Games in what has become commonly referred to as the Metroidvania style are in no short supply these days, but it’s far more rare to find that any truly encompases and surpases the ones that gave the sub-genre its name. After so long, it’s becoming harder and harder to truly stand out in such a saturated genre, but to my complete and utter surprise the first project from indie developer Humble Hearts does exactly that. Dust: An Elysian Tail is a tour-de-force of breathtaking art and fine tuned gameplay, held together by a touching story of a lost soul trying to do what’s right, and an experience that is hard to forget!
Awakening to a talking sword and a nimbat called Fidgit, we find ourselves in control of Dust. His memories lost to him, he has little choice but to follow the sword, Ahrah and set out on a quest that he has no idea where will take him, but that he knows is the only way to discover the truth. To say any more would risk spoiling the journey to come, but I can say that there is much much more to this tale than I ever expected.
The thing that really makes Dust’s story shine is the fantastic dialog. Delivered with a raw and natural performance, it was impossible for me not to become immediately attached to the many anthropomorphic characters which could have easily fallen into the stereotypical trappings of a childrens yet are in fact are anything but. From the hilarious and sarcastic remarks of Fidgit, to the many unexpectedly emotionally heavy moments, this is one of the most dynamic and memorable narratives I have encountered in a long time.
Awakening to a talking sword and a nimbat called Fidgit, we find ourselves in control of Dust. His memories lost to him, he has little choice but to follow the sword, Ahrah and set out on a quest that he has no idea where will take him, but that he knows is the only way to discover the truth. To say any more would risk spoiling the journey to come, but I can say that there is much much more to this tale than I ever expected.
The thing that really makes Dust’s story shine is the fantastic dialog. Delivered with a raw and natural performance, it was impossible for me not to become immediately attached to the many anthropomorphic characters which could have easily fallen into the stereotypical trappings of a childrens yet are in fact are anything but. From the hilarious and sarcastic remarks of Fidgit, to the many unexpectedly emotionally heavy moments, this is one of the most dynamic and memorable narratives I have encountered in a long time.
The gameplay is one part platforming exploration, two parts combat. Though simple, the combat is immensely satisfying. You have a basic melee attack, a fireball that Fidget can throw, and what can best be described as a juggle attack of sorts (which involves you spinning your sword at a blazing speed launching enemies into the air). You can combine these in any way you see fit, with different combinations better suited for different enemies and encounters. As you attack you build up a hit counter which ears you more XP for bigger combos. This is of course used to level up and raise your stats, which adds some light RPG mechanics to the mix. You can also buy and craft armor and sword augments, letting you better cater to your play style. It is a bit disappointing that they don’t make any cosmetic difference, but it’s nice that they are here anyway.
Dust is incredibly versatile and capable, and moving him around the screen is a breeze as you take on dozens of enemies at a time. Every strike of your sword has a perfect weight to it that’s often forgotten,, and it makes even repeating battles fun again. It balances being interesting while at the same time staying accessible with the grace of the protagonist’s sword and feels unlike anything else I’ve played.
The one problem I have with the combat is that it is just too easy. You are extremely overpowered almost immediately, and this feeling only gets worse as you level up and gain new moves. The enemy AI is also borderline lazy much of the time, standing around occasionally attempting to attack but usually doing little more than repeatedly jumping behind you. Almost every enemy follows this pattern, and it makes the otherwise rock solid combat mechanics start to feel old after a while. Raising the difficulty up a notch definitely helps in this regard, but then you wind up with extreme difficulty spikes that caused me to want to hurl my controller into the screen. Personally I never got majorly bored or annoyed on normal mode,, but those looking for a more consistent challenge might be a bit disappointed.
Thankfully the platforming doesn’t run into these problems. Levels are thoughtfully and intricately designed, leaving ample room for error without holding your hand along the way. In true Metroidvania fashion you gradually unlock new abilities as you progress which in turn allow you access to previously inaccessible areas. One thing Dust gets right that a lot of its peers fail to accomplish, is making each new move or item feel like an addition instead of something that was cut away from the character at the start. Another thing is that there is very little in the way of mandatory backtracking, with smartly placed shortcuts cutting down on wasted time retreading the same path in reverse. This is a breath of fresh air, and in my eyes has set a precedent for future games to follow. After so many years, it’s a wonder so few have done away with what seems an obvious design flaw the way Dust has.
Dust is incredibly versatile and capable, and moving him around the screen is a breeze as you take on dozens of enemies at a time. Every strike of your sword has a perfect weight to it that’s often forgotten,, and it makes even repeating battles fun again. It balances being interesting while at the same time staying accessible with the grace of the protagonist’s sword and feels unlike anything else I’ve played.
The one problem I have with the combat is that it is just too easy. You are extremely overpowered almost immediately, and this feeling only gets worse as you level up and gain new moves. The enemy AI is also borderline lazy much of the time, standing around occasionally attempting to attack but usually doing little more than repeatedly jumping behind you. Almost every enemy follows this pattern, and it makes the otherwise rock solid combat mechanics start to feel old after a while. Raising the difficulty up a notch definitely helps in this regard, but then you wind up with extreme difficulty spikes that caused me to want to hurl my controller into the screen. Personally I never got majorly bored or annoyed on normal mode,, but those looking for a more consistent challenge might be a bit disappointed.
