After a few days of playing Duet Night Abyss, here are my thoughts
The good news is that after playing Duet Night Abyss for a few hours every day since launch, I've only come to like the game more and more, not less. There are a few bugs, yes - like the launcher issue that makes me disconnect wifi in order to launch the game, one line of dialogue missing audio, and a few NPCs' mouths being stuck in an awkward expression while talking - but the good far outweighs the bad.
I'll start with the story. I read in a reddit post that it was recommended to focus mostly on story progression until level 40, as playing through the story unlocks so many game functions, and I'm happy to report that has not been a hardship. Where my gacha games often feel tedious and weighed down with excessive, bloated dialogues, and can feel like pulling teeth to get through, I've oddly found myself eager to continue playing the story in DNA - something I didn't think was possible for me when it came to playing an anime RPG.
And it's not only the fast pace of the story in DNA, it's also the down-to-earth, relatable human problems the plot tackles. I'm so accustomed to the abstract, esoteric fantasy plotlines that something relatable and real-world applicable is extremely refreshing, and succeeded at getting me emotionally invested in the characters and plot very quickly. Trying to find a lost family member or facing discrimination and hatred are universal themes that I think everyone can relate to on some level. Another one of the things that makes it feel so relatable is a much more flawed and human MC than a lot of similar games present. Instead of being a god-like hero that everyone instantly worships, our MC faces suspicion, distrust, and hardship, and doesn't always have a magical fix that saves the day.
I'm not terribly far into the story yet as I'm trying to take time to enjoy the game without rushing, but I am already incredibly excited to find out what happens next. If the writers can maintain this level of quality going forward, I'll be very pleased.
I'd like to mention the world of DNA next. When I initially heard about this game, I figured it would be just another medieval European fantasy world, and I can't say I was excited about the prospect. However, when I discovered there would be steampunk and technological elements as well, that got my attention. Vintage cars? Futuristic-looking aircraft? In a fantasy turn-of-the-last-century city? Sign me up!
Fast forward to launch, and I have nothing bad to say about the world. Rendered with soft, glowy light and rich colors, every setting has been enjoyable to look at, from the snowy wilds to the beautifully vintage Icelake city. I can't wait to see what other settings the devs have in store. As an exploration main, I'm very satisfied, even in spite of not having a true open world to explore.
I can't talk about this game without mentioning the OST. I've so enjoyed the classical vibes, from the epic battle music to the relaxing, quiet tune that plays in our home base. The music is a work of art, and as a diehard music-lover, this is an important aspect of any game to me.
Next, let's talk about gameplay. I don't have a whole lot to say here as I'm still such a newbie, but I've heard a lot of complaints about certain aspects of the gameplay, chiefly the movement and combat.
Personally, I have never played Warframe and didn't really have specific expectations going in, and from that perspective I really don't mind the combat. I find sweeping through huge mobs very satisfying and the melee/ranged weapon combo is a lot of fun. I'm sure I'll enjoy the improvements the devs are sure to make to it in the future, but for now it's fun and I'm good with that. I think most of all, knowing that DNA used to be a gacha, I am relieved that it has unique elements and is not just a copypaste of any of the gacha games I've played.
As for movement, I agree that it could be smoother. After hearing people who played the CBT say how unpolished it was, I was pleasantly surprised that it's not more janky, but I can understand how more momentum on the helix leap would be nice and that the "climbing" is a bit cumbersome right now. Aside from those things, I do feel like there is a good amount of mobility and it makes exploration and puzzles pretty enjoyable.
As for things I'm personally enjoying, I'd also like to mention a couple of smaller details, like QoL and the UI. For example, the fact that completed events drop to the bottom on day one is a W, and I love that the interface is so clean (the SFX are so crunchy too, I love that!). I'm also enjoying that, apart from the main menu and battle pass, the UI has a unique design that, again, is not just a copypaste of my other games.
About obtaining characters & the cosmetics gacha. Before I conclude this post, I'd like to say I'm still learning the game and haven't had the chance to learn how everything works, so I'll have to come back to character farming and the cosmetics gacha later. From what I've heard from other players, it sounds like the gacha needs some improvements and I hope the devs will do that because I genuinely want this game to be successful. It doesn't affect me a lot at the moment, but that's mostly because they have not released an outfit I feel like I had to have yet. Frankly, coming from games that were very weak on cosmetics, my perspective is a bit different in that it feels rather luxurious to have cosmetics at all. Also, the characters look very good as they are. If they looked like crap without the paid skins, THEN we'd have a huge issue (cough Miliastra Wonderland cough cough).
As for character farming, opinions seem to vary a lot as to whether it's too grindy or too generous, so I'm both apprehensive and excited to find out for myself how it feels. But again, to be honest, I can't imagine a world where it's not a massive improvement from grinding for weeks for a character banner that will last three weeks, and then losing your 50/50 on said banner and having to wait three years for the character to get a rerun xD Collecting characters without the stress of FOMO is an automatic W in my opinion.
In conclusion, I am really enjoying Duet Night Abyss. More than I expected, in fact. I have been disheartened and confused by some of the hate that's exploded online for this game, and I'm sad that some people have had difficulty playing it at all, but I do have hope that the devs will work out the technical bugs. As for the game itself, all I can say is that it's a lot of fun. Solid story, beautiful graphics and OST, fun gameplay, and the ability to play without the stress of character gacha (and from a Korean dub user, very lovely voice acting). I'm excited to find out what happens next in the story and I can't wait to learn more about the combat system and farming and building characters.
I have a few worries going forward, like whether the developers and writers will eventually slide into following the path of other gachas in terms of gender ratio, harem-building, fanservice etc, or whether they'll take advantage of the game no longer being a gacha and stick to what makes the game good right now. Yes, the gender ratio is skewed, but not hopelessly. Yes, there is some fanservice, but nothing that truly detracts from my gaming experience. I hope it stays that way (or even improves, who knows!).
Welp, I think this post is long enough so I guess I'll wrap it up here and go play some more DNA ;)