Dust: An Elysian Tail

I got this on a whim and didn't expect much. I was quickly drawn in by the beautiful scenes, smooth animation, and great story. I looked forward to it each night when I got home from work and played until late - every day until I had finished it. I love everything about the game. I keep watching and hoping for a sequel...

First things first: I only played this for about an hour, so maybe it just did not reach the "point of no return" for this game. From my point of view (which rarely likes anime) this game is visually a feast on the eyes from the backgrounds to ist animations. Controls are spot on and while you can't save when you want, you can at least use different slots. I liked the voice acting, and while the story would not win an award it is at least "serviceable". I guess the biggest problem I have with this game is, that its not fitting in any of the genres gog is putting it in: while there is some metroidvania in it regarding the backtracking, but I never felt like exploring the games areas, so I can't really see an adventure here. I never really felt, that I may make the wrong choice when I used my experience points, and you won't be able to develop your character in a certain direction, so no role-playing here. Last but not least there are plattforms in the game for sure, but when I see the word "plattformer" I actually expect some kind of plattforming. But in this case, plattforms are just there so you don't have to walk from one side of the screen to another without pushing the jump button now and then, they are never really part of the challange. I would put the game in the "hack 'n slash" category, as this is basically what you do most of the time: slashing through an almost endless stream of semy interesting enemies.

The story is fun, the game play is fun, and the art is fun. If this were a triple-A title, I would be a bit more critical, but Dust is very up-front about what it is. As such, the story and gameplay all fall within expectations, and you can just enjoy the fun fighting mechanics and good level design. It's a great game, and it doesn't take too long to beat, so I think it's a worthwhile experience.

This game is a wonderful game with a few flaws(which is just my personal feelings about certain things in the game) hence why I am not giving it 5 stars thou it is close to it. It has a great story that makes you interested in the world and the different characters you meet during your adventures. The soundtrack fits it all great and I did enjoy listening to it. There are tricks to things that you learn during the way about fighting and how to solve certain obstacles. You can also craft items in the game which is a nice touch so do not have to rely on items to drop. There is a lot to do if you want to do a 100% run. I for sure do recommend this for anybody who wants a nice game to play.

A well-written story that happens to be a fantastic platformer with adorable characters and beautiful graphics. The gameplay is just at the correct level - the maps are well designed, often featuring places not accessible right away and tempting player to come back later; the monsters are challenging enough; the combat is fun, with gazillion of combos, hits and opponents being thrown around; the controls are intuitive and it all plays quite well with keyboard and mouse (well, gaming keypad and trackball in my case, but the point is still valid). The only thing that is a bit annoying is that monsters respawn after a cut-scene, thus after clearing an area and going back to a point of interest all have to be slaughtered again... on the other hand this ensures there is something hapening on every screen. The visuals are simply stunning. Each level has its own identity, from snowy mountains to the inside of a volcano. The animation is smooth and the game is simply beautiful. Due to hand-drawn animation it is not going to age - it looks pretty after 5+ years since its release. The music is equally good. It is a bit sad that the soundtrack is not included, but hey, we cannot have everything. Also the character voices in the game are perfect. The story is engaging. Without spoiling the details, the search for the lost identity of Dust is entertaining and while to some degree predictable, a lot of thought went into writing. This is the story about fate, love, justice and many other things. And it manages not to be too cliche at all. Finally, the characters. They all are adorable (I am looking at you, Fidget), some are a little annoying (I am looking at you, Fidget), some are creepy (especially once you know what is in the box), some can make you cry (even if you did everything right)... All in all, it is a bit hard to imagine that one person did most of this game. Or rather an interactive story. Or a small masterpiece. Become part of Dust's adventure. It is worth it.