Dauntless vs. Monster Hunter: Which Is Better?

Hunting/Slaying

If you’ve ever played Monster Hunter then you will immediately begin to see the glaring similarities between Capcom’s action RPG series and Phoenix Lab’s free to play title, Dauntless, once you jump into the Shattered Isles.

Probably the biggest similarity between these two games is the fact that you take on quests with other people online (or by yourself) to kill huge dangerous monsters. The monsters in Dauntless are called Behemoths and the ones in MH:W are simply called Monsters.

In Dauntless, you can choose between several classes of weapons that can ultimately change your gameplay experience. You can use a hammer that deals massive damage but takes long to swing or a flaming whip that’s great at attacking from afar.

Let me just preface by saying that the actual hunts in Dauntless are definitely not as deep or engaging as hunts in let’s say, Monster Hunter: World.

These hunts are timed, as they are in MHW, but finding the monster can literally take like 10 seconds if you see it from the starting point. The Behemoths seem to have random starting places, but finding them isn’t too difficult.

There are even these equipable items called lanterns that you can use to help you find the locations of these beasts. In Monster Hunter, it can take upwards to 10-15 minutes sometimes due to the verticality and overall size of each different locale and map.

You would have to find dung or monster tracks to figure out where the beast is, and at times, another huge monster might show up that’s not even part of the quest. It’s your party’s choice whether or not you want to spend time to hunt it to get some loot.

In Dauntless, so far, it seems that quests are simply focusing on killing one kind of Behemoth and that’s it. Monster Hunter plays around with completion goals, like hunting two monsters in one quest or even capturing a monster.

Capturing means that you have to use traps and tranquilizers to subdue a monster without killing it; these were always harder than killing because it requires cooperation and communication but it nets the team way more rewards.

But I have to say, actually fighting the monsters in Dauntless is quite fun as well. Its strengths is less about the hunt, and more on the gameplay. It’s easier to spam hits, and stay alive and is less punishing on the lower end Behemoths. In Monster Hunter, even the lowliest of Monsters can give you a hard time if you play dumb.

If you’re looking for a deep hunting experience with quests that can take up to an hour, Monster Hunter: World is where it’s at, but if you’re looking to unwind and have some mindless fun, Dauntless is a great choice as well.

Character Customization

Right at the beginning of Dauntless, you’re able to customize your own character. Although it’s lacking in features when you compare it to Monster Hunter, you can make a pretty good looking hunter.

But like most action RPG’s such as these, once you begin to equip armor and helmets on your person, your character’s face might not even matter at the end of the day.

Still, with six different types of weapons and having the ability to equip boosts to each piece of armor, there’s tons of customization to be had in that aspect.

Elemental buffs on your weapons play a big part in killing monsters as well. You guys don’t understand how cool I felt when I had my flame sword out in battle and I managed to continuously inflict a burning status on a Behemoth.

Bringing the right equipment into battle is very important if you want to look good and also have the upper hand against the scary behemoths.

It doesn’t go as deep as Monster Hunter does, but it’s a nice change of pace, making things simpler for Dauntless newcomers and for people who’ve never played a cooperative monster-hunting RPG.

Multiplayer

Both Dauntless and Monster Hunter: World features four player cooperative online multiplayer. You can take on any quest from the main menu or from the job board and jump in with three randomly chosen players.

You can also form up squads and guilds to play with your close friends as well.

The one thing that Monster Hunter has over Dauntless in regards to online multiplayer is the multiplayer area that lets you eat, arm wrestle, and talk amongst your comrades before you start online missions.

Dauntless has the main hub area where you do all of your shopping and crafting, but that’s it. Whenever I finished a hunting quest with other people, I never felt like we were actually working together –there was no connection.

Since the quests in Monster Hunter take up a lot more of your time, you’re bound to feel attached to several players that you might’ve bonded with on or before the quest even started.

It’s super rewarding and satisfying to complete a quest with an all-star group.

You can add friends in Dauntless but there’s no way to continue playing with people that you found online with a press of a button.

If I had a good hunt with some players, I would love the option to continue playing with them, If they feel the same way that is. Another thing that bothers me is that you can’t trade items with other players or help them out if they need supplies.

If you were to find an item you didn’t need or extra potions or something, you can always hand them right over to anyone in your group during a hunt, which is a nice addition for making the hunter squad actually feel like they’re your partners.

Quest/Rewards

While all of the quests in Dauntless are much shorter than Monster Hunter and the variety of challenges is lacking, Dauntless still does a fantastic job at rewarding you for pretty much anything that you do out on the field.

There are special challenges for every single Behemoth in the game that net you tons of prizes for completing them.

There might be one that requires you to inflict a certain amount of damage on an Embermane or a Skraev, or you might be tasked with breaking certain parts of a monster.

As soon as you complete the task, the game will tell you immediately while you’re in the field, with screens popping up and congratulatory noises and fireworks that go off, and I’m not gonna lie –it felt amazing!

Monster Hunter: World doesn’t pat you on the back like Dauntless does every five seconds. I got to be honest, it’s a nice feeling to see yourself progressing and getting somewhere in life. Or, well, Dauntless at least.

It can be quite the grind in MH before you finally have access to really powerful weapons and gear, but since Dauntless is more fast-paced, you get the satisfaction (and loot) much quicker thanks to simple and easy to finish quests as well as smaller monsters.

Which Game Is Better?

When comparing a AAA behemoth like Monster Hunter: World to Dauntless, we have to keep in mind that Dauntless is free to play and MH: W isn’t.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to compare the two of them, considering that Dauntless has obviously been inspired plenty by Capcom’s flagship series.

Putting aside cost of entry for a moment, weighing everything else, I would say that Monster Hunter: World is the better game.

It has deeper hunting mechanics, more immersive multiplayer and customization, and the different locations feel much more alive and filled to the brim with details and other smaller monsters to hunt down.

That being said, Phoenix Labs has done an incredible job taking out the difficulty, confusing customization, and grinding that Monster Hunter has and turning it into a game that has its own identity and a game that is much more accessible for everyone.

If Fortnite made it easy for kids to play a third-person shooter, Dauntless makes it easy for kids and all types of people to jump in and hunt monsters with their friends without much prior knowledge as to how things work.

The game does a great job at slowly introducing new mechanics to players and is less obtuse than some of Monster Hunter’s mechanics.

While MH: W streamlined the series, it can still be hard to jump in without another MH veteran helping you out along the way.

So, while MH: W is the better game overall, Dauntless is a fantastic option if you want a mindless hack and slash RPG that doesn’t require too much of your time to “get good.” And is, you know, free.

Both games have our seal of approval. Weigh the above, see what fits better for you, and then make the choice.

For more on Dauntless, make sure to check out our ever-expanding wiki guide right here.