Duet Night Abyss's Sword Saturation: Low Creativity or Market Safe-Bet?
Hey grinders, if you've been following my guides on efficient Theatre and commissions, you know I love Duet Night Abyss (DNA) for its no-gacha freedom—no stamina walls, farmable roster, Warframe-style weapon swaps. But lately, something's bugging me: the relentless sword spam. Kezhou's launch felt like the tipping point, and when I called it out in the official Reddit contest? Poof—deleted for "subreddit quality." (Pro tip: Vent on r/DuetNightUnfiltered instead.)
Is this a creativity crisis? Or symptomatic of deeper issues like asset laziness, waifu pandering, or Chinese dev conservatism? Let's break it down—with a Kezhou ult correction: His Ultimate summons Phanosword: a translucent blue ethereal blade for [Aspect Manifestation] melee mode. (OK there's a polearm attack in his attack sequence during Lightswords Slice Starry Streams but its 1/3 and the actual weapon you are wielding is never to be seen).
The Sword Squad: Who's Joining the Club?
DNA's combat shines with melee/ranged fluidity—equip any weapon on any Resonator, swap mid-fight. But character skills and ults? Locked into signature sword visuals, ignoring your loadout. Here's the growing list of sword wielders (as of Kezhou drop):
| Character | Role/Faction | Signature Weapon | Why It Stings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berenica | SS-Rank, Void-born | Energy/Great Sword | Trailer hypes "What's the Meaning of Wielding This Sword?"—core identity. |
| Phoxhunter | MC | Sword | Yet another blade during skill use—feels redundant. |
| Lisbell | Elysium native | Giant Sword | Lore ties her to Mystic Maze sword prophecy. |
| Kezhou | Newest Character | Phanosword (Translucent Blue Ethereal Sword) in Ult | "All-weapon master" lore + kit (ranged pokes → melee modes), but ult overrides with fixed blue sword prop. Modes emulate sword/greatsword/polearm/dual blades via anim swaps... yet visuals stay sword-shaped energy blade—no true player weapon showcase. |
Four high-impact swords in a roster pushing 20+? That's no coincidence—it's visual monotony in a game begging for variety.
Kezhou: Peak Missed Opportunity
Kezhou's kit screams weapon versatility: Ranged bursts + melee, [Sword/String Intent] swaps, Phanosword modes for sword/greatsword/polearm/dual blades (random switch post-combo, launches homing Phanoplumes). Imagine his ult morphing visuals to match your equipped melee. Instead: Glowing blue sword blade with "style swaps" that are just reruns of existing animations. Partial flex, but no payoff for "adept with all arms" lore or your loadout.
This isn't tech limitation—combat handles swaps fluidly, Phanosword inherits your melee stats. It's a design choice: Reuse ethereal sword anims/pipeline. Launch-day Steam hype overshadowed it, but long-term? Players notice.
And fancy visuals won't fix weaksauce weapon combat in the late game: Kezhou still needs to perform as a viable weapon user.
Low Creativity... or Something Worse?
Option 1: Creative Rut. Devs (Pan Studio/Hero Games) nailed no-gacha innovation, but anim pipelines stalled? Sword = easy win: Flashy spins, glows, easy upscale. Axes/hammers? Unique mocap/timings.
Option 2: Waifu Economics. Swords scream "elegant sword girlies." Berenica/Lisbell trailers bank on it—cosmetic MTX fuels. Broader weapons risk "ugly" anims clashing appeal.
Option 3: CN Market Conservatism. Official sub mods nuke critiques. Swords = safe (Genshin vibes). Risky innovation? Backlash.
Whichever, it's symptomatic: Early skins drought, hit feedback meh, powercreep looming.
What’s your take? Drop your Kezhou builds below.
TL;DR: Phanosword's cool blue glow, but swords everywhere = lazy sign. Innovate or stagnate. 🚀🗡️❌
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