DNF Duel: Spectre is a Strong, All

Starting off the first season right.

Spectre finally made her debut in DNF Duel as the first Season Pass DLC character this month, and she’s changed my overall perspective on the fighting game. DNF Duel’s weird and inconsistent forward movement is one of my biggest gripes, and Spectre manages to address that flaw by promoting movement and utility across the screen. If DNF Duel receives more characters like Spectre, the fighting game’s Season Pass may offer some of the best value in the genre yet.

Before diving deep into Spectre’s move-set, I want to note the pricing of the DNF Duel Season Pass and its content. The Season Pass might have the best DLC pricing for fighting games I’ve ever seen in a long time since it’s just $19.99. After buying DNF Duel’s Season Pass, players gain access to Spectre now and four other characters when they release over the next year. This is pretty rare for fighting games since most season Pass content from AAA publishers range from $29.99 to $34.99. In some cases, season passes might have less than five characters, so DNF Duel’s Season Pass already offers some competition. Spectre is an exciting character, so the future is looking bright.

In Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO for short), Spectre is a sub-class for the Female Slayer, and she faithfully carries over some of her abilities from that game. In DNF Duel. Spectre is a well rounded character with great mobility, long reach, large plus on block specials, strong okizeme, and a great mix up game. She can also punish you from fullscreen, so keep that in mind while playing against her. Although I think movement speed could be a lot better in DNF Duel, Spectre still has great mobility and movement options compared to other characters.

Spectre can fire a grappling hook in any direction, giving her movement options no other character has in DNF Duel. When shot in a horizontal or downwards direction, Spectre begins air dashing towards the projectile once it reaches full screen or the floor. When shooting the grappling hook in an upwards direction, Spectre begins travelling as soon as the projectile goes offscreen.

Spectre’s grappling hook also allows her to perform a special move called Rusty Nail, which stops the grappling hook’s momentum to throw out an attack that knocks down on hit. My personal favorite move in Spectre’s arsenal is Shaker Blast since it’s reminiscent of flashy moves from other anime fighting games. In addition, Shaker Blast is good for picking up long range hits like 2B and a knockdown, and the move helps Spectre recover in the air, too.

Overall, Spectre is a really strong and flashy addition to the DNF Duel roster. This DLC character has changed the game in terms of movement and utility, making me want to dive even deeper and spend more time with the game. Spectre has outstanding reach, and she’s good at converting long range moves into combos. If the Season Pass continues to introduce characters with several tools at their disposal like Spectre, DNF Duel may offer the best value for DLC in fighting games yet.

However, DNF Duel’s biggest weakness is the lack of updates with the community and transparency about new content from the developers, which needs to change going forward. DNF Duel should thrive without its community needed to ask for better gameplay trailers and updates. Spectre was long overdue, and the next DNF Duel DLC character needs to be just as exciting without a long wait. EVO 2023 is approaching, and I hope the next DNF Duel character reveal is soon!

DNF Duel is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. Special thanks to Arc System Works for giving Final Weapon access to the DNF Duel Season Pass!

News