DUSK

Dusk is a favorite among the “boomer shooter” crowd, and there's a good reason for that. It’s a clear and overt tribute to the FPS games of old, and it nails their overall feel and appearance with its fast movement, reloading-free gunplay, and chunky polygonal graphics. While it is strongly inspired by the likes of Quake, Blood or Redneck Rampage and even references them on occasion, it’s more than a pastiche or a tribute and has its own unique feel and atmosphere. The levels have a unique aesthetic, the soundtrack is great, the worldbuilding is pretty cool, and while the 3D graphics mimic those of a 90’s game, they still have their share of cool-looking environments and insane architectures. It also gets genuinely creepy at times! Gameplay-wise, it’s a whole lot of fun to play. It has its classic FPS arsenal and excessive speed movement: it’s extremely fun to circle-strafe and mow down the hordes of enemies thrown at you, but that’s not all. Dusk is not afraid to fully embrace its janky side and experiment with weirder mechanics, and it really shines when it lets out its more silly and modern vibe: for instance, you can use almost every object you can find as an improvised weapon, cook meat to regain health, or spin your guns for a small damage bonus. The level design has a ton of secrets to hunt down, and often lets you try out alternate paths and multiple ways to solve the issues you’re facing! Dusk, however, has some shortcomings. Three of four enemy types are annoying, notably rats and gun turrets; a few levels clearly had less efforts invested into them; and while the movement and gunplay are a ton of fun, I occasionally found them to be a bit wobbly, especially when locked in more confined spaces with multiple enemies. Still, Dusk deserves praise for being one of the first games to faithfully emulate the style of retro shooters, and… well, for being a banger. It’s not for everyone, but you will like it you’re a fan of retro gaming and over-the-top action.

The guns in this game feel like nothing else. The levels are carefully crafted to take you on a ride and some of them are downright mindblowing. And once you get good, you'll be left wanting more.

Dusk took me by surprise despite the fact that I was following it's development. I thought, "this looks like it might be an OK homage." I didn't expect a masterpiece, but that's what I got. The action is more reminiscent of Doom 2 and Blood than Quake (imo)... meaning that it's very fast and insane. The enemies are varied and fun... the level design also got better and better and better. At first, it's standard fare retro FPS. By the end, I'm flying through the air in some sort of M.C. Escher puzzle. The weapons are a mix of old ideas and new. If you have a favorite weapon from an old FPS, there's probably a version of it here. My personal favorite was the crossbow; line up a shot and take down all the enemies in a line. Andrew Hulshult's soundtrack is a modern take on the chuggy metal riffs from 90s FPS, but this time with real instruments. I think the music crafted for some of the more subtle moments... horroresque (is that a word?) organs and eerie synths... before the guitars kick in. One last thing, be sure to play all the way to the end. The boss battle is classic. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED.

One of the best games of 1997 in a parallel universe. This Quake/Blood love child is an absolute must have for fans of the retro shooters of yore.

I love old-school first person shooters, so this is right up my alley. Neat visual aesthetic, powerful weapons, powerups, monstrous enemies and often complex level design with lots of secrets. The level design does get a lot better in the first leg of the final episode, so I suspect the levels in episodes one and two were created first - in that order. All bosses in the game are a let down. A proud FPS tradition, really :/ Still, it's buckets of fun and I'm nearly done with my second run all the way through the game. As far as "modern retro shooters" go, my ranking looks something like this: 1) Amid Evil 2) Project Warlock 3) Ion Fury 4) Dusk