Written past times Patrick Orquia
Title: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Developer: Humble Hearts; Dean Dodrill (Game Design & Programming); Hyperduck Soundworks (Music)
Publisher: Microsoft Studios (Original Release); Humble Hearts; Limited Run Games
Genre: RPG, Metroidvania, Platformer, Action, Adventure
Number of Players: 1 purpose musician
Release Date: 10 Sept 2018
Price: $14.99
Also Available On: iOS, Linux, Mac, Steam, PS4, XB360
Prior to playing this awesome game on the Nintendo Switch, I accept to acknowledge that I accept never heard of this game, fifty-fifty though it was showtime released agency dorsum inwards 2012. Before starting the game, I accept read online that this is i hell of a expert game, albeit underrated, that’s why I too a lot of other people never got to play it. But from the showtime infinitesimal of playing it, I realized that it deserves the accolades. It is indeed really, REALLY good.
The game is nigh the titular amnesiac grapheme Dust, an anthropomorphic feline warrior (all the other characters inwards this game also resemble animals of dissimilar kinds too accents). One day, he stumbled upon a mysterious magical sentient sword, the Blade of Ahrah, beingness guarded past times a Navi-like, talkative flight Nimbat called Fidget. Together, the squad has to traverse the many areas of the province inwards fellowship for Dust to find his retention too to salve it from an imminent threat. These many areas vary inwards climate, terrain, too environment. Out to halt the squad are many dissimilar enemies also amongst varying assault types too could live on walking on the footing or flight on air. It’s upwardly for Dust too his companions to succeed inwards their mission too to gratuitous the province from evil. This plot may accept been overdone earlier precisely the agency the game executes it, along amongst a real well-done vocalism work, makes the story real engaging from start to finish.
Now, similar inwards all metroidvanias, these areas accept around sections shut off at the start, similar a percentage of them may live on entirely reachable past times climbing vines or demand to live on crawled from underneath a small-scale fissure or located upwardly high an out of achieve platform. As you lot progress inwards the game, Dust volition i past times i acquire many dissimilar types of attacks, skills, weapons, armor, too other accessories inwards fellowship for him to achieve every noon too cranny of these areas, revealing all sorts of secrets, treasures, too hidden areas. The map is divided into enclosed areas amongst an entrance too leave of absence to the other end. Reaching the terminate allows you lot to opened upwardly up other areas which you lot tin achieve past times selecting it on the map. But reaching the other terminate is non that easy.
Along the way, enemies of dissimilar sorts, amongst around hitting much harder that the others, volition attempt their best to halt you lot on your tracks. Dust tin job the Blade of Ahrah equally a weapon (it is a sword, later all) to slash away on enemies. Slicing enemies to bits give sense points to Dust, too hence he volition eventually grade upwardly upon reaching a for sure set out of sense points. Upon leveling up, Dust volition acquire a jewel which you, the player, tin set on slots for health, attack, defense, too for Fidget, to brand her attacks stronger. Aside from leveling up, dissimilar gears too accessories volition also increment these stats. Located at dissimilar points inwards areas across the lands are merchants that sell nutrient items, pendants, rings, armors, too crafting materials. Yes, in that location is also a crafting mechanic inwards the game, amongst which you lot tin job to arts and crafts dissimilar accessories too equipment. Defeated enemies drib non entirely coin precisely also crafting materials, such equally leather or metallic scraps, too also trunk parts, similar fingers or teeth or hide. You tin sell these materials to the merchant for them to live on catalogued too the merchant volition acquire to a greater extent than of these materials over fourth dimension to live on made available for purchase, alleviating the demand for grinding for them. This combination of crafting mechanic too the interchangeable equipment makes customization inwards this game real expansive. It’s fun to meet Dust locomote overpowered equally you lot progress inwards the game, making battling amongst enemies a breeze. That is, until novel sets of enemies that hitting much harder than the previous i come upwardly along the way.
