Dauntless screenshot of a hammer jump

Dauntless is an upcoming action-RPG that's all about hunting down gigantic monsters with equally gigantic weapons, carving said monsters up, and then using their spikiest body parts to create even more ridiculously impractical weaponry. Its quite obviously inspired by Monster Hunter, but the big question is, can it actually compete with the series that started the entire genre?

If you're interested in finding out the answer, you'll be glad to hear that the developers have recently given a bunch of people early access in order to show off what Dauntless is all about. So if you have a bit of free time, and you love watching bizarre dinosaurs get smacked around with giant hammers, you'll find the playlist right below. Have a look:

The release version of Dauntless will be completely free-to-play, but if you would like to get your hands on an early preview this August 18th you're going to have to purchase the Founder's Pack. Unfortunately, the aforementioned pack will set you back a rather spicy $80. Whether its worth it or not, that I'll leave for you to decide, but if you're wondering what exactly the Founder's Pack even contains you'll find what you seek in the official FAQ. And finally, here's a couple of images to tide you over until the public alpha:

Embermane monster from Dauntless

Environment screenshot from Dauntless

Pangar monster from the upcoming Dauntless RPG