DuneCrawl’s on-foot fighting is no match for its crab walker warfare

A question, readers. What sounds much fun: doddering astir connected your ain 2 feet – similar an idiot – oregon storming done deserts connected a cannon-packing megacrab? I lone marque specified a intelligibly self-answering enquiry due to the fact that for immoderate crushed DuneCrawl, oregon astatine slightest the Steam Next Fest demo that shows disconnected its isometric action, seems to deliberation some sides person valid points.

They bash not. I’ve played solo and with licensed crustacean aviator Brendy successful co-op, and connected neither juncture did the on-foot combat sections click. There are uncommon moments of drama chaos, wherever 1 teammate accidentally detonates different successful the midst of blasting an force oregon breaking unfastened a cracked wall, but yet it feels little similar a swashbuckling Magicka and much similar a benignant of multiplayer Death’s Door wherever everyone’s connected their 5th G&T. All awkward swordfighting, sluggish shooting, and changeless rolling successful spot of positioning nous.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Alientrap

Then you get connected the large crab, and it fuckin’ rocks. Beyond the simple, basal pleasures of duelling different conflict walkers connected a manor-sized shellfish, this is wherever DuneCrawl yet starts feeling similar a due co-op game. With 1 subordinate astatine the helm, others volition scurry hurriedly astir the deck, loading and firing cannons portion slathering connected goop to heal the crab’s damaged legs. The demo lone contains 1 crawler-versus-crawler duel, but it’s easy the highlight: a delightfully shambolic spectacle that, similar a Guns of Icarus dogfight oregon Sea of Thieves naval clash, manages to consciousness pacey and urgent successful spite of the inherent unwieldiness of the trade involved.

I’d accidental that DuneCrawl would beryllium amended if you ne'er near the crab, but past that would contradict it 2 of its funniest quirks. One: it’s imaginable to beryllium blown disconnected the platform wholly by force fire, a item I could admit from the vantage constituent of 30 feet successful the aerial aft a cannonball flung maine wide of Crawl McCartney (Brendy fto maine sanction the crab) and into the soil below. Two: it’s possible, if not outright encouraged, to occurrence yourself retired of affable oregon captured cannons, which is cleanable for countering landbound defences oregon boarding a hostile walker successful a hurry. I cognize I said the on-foot battles aren’t arsenic good, but I’ll marque a impermanent objection for whenever I privation to aerially present myself face-first onto the atrocious guys’ main deck.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Alientrap

There is immoderate non-endearing jank that needs addressing. Performance is weirdly ropey for a crippled that thinks photorealism is however plants devour sunlight, my RTX 3090 stuttering heavy astatine 1440p. And the demo’s invisible boundary, an different understandable roadblock to conscionable sauntering disconnected and exploring the full game’s godforsaken for free, forced excavation and Brendy’s escapade into an ignominious end. While searching for much crawlers to fight, the obstruction bumped america cleanable disconnected ol’ McCartney, portion letting our crab stumble further into the forbidden portion connected his ain momentum and making him intolerable to retrieve, forcing a long, dusty locomotion backmost to base.

A shame, arsenic we were good up for much stompy crab fights astatine that point. I for 1 inactive am, provided the afloat crippled doesn’t support maine connected onshore for excessively agelong successful exchange.