Aside from sword-slashing, Dust tin also perform a Dust Attack, wherein he spins the Blade of Ahrah real fast, making it similar a big, powerful spinning propeller that damages nearby enemies. He tin also practise this spell on air, allowing to Dust soar to too fro across the cover spell heavily damaging flight enemies too he is also able to direct handgrip of them mid-air too slam them to the ground. Complementing this assault is Fidget’s attack. Fidget tin shoot out projectiles to hitting enemies. They are non real powerful on their own, precisely combined amongst the Dust Attack, these projectiles tin hitting many enemies on the cover at once, too hitting them hard. Again, Fidget’s assault mightiness tin live on increased, too equally you lot progress too defeat bosses, Fidget volition acquire novel projectiles that you lot tin switch from i to the adjacent at a unmarried click of the R button, defending on the province of affairs too you lot play style.
Save points are strategically located inwards an area. This salve points also serve equally teleport points, allowing you lot to salve fourth dimension when backtracking or getting to the nearest exit, or locomote all the agency dorsum to the footing map if the going gets besides tough for you. But teleporting require you lot to job a Teleport Stone, too this item is real expensive, too so unless you lot acquit a lot of these things, you lot are improve off traversing the expanse department on foot. Yes, you lot volition accept to battle enemies in i lawsuit again (enemies respawn later you lot leave of absence a section) precisely it’s actually fun to practise addition you lot acquire sense points too so it is actually non inwards vain. But of course, if you lot are careless too unprepared, you lot tin acquire killed. Dying makes you lot respawn at the finally salve point, precisely around salve points are located besides far from the next, too so you lot may terminate upwardly losing quite a lot of progress. Unless you lot accept a Resurrection Stone, which allows Dust to respawn correct away where he died, amongst a total bar of health, that is. But, similar the Teleport Stone, Resurrection Stones are also real expensive, too so you lot improve non leave of absence if it has been a spell since your finally salve too you lot don’t accept a spare Resurrection Stone inwards your inventory. Also, live on on the sentry for our wellness bar. You may acquire an accessory or 2 that volition gain you lot the mightiness to regenerate health, precisely entirely for a few points, too so you lot improve live on cook to eat a nutrient item to find lost wellness inwards existent fourth dimension during battles. There are dissimilar types of nutrient items, amongst the to a greater extent than expensive ones giving dorsum to a greater extent than wellness points. You tin assign which nutrient item to readily eat (which you lot tin practise too so past times pressing the L button) too direct well.
Like most RPGs, this game also characteristic sub-quests from NPCs. Most of them are elementary fetch quest, precisely they are in that location for you lot to re-visit areas, specially in i lawsuit you lot accept acquired a required science to achieve previously closed-off sections. Accomplishing quests awards you lot amongst sense points too around special equipment and/or weapons, too so it is actually non much of a task to practise them.
Overall, this game is definitely i of the best games that I accept played on the Nintendo Switch too so far. Its engaging story, expansive customization, easy-to-learn battle mechanics, too awesome audio-visual presentation makes it really a top-notch game that everyone amongst the console should play. Whether you lot play it on a large TV cover or on the go, you lot volition definitely detect enormous amount of fun from the opening minutes to the tense terminal battle too all the twists too turns too wild revelations inwards between. I highly recommend this game, whether you lot are a fan of metroidvanias too RPGs or not. Let Dust too his squad Pb the way, too relish the ride.
REPLAY VALUE: Very High
PROS
CONS
Now, similar inwards all metroidvanias, these areas accept around sections shut off at the start, similar a percentage of them may live on entirely reachable past times climbing vines or demand to live on crawled from underneath a small-scale fissure or located upwardly high an out of achieve platform. As you lot progress inwards the game, Dust volition i past times i acquire many dissimilar types of attacks, skills, weapons, armor, too other accessories inwards fellowship for him to achieve every noon too cranny of these areas, revealing all sorts of secrets, treasures, too hidden areas. The map is divided into enclosed areas amongst an entrance too leave of absence to the other end. Reaching the terminate allows you lot to opened upwardly up other areas which you lot tin achieve past times selecting it on the map. But reaching the other terminate is non that easy.
