Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Yet Dust will rise with the wind and begin life anew. That is the message carried by the game Dust: An Elysian Tail.
I grabbed this game several months ago from a trader at a cheap price (2 TF2 keys, or about $5). Yet even at full price, it is worth your time and money. Why?
When you start up the game, you play as a fierce warrior, mowing down hordes of enemies. This warrior seems unbeatable, but we are privy to an amazing fact: He was beaten by a single child. The significance of this event is figured out piece by piece until a revelation near the end of the game to the hero of the game, Dust. Suffice it to say that I will not spoil this for you, but it surprised me. I was unsure whether I liked the revelation, and many gamers will surely feel the same way. Fortunately, the game's beautiful hand-painted graphics and great gameplay offset this.
First of all, the graphics are the main draw of this game. Every bit of the game oozes charm and the results of hard work. It is most surprising that this is largely the work of a single man. As you play through the game, admiring its environments and well-drawn characters, it may seem a shame that this game is set amidst a background of violence, rather than one of primarily exploration, though exploration is most definitely rewarded in the game. Many secrets are revealed by gathering keys, seeking out chests, and reaching areas that were unattainable before obtaining a certain move. In this sense, it somewhat plays out as a Metroidvania sort of game, although it is markedly less linear. There's a lot to find and do in this game.
Secondly, there is the battle system. The battle system is quite simple to pick up, and isn't too difficult to master, although on the harder difficulties you will encounter trouble. The system consists of a combination of melee attacks and the usage of a special move, "Dust Storm". This move can be combined with your companion, Fidget's, feeble attacks for some truly powerful fireworks. Mastering the usage of this is key to gaining experience. Experience is gained by defeating enemies and racking up a combo, or by completing quests. The former is more easily done, and can be quite spectacular, as combos can quickly escalate into the hundreds, even over one thousand (there is an achievement unlocked by doing this). Quests are simple, and usually involve fetching something for someone, battling enemies along the way.
Lastly, the characters are something. And I mean that in a good way. You will come to love all of the characters in the game. In a sense, the game is a buddy comedy. The banter between Fidget and Dust leads to funny situations and remarks. Fidget, the Nimbat guardian of Dust's talking sword, Ahrah, is a wimp. The game sadly makes fun of her too much, but she does make some cool, witty remarks (such as "It's got glowing evil eyes of EVIL!"). I grew to love her quite a lot over the game, more so than Dust, who pokes fun at her at many circumstances. But you'll forgive them. They're just so lovable.
To conclude, there's a lot to find in Dust: An Elysian Tail. Whether laughing at Fidget's remarks, or exploring the hand-painted world, you'll have a blast. Do yourself a favor and pick this up while it's on sale. It's worth every penny and more. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Yet Dust will rise with the wind and begin life anew. That is the message carried by the game Dust: An Elysian Tail.
I grabbed this game several months ago from a trader at a cheap price (2 TF2 keys, or about $5). Yet even at full price, it is worth your time and money. Why?
When you start up the game, you play as a fierce warrior, mowing down hordes of enemies. This warrior seems unbeatable, but we are privy to an amazing fact: He was beaten by a single child. The significance of this event is figured out piece by piece until a revelation near the end of the game to the hero of the game, Dust. Suffice it to say that I will not spoil this for you, but it surprised me. I was unsure whether I liked the revelation, and many gamers will surely feel the same way. Fortunately, the game's beautiful hand-painted graphics and great gameplay offset this.
First of all, the graphics are the main draw of this game. Every bit of the game oozes charm and the results of hard work. It is most surprising that this is largely the work of a single man. As you play through the game, admiring its environments and well-drawn characters, it may seem a shame that this game is set amidst a background of violence, rather than one of primarily exploration, though exploration is most definitely rewarded in the game. Many secrets are revealed by gathering keys, seeking out chests, and reaching areas that were unattainable before obtaining a certain move. In this sense, it somewhat plays out as a Metroidvania sort of game, although it is markedly less linear. There's a lot to find and do in this game.
Secondly, there is the battle system. The battle system is quite simple to pick up, and isn't too difficult to master, although on the harder difficulties you will encounter trouble. The system consists of a combination of melee attacks and the usage of a special move, "Dust Storm". This move can be combined with your companion, Fidget's, feeble attacks for some truly powerful fireworks. Mastering the usage of this is key to gaining experience. Experience is gained by defeating enemies and racking up a combo, or by completing quests. The former is more easily done, and can be quite spectacular, as combos can quickly escalate into the hundreds, even over one thousand (there is an achievement unlocked by doing this). Quests are simple, and usually involve fetching something for someone, battling enemies along the way.
Lastly, the characters are something. And I mean that in a good way. You will come to love all of the characters in the game. In a sense, the game is a buddy comedy. The banter between Fidget and Dust leads to funny situations and remarks. Fidget, the Nimbat guardian of Dust's talking sword, Ahrah, is a wimp. The game sadly makes fun of her too much, but she does make some cool, witty remarks (such as "It's got glowing evil eyes of EVIL!"). I grew to love her quite a lot over the game, more so than Dust, who pokes fun at her at many circumstances. But you'll forgive them. They're just so lovable.
To conclude, there's a lot to find in Dust: An Elysian Tail. Whether laughing at Fidget's remarks, or exploring the hand-painted world, you'll have a blast. Do yourself a favor and pick this up while it's on sale. It's worth every penny and more. |
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