Dauntless
Dauntless is a free-to-play cooperative action RPG built around squad-based monster hunts. You and up to three other Slayers track down towering Behemoths across the Shattered Isles, then turn the parts you earn into stronger weapons and armor for the next fight.
|
Publisher: Phoenix Labs Playerbase: High Type: Third Person Action RPG Release Date: August 18, 2017 (May 24, 2018 OBT) Pros: +Deep gear crafting and upgrade paths. +4-player co-op hunts built for teamwork. +Fast, responsive real-time combat. +Success comes from learning patterns and playing well. Cons: -Core loop can feel repetitive over time. -Menus and interface are not very user-friendly. |
Dauntless Overview
Set in the Shattered Isles, a chain of floating landmasses in a fractured world, Dauntless asks you to step into the role of a Slayer tasked with keeping civilization safe. The primary threat comes from Behemoths, enormous creatures that upset the natural balance and leave communities vulnerable. Each hunt drops you into an open zone with a target to find, fight, and bring down before heading back to town to craft improvements.
Combat is action-focused and timing-driven. Staying alive means reading tells, dodging through dangerous swings, and committing to combos only when you have an opening. The best fights reward discipline and teamwork, especially when a group coordinates stagger, part breaks, and revives instead of everyone chasing damage at once. Parties support up to four players, which keeps hunts readable while still allowing roles to emerge naturally based on weapon choice and playstyle.
Progression centers on crafting. After successful hunts, you bring materials to the Aethersmith to create and enhance gear, pushing your stats upward and tailoring builds around elemental strengths and resistances. The roster of Behemoths includes threats with distinct behaviors and matchups, from the swift, airborne Shrike to the aggressive, fire-themed Embermane, and learning their patterns is a major part of long-term improvement.
Dauntless Key Features:
- 4-Player Co-Op – team up at no cost, with hunt groups supporting up to four Slayers.
- Hunt Behemoths – take down massive monsters, each with their own moves, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Fluid Combat – rely on clean inputs, well-timed dodges, and deliberate combos to control the fight.
- Extensive Weapon Crafting – turn Behemoth loot into new equipment, then upgrade it as tougher hunts unlock.
- Swords, Axes, and More – choose a preferred weapon type and master its rhythm, from sharp blades to heavy blunt options.
Dauntless Screenshots
Dauntless Featured Video
Dauntless Review
Dauntless lands in a familiar place for fans of the hunting-action genre, but it packages the formula in a way that is approachable and strongly oriented around co-op sessions. At its best, it delivers tense, readable boss fights where positioning and timing matter as much as raw gear score. At its weakest, the core loop is so hunt-focused that players who need lots of narrative variety may burn out once the novelty of new Behemoths slows down.
A hunt-first structure that is easy to jump into
The game’s structure is straightforward: pick a target, load into a hunt zone, track it down, and fight until it falls. That clarity is a strength. You rarely have to wonder what you should be doing, and short, goal-driven sessions make it easy to play in bursts. The Shattered Isles provide the backdrop, but the real “content” is the encounter design, the pattern learning, and how quickly you can execute as a group.
Combat that rewards patience and pattern recognition
Moment-to-moment play is built on committing to attacks while managing risk. Most weapons ask you to choose between safer pokes and longer strings that leave you exposed. Because Behemoths hit hard and frequently, learning when to disengage is as important as maximizing damage. Dodging is central, and fights feel much smoother when you treat each encounter like a dance, bait an attack, then punish the recovery.
In co-op, the best moments happen when players respond to each other. Revives, drawing attention away from a teammate, and coordinating around a monster’s enraged moments can turn a chaotic brawl into a clean takedown. Even without formal roles, groups naturally fall into patterns depending on how aggressive or supportive each player is.
Crafting and upgrades are the real long-term hook
Progression is heavily tied to what you carve from Behemoths. The crafting loop is satisfying because it makes your victories feel tangible, and it nudges you to target specific monsters when you want a particular gear piece or elemental setup. Upgrading weapons and armor provides meaningful stat improvements and encourages build planning, especially once you start thinking about elemental affinities and what a given hunt is likely to punish.
That said, the loop can become repetitive. Since most of your time is spent in similar hunt scenarios, the variety lives in enemy behaviors rather than entirely new activity types. If you enjoy mastery, optimizing runs, and learning matchups, this works in the game’s favor. If you want constant new modes or story beats, the repetition will be more noticeable.
Presentation and usability
Dauntless has a clear visual identity and the Behemoths are distinct enough that you can usually read what is happening, even in a four-player melee. The rougher edge is usability. The interface and menu flow can feel clunky, especially when managing gear changes and upgrades. It is functional, but not as intuitive as it should be for a game where build management is a major pillar.
Who is it for?
Dauntless is a solid pick for players who want a free-to-play, co-op friendly hunting game that emphasizes mechanical learning and incremental crafting progression. It is easiest to recommend to friends who can form a consistent group, since coordinated teams get the most out of the combat, but solo players who enjoy pattern-based boss fights can still find a lot to like.
Dauntless Links
Dauntless Official Site
Dauntless Forums [Official]
Dauntless Facebook Page
Dauntless Reddit
Dauntless Wikipedia Entry
Dauntless System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Core i5-2390T 2.7GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 B25
Video Card: GeForce GTX 660 TI / ATI Radeon R 370X
RAM: 4 GB
Hard Disk Space: 24 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i7-920 Quad 2.67 GHz / AMD Phenom II X6 1065T or better
Video Card: GeForce GTX 970 / ATI Radeon R9 390 or better
RAM: 8 GB
Hard Disk Space: 24 GB
Dauntless Music & Soundtrack
Coming soon!
Dauntless Additional Information
Developer: Phoenix Labs
Publisher: Phoenix Labs
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Founders: Jesse Houston, Robin Mayne, Sean Bender
Studio Manager: Jeanne-Marie Owens
Animation Director: Greg Lidstone
Art Director: Glenn Barnes
Senior Programmer: Brent Scriver
Audio Director: Rob Blake
Platforms: PC
Release Dates:
Founder’s Alpha: August 18, 2017
Closed Beta: September 1, 2017
Open Beta: May 24, 2018
Development History / Background:
Dauntless is Phoenix Labs’ debut project, developed by the Vancouver, Canada studio founded in 2014 by former Riot Games developers Jesse Houston, Sean Bender, and Robin Mayne. The team drew talent from a range of major studios (including BioWare, Blizzard, and Capcom), and the game was first publicly shown in December 2016 during The Game Awards. Playable access began with the Founders Alpha on August 18, 2017, which players could enter by selection or by purchasing access for $80.
In terms of design lineage, Dauntless clearly takes cues from Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, while putting extra emphasis on pick-up-and-play co-op hunts. The developers also noted they were not concerned about Monster Hunter: World and its planned PC launch in early 2018, arguing that a bigger spotlight on the genre would benefit everyone.
The game’s open beta launched on May 24, 2018.