I think the retro shooter wave may have peaked with this game because I can't imagine how it can be topped. Sure, there are some upcoming shooters like Prodeus and Wrath which look far more technically accomplished, but in terms of design and playability, Dusk is a superbly-made beast of a game. Aside from the crudely simple graphics, I really can't think of anything wrong with this game. In fact, it's because of its simple graphics that Dusk can cut loose with its increasingly over-the-top level design and combat. Everything it does, it does excellently without the restrictions of a modern graphics engine. Even better, it functions superbly as a Lovecraftian horror game even while you're blasting the crap out of everything in your path. Your protagonist can kick as much ass as any classic FPS hero, but as the game pans out and the eldritch horror looming ahead becomes more and more apparent, you begin to realise all of your amazing actions are just tiny writhings in the palm of some terrible cosmic hand. If you follow this amazing game through, you will see the power fantasy become a nightmare.
