbox One and PS4 day-one along with the current PC version. I got a chance to go hands-on with an Xbox One build of the game to find out how it compared to the PC iterations I’d checked out in the past. 

If you’re not familiar with Dauntless, it’s a free-to-play action MMO where up to four players team up to hunt down massive mythical creatures and harvest their precious resources. As players take on rougher and tougher beasts they’ll be able to fabricate various armor and weapons, some of which are imbued with special abilities or elemental buffs based off the creatures they’re made from. The core gameplay is very similar to that of the Monster Hunter and God Eater series, but unlike both those titles, there are heavy MMO elements. 

All of my experiences with Dauntless have been with an Xbox One controller in my hand, so there wasn’t much of a transition for me as far as going from PC to console. The game felt just as quick and responsive as it ever had. It honestly wasn’t much of a surprise to me that the game would be making its way Xbox One and PS4 since it seems like such a natural fit. Especially when you consider how well Monster Hunter: World performed in the last year or so. But I don’t want people thinking this is a one-to-one replica or knock-off or anything like that. 

Dauntless separates itself with combat that feels more fast-paced and an artwork style that’s a little more cartoonish. The animated art style gives everything a more family-friendly vibe. While creatures still take damage and can have parts chopped off, it doesn’t have a graphic gore factor. I’ve said several times that Dauntless is a great game for introducing friends and family to the hunting genre of action games. When you add the free-to-play factor in, that barrier of entry is even lower. 

Up until recently, the Dauntless client was available directly from the website, however, it’s now going to be an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC. When the game launches, players will be able to use their existing accounts on whichever platforms they prefer. Along with the upcoming multiplatform launch, the team at Phoenix Labs is also planning a complete rework of the current campaign and the launch of their season 5 Hunting pass that will offer up a cacophony of new cosmetic items themed around the game’s Moon Blossom Festival. 

Fans of Dauntless and players interested in getting their hands on the final version won’t have long to wait for the official launch. Dauntless is set to launch on May 21 on PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive, Xbox One, and PS4 for the low, low cost of free.

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot