Nostalgia kingdom
Every once in a while, a game comes along and nails that hit of nostalgia for me. Growing up experiencing every console generation, I have love for different parts of each one. Duskfade feels ripped right out of the PS2 era in almost every way. From its mechanics to its visual aesthetic, this game would be right at home on Sony’s sophomore console. Developer Weird Beluga knew exactly what they wanted to create here, and for the most part, they nailed it.
Duskfade has players taking on the role of Zirian, a boy who lives with his sister in the unfortunately named world called Tick Town. I get that it is a clock reference, but I immediately think of the bugs. Their grandfather has suddenly passed away, and his sister Allira gets into trouble when she decides to mess with the ancient technology created by the Master Clockmakers. As is tradition, this unleashes darkness and monsters into the world, and she gets locked into the clocktower and it is up to Zirian to save her.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: XBOX (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
Right out of the gate Zirian runs into Cuckoo, a clockwork bird who will accompany him in his journey. The developers clearly wanted to create a world here, as there is tons of lore and explanation that happens throughout the game. Most of it failed to engage me in the world, but I get what they were going for. There are parts of the story that land, but for most of it, I was zoning out during the long, drawn-out dialogue.
As a game, this is a pretty by-the-numbers action platformer. It isn’t an open world design and instead is more of a linear experience with some open levels. My biggest issue was direction. There is no map, so backtracking can become a pain, and a lot of the time I found myself going in circles because I lost track of where I was going. The game doesn’t do the best job of guiding the player to the next objective. I don’t need blinking arrows or yellow paint, but the level design can be confusing at times.
Much like any game of its ilk, the further you progress through the areas, the more abilities you unlock for Zirian. There is a grappling hook because, of course there is. I love a good use of a grappling hook in a game. Traversal options are king in platformers. He will also unlock new combat abilities along the way. Combat in this game is fairly straightforward, but it commits the cardinal sin of not automatically switching to the next enemy once one is defeated, leaving me swinging in the air a lot of times. Still, combat is serviceable considering it is not the primary focus of the game play.
There are time crystals scattered throughout each level, and these serve as the currency in the game. These can be used to upgrade Zirian’s combat abilities. Luckily, they are in abundance here, so you don’t need to scour every inch of every level to be proficient in combat. I had a ton leftover a lot of times because I love to explore, but if you just gather them along the way, you will get by just fine. Boss fights are fun as each one changes up their attacks, making them more interesting than recognizing patterns.
Visually, the game looks outstanding. It reminds me of a mix between Kingdom Hearts and, of all things, Vexx, with its muted colors and angular design of a lot of the levels. I really enjoyed the dynamic of visual aesthetics in each area. The enemy variety is a bit disappointing, but everything else looks great. The performance is solid on Series X, rarely dropping below that target 60fps. Animations are also well-done, I do with the music and sound was equally impressive, but it gets the job done.
Duskfade is a throwback for sure, and it knows exactly what it wants to be. It hit all the notes for me, and I really enjoyed my time with it. A map would have gone a long way to make it more enjoyable to revisit areas, and perhaps more focus on the combat engine. If you long for those PS2-era action platformers, this is a must play.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
