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.
