Duelyst is officially a thing, becomes inaugural entry on Watch List

Here at The Blogadin we like to think we have our finger on the pulse of the video and hobby gaming industries. As such, we like to bring you news of up-and-coming properties that show some promise or fill a niche. The first of these that we feel bears mention is Duelyst, a squad-based, tactical PvP endeavor by Counterplay Games that blends (what appears to be) 16-bit sprites and anime styling. Duelyst was posted on Kickstarter on March 8th and asked fans and contributors to pony up a total of $68k. That goal was met within 8 days, and as of the time of this writing, the current pledge total has swelled to over $75,000!

Why do we like it?

The biggest reason is that it reminds us of Final Fantasy Tactics which we thoroughly enjoyed. Another, similar game that’s had a special place in our hearts is Military Madness for the TurboGraphx 16. We love unit-based, turn-based tactical combat games in general, and any time a new game can be mentioned in the same sentence as either of the aforementioned two, you’re in good company.

Besides the genre itself, the game is B2P and “Every battle unit and spell is earned by spending time playing the game.” Imagine that – being able to evolve your units and become a more powerful player by *playing* a game rather than having to buy power-ups that expire over time! We’re also intrigued by the Ranked Draft (draft your units and skills) and Ranked Normal (compete with your pre-selected army) game modes. The draft would add some variety, and the rankings help you compete against relevant competition. We’re hopeful that you can challenge those who are ranked above you in order to get exposure to even better players and potentially gain player skill faster, but that remains to be seen.

The team is also being led by a Diablo 3 veteran, Keith Lee. You can revile Diablo 3 if you like, but at the end of the day we still believe it’s a fun game and are encouraged to see what Mr. Lee and company can do with what looks to be a promising property.

What can you do to help the game?

Intrigued? Want to help get the word out? There are three things that can be done…

• Pledge funds in their Kickstarter campaign. There are some attractive stretch goals available, including Linux support, additional maps, extra factions, etc. We’d love to see mobile support added to this list! Even though it’s not currently there, we can’t help but think that if the game is a success that it will be ported to mobile platforms eventually.

• Upvote their Steam Greenlight campaign.

• Tell your friends about the game and ask them to do the same!

The Watch List

Since both The Blogadin and Duelyst recently officially became “things” (but not, like, together…they’re not dating or anything…besides, we’re a little afraid of the Sharian Host Bloodborn General), and because the game seems quite promising, we thought it only fitting that Duelyst be our inaugural entry into the Watch List as a Hero.

The Watch List is simply a list of properties, games, books, movies, comics, and other such items that we either A) believe are up-and-coming and are keeping an eye on, or B) established properties that we simply like. We’ll call these entrants The Heroes. There is also a third category of entrants – The Zeroes – that have found a way to earn our disdain, distrust, and/or general dislike. We’ll not be bothered with them further, other than to list them as a public service that you might not waste a dime or a moment on them.

We’ll be expanding heavily on the list in the days to come, but for now and ever, Duelyst becomes entry the first!

Here’s to a successful game launch, Counterplay! The Blogadin is watching…