For your standard retail MMOs there are very distinct stages of development. Pre-alpha and alpha versions are rarely seen outside of the developer's offices. Closed betas – which nowadays can have thousands of active players – are pretty standard. Open betas are often used by players to test a game's waters before they consider purchasing it. By this time the game is hopefully pretty complete, relatively fatal-error free, and has some level of polish on it. After that, the game comes out, and if you want to keep playing you'll probably have to pay a subscription cost. For free-to-play games, the distinction between the open-beta phase and the full release is frequently hazy at best. In the case of Dungeon Fighter Online, it was almost non-existent.
Nexon (Maple Story) released Dungeon Fighter Online in Korea and China a while ago, and has kept it in open beta for many months in the west. Dungeon Fighter Online, or DFO, is a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler, where players go room-by-room through a dungeon, slaying monsters and looting items, crafting material, equipment and cash. The art style is heavily inspired by games like Guilty Gear and Street Fighter, and the game play is fast-paced and action-based. I have had the opportunity to play this game for a while, trying three of the five different character classes (Gunner, Fighter, Slayer, Mage and Priest), and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that DFO is fun.
Starting a game presents you with dfo gold a manga-styled intro that runs you through the story of your character. Each character type (including the different genders for the Gunner) has a different intro, ranging from the somewhat serious for the Slayer class to the more comical and nonsensical Mage intro.
Combat consists of movement with the arrow keys, 'Z' for a special attack, 'X' for your basic attack, and 'C' to jump. A, S, D, F, G and H are all reserved as hotkeys for special abilities, although these can also be activated by button combos using the arrow keys and 'Z', or the space bar. The general idea is to use an ability that will knock your opponent into the air, then juggle them with various attacks. It gets a little more complex as enemies get tougher and more resilient, and as you gain more abilities. Every time you and your group enter a new room, the doors lock and you are tasked with beating the ever-loving gold out of them in order to progress. Eventually you'll reach a boss door, where you'll fight the head honcho and a group of his lackeys. After that, you're given a rating from F (if you suck) to SSS (if you sssuck -- just kidding, you get SSS if you do exceptionally well), and loot, experience and money are dished out. The better you do, the better your rewards, so it pays to pay attention. You'll also unlock the next difficulty level of a dungeon if you haven't completed it before.
