Dauntless Announced

Dauntless, an upcoming F2P co-op RPG, has been announced by Phoenix Labs, a studio comprised of former developers from BioWare and Blizzard, among other companies. Arriving in 2017, the game casts you as a Slayer venturing forth to save the appropriately named Shattered Isles, a wracked landscape where the vestiges of humanity huddle on floating islands, taking shelter from the imposing Behemoths which rampage across the land, consuming every resource including precious aether. The trailer is below:

The combat-focused game presents an epic world that seems colorful despite the grim circumstances facing its denizens, and wears its inspiration on its sleeve: Monster Hunter, Dark Souls, Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Phoenix Labs’ web site provides further details about the game’s multi-faceted gameplay mechanics:

Weapons of Choice

Slayers use a different fighting style and unique combo attacks depending on the weapon they choose, whether that’s a powerful axe, a lightning-fast sword blade, a brutal hammer, or anything else the weaponsmith can create. Each has its use, though no one variety of weapon can guarantee your survival.

When mastered, combos deal massive damage to your target. Practice the timing of every combo, not just the simple ones, to become a masterful slayer. Join a hunting party of slayers armed with diverse weapons to ensure total tactical coverage against behemoths.

Make Your Mark

Targeting the specific anatomical areas of a behemoth will expose weak points and alter the beast’s attack patterns. Sever a tail, fracture a horn, or break some bones, and you might disable some of a behemoth’s attacks. Once victorious, you can take trophies from defeated behemoths that will be the envy of every slayer – and potentially provide special rare crafting materials.