Thankfully the platforming doesn’t run into these problems. Levels are thoughtfully and intricately designed, leaving ample room for error without holding your hand along the way. In true Metroidvania fashion you gradually unlock new abilities as you progress which in turn allow you access to previously inaccessible areas. One thing Dust gets right that a lot of its peers fail to accomplish, is making each new move or item feel like an addition instead of something that was cut away from the character at the start. Another thing is that there is very little in the way of mandatory backtracking, with smartly placed shortcuts cutting down on wasted time retreading the same path in reverse. This is a breath of fresh air, and in my eyes has set a precedent for future games to follow. After so many years, it’s a wonder so few have done away with what seems an obvious design flaw the way Dust has.
But where Dust doesn’t just surpass but completely obliterate virtually every other game in the genre is its art design. Colors burst off the screen in a gorgeous display of lush hand drawn beauty, never content with showing you the same thing twice, again and again whisking you away to even more detailed and beautiful landscapes. Dust himself is meticulously animated, with every frame flowing perfectly into the next creating a character that feels alive and human despite his animal appearance. Even the lesser used side characters have a ton of personality, which really goes to show just how much work was put into every aspect of the presentation.
The voice acting is on a whole other level for a game of this sort. Covering an entire emotional spectrum, the performances rival that of most major animated movies, and in many ways even surpass them. The characters are fully realized through their voices alone, making it easy to dismiss the often less than perfect lip synching, and going a long way to make the story as engaging as it is. Rarely have I fallen in love with a game’s characters like I did with Dust, and I can only pray this isn’t the last we see of them.
The music consists of a elegant instrumental score, there when it needs to be and absent when it should be. Soft piano melodies meld seamlessly with more complicated symphonic arrangements, both blending with the environment to set the tone for what’s to come. The sound effects will sound pleasantly familiar to any Zelda fan, seeming more a callback to the classic franchise than an attempt to plagiarize them.
I did run into one major bug early on in the game, and by major I mean “lose all your progress” major. Luckily I had a backup save, but judging by others reports this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Whether or not it gets patched remains to be seen, but until then I can’t stress enough to make sure you always have two different saves at the very least. It is a huge shame that something so problematic made it into the final build, so we can only hope the developer fixes it before too many are affected. Otherwise I had no technical problems to speak of, and for a one man development team that is pretty impressive.
The Verdict
Dust: An Elysian Tail is nothing short of stunning. The narrative tells a gripping, hilarious, and heartfelt story that never ceased to surprise me. The writing is simply superb and the delivery spot on, breathing life into the world and its inhabitants. The gameplay is equally polished, with an intuitive and rewarding combat system brought down only by an unstable difficulty and week enemy AI. Exploring for hidden secrets and easter eggs adds a lot of replay value to the already lengthy story, and I found myself becoming joyfully trapped for hours in its world.
The voice acting is on a whole other level for a game of this sort. Covering an entire emotional spectrum, the performances rival that of most major animated movies, and in many ways even surpass them. The characters are fully realized through their voices alone, making it easy to dismiss the often less than perfect lip synching, and going a long way to make the story as engaging as it is. Rarely have I fallen in love with a game’s characters like I did with Dust, and I can only pray this isn’t the last we see of them.
The music consists of a elegant instrumental score, there when it needs to be and absent when it should be. Soft piano melodies meld seamlessly with more complicated symphonic arrangements, both blending with the environment to set the tone for what’s to come. The sound effects will sound pleasantly familiar to any Zelda fan, seeming more a callback to the classic franchise than an attempt to plagiarize them.
I did run into one major bug early on in the game, and by major I mean “lose all your progress” major. Luckily I had a backup save, but judging by others reports this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Whether or not it gets patched remains to be seen, but until then I can’t stress enough to make sure you always have two different saves at the very least. It is a huge shame that something so problematic made it into the final build, so we can only hope the developer fixes it before too many are affected. Otherwise I had no technical problems to speak of, and for a one man development team that is pretty impressive.
The Verdict
Dust: An Elysian Tail is nothing short of stunning. The narrative tells a gripping, hilarious, and heartfelt story that never ceased to surprise me. The writing is simply superb and the delivery spot on, breathing life into the world and its inhabitants. The gameplay is equally polished, with an intuitive and rewarding combat system brought down only by an unstable difficulty and week enemy AI. Exploring for hidden secrets and easter eggs adds a lot of replay value to the already lengthy story, and I found myself becoming joyfully trapped for hours in its world.
The art really steals the show though, making this a game that is almost as amazing to watch as it is to play and stands as possibly one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen. Everything fits together like a well laid plan, each aspect building upon the other until there is no longer anywhere higher to go. An amazing journey from beginning to end, Dust has more than earned its place among the XBLA greats, and should not be missed! It has an abundance of heart, and is sure to put a smile on almost anyones face.
Final Opinion: 5/5 Incredible!
Note, this review is of the Xbox Live Arcade version and does not reflect any differences that may be found in others.
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