Dofus is giddily skipping in the opposite direction
It will probably surprise no one who's been following my love affair with Ankama Games that I like their flagship title, Dofus, quite a bit. Set in the same world as Wakfu, Dofus offers a more direct and traditional MMORPG experience than its more recent cousin, while presenting the same charming anime-inspired graphics and addictive turn-based gameplay. Featuring 15 classes, 22 crafting professions, pets, mounts, dungeons, PvP, and a quirky, humorous presentation throughout, Dofus is one of the most popular MMOs in France and endeared to thousands of players around the world. I recently got sucked back into Ankama Games' world to check out the new Foggernauts' Steam class, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to see how the game has been doing since we previously checked in.
Let’s start by talking about the art style in Dofus, how does it hold up, having been created in 2004? Well, I will say that everything in the game is hand drawn rather than computer generated. This does mean that the entirety of the game is 2D of course, but that’s not a bad thing! I found that every area was absolutely beautiful whether it was portraying the streets of Astrub or a beautiful piece of green pasture. Indoor and underground areas are perfectly detailed and functional, making this not only a great game, but a game that you can play virtually anywhere. The biggest problem I’ve found with MMORPG’s these days, is that you need a pretty beefy computer to run them. I mean seriously, on my old computer I tried to fire up Archeage and my processor overheated. Dofus, on the other hand, is an MMO that will run easily on very low spec machines, making it a very accessible game for virtually anyone. The one thing it really is missing however is the ability to run on Android devices. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to take the Dofus with you wherever you went? Well imagine all you want, but it just won’t happen. At least we don’t think so as the game has been out since 2004.
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Dofus is a 2D free-to-play MMORPG from Ankama Games. With a detailed art style, tactical battles, and ever expanding world, players will have no shortage of battle, exploration, or crafting options to partake in. There are 16 different character classes to choose from in Dofus and each has its own weapon and actions. Each class can also be categorized into the traditional tank, healer, and DPS roles. Battles are turn-based, requiring strategy and resource management to attain victory and there is a multitude of dungeons to group up with others and gain experience. From the sophisticated art, to the gently cerebral turn-based combat system and elegant in-browser interface, everything about Dofus suggests an MMO that confidently walks its own path. That's certainly true, but unlike Continental curios such as The Saga of Ryzom before it, Dofus doesn't appear to be paying a heavy price for its distinctive personality when it comes to finding an audience. There's a contradiction here: while MMOs like Tabula Rasa ape mainstream genres but struggle to win followers, Dofus is giddily skipping in the opposite direction, and somehow managing to get by. In fact, it's quietly thriving: it's the sixth-biggest subscription MMO in the world.
The game follows a P2P model, while offering limited F2P experiences for those who want to try it before paying for it. Dofus’ most defining feature would be its distinct turn based combat which is similar to most tactical console games. Despite the limitations, I found playing as a free player for the short time I’ve played this to be quite enjoyable. After a very fast download and installation, I was able to jump into the game world in literally less than 5 minutes. That’s far more then what I can say with most MMO’s I’ve played. I’m a fan of tactic style combat as well, so it turned out to be something unexpected for an MMO.
Dofus is not expensive to keep a subscription. It’s only $6.90 per month if you want to continue up pass level 20. However, playing to level 20 gets you all the skills you need to collect all the Dofus and win the game. You can chat with others while playing, but it does distract and it can let the bad guys get close enough to kill you. Dofus is a great game to play, even if you don’t use a monthly subscription. Playing the trial to level 20 gets you into the game to the point you can’t put it down. And most important, Dofus is free to play!