Along the way, enemies of dissimilar sorts, amongst around hitting much harder that the others, volition attempt their best to halt you lot on your tracks. Dust tin job the Blade of Ahrah equally a weapon (it is a sword, later all) to slash away on enemies. Slicing enemies to bits give sense points to Dust, too hence he volition eventually grade upwardly upon reaching a for sure set out of sense points. Upon leveling up, Dust volition acquire a jewel which you, the player, tin set on slots for health, attack, defense, too for Fidget, to brand her attacks stronger. Aside from leveling up, dissimilar gears too accessories volition also increment these stats. Located at dissimilar points inwards areas across the lands are merchants that sell nutrient items, pendants, rings, armors, too crafting materials. Yes, in that location is also a crafting mechanic inwards the game, amongst which you lot tin job to arts and crafts dissimilar accessories too equipment. Defeated enemies drib non entirely coin precisely also crafting materials, such equally leather or metallic scraps, too also trunk parts, similar fingers or teeth or hide. You tin sell these materials to the merchant for them to live on catalogued too the merchant volition acquire to a greater extent than of these materials over fourth dimension to live on made available for purchase, alleviating the demand for grinding for them. This combination of crafting mechanic too the interchangeable equipment makes customization inwards this game real expansive. It’s fun to meet Dust locomote overpowered equally you lot progress inwards the game, making battling amongst enemies a breeze. That is, until novel sets of enemies that hitting much harder than the previous i come upwardly along the way.
Aside from sword-slashing, Dust tin also perform a Dust Attack, wherein he spins the Blade of Ahrah real fast, making it similar a big, powerful spinning propeller that damages nearby enemies. He tin also practise this spell on air, allowing to Dust soar to too fro across the cover spell heavily damaging flight enemies too he is also able to direct handgrip of them mid-air too slam them to the ground. Complementing this assault is Fidget’s attack. Fidget tin shoot out projectiles to hitting enemies. They are non real powerful on their own, precisely combined amongst the Dust Attack, these projectiles tin hitting many enemies on the cover at once, too hitting them hard. Again, Fidget’s assault mightiness tin live on increased, too equally you lot progress too defeat bosses, Fidget volition acquire novel projectiles that you lot tin switch from i to the adjacent at a unmarried click of the R button, defending on the province of affairs too you lot play style.
Save points are strategically located inwards an area. This salve points also serve equally teleport points, allowing you lot to salve fourth dimension when backtracking or getting to the nearest exit, or locomote all the agency dorsum to the footing map if the going gets besides tough for you. But teleporting require you lot to job a Teleport Stone, too this item is real expensive, too so unless you lot acquit a lot of these things, you lot are improve off traversing the expanse department on foot. Yes, you lot volition accept to battle enemies in i lawsuit again (enemies respawn later you lot leave of absence a section) precisely it’s actually fun to practise addition you lot acquire sense points too so it is actually non inwards vain. But of course, if you lot are careless too unprepared, you lot tin acquire killed. Dying makes you lot respawn at the finally salve point, precisely around salve points are located besides far from the next, too so you lot may terminate upwardly losing quite a lot of progress. Unless you lot accept a Resurrection Stone, which allows Dust to respawn correct away where he died, amongst a total bar of health, that is. But, similar the Teleport Stone, Resurrection Stones are also real expensive, too so you lot improve non leave of absence if it has been a spell since your finally salve too you lot don’t accept a spare Resurrection Stone inwards your inventory. Also, live on on the sentry for our wellness bar. You may acquire an accessory or 2 that volition gain you lot the mightiness to regenerate health, precisely entirely for a few points, too so you lot improve live on cook to eat a nutrient item to find lost wellness inwards existent fourth dimension during battles. There are dissimilar types of nutrient items, amongst the to a greater extent than expensive ones giving dorsum to a greater extent than wellness points. You tin assign which nutrient item to readily eat (which you lot tin practise too so past times pressing the L button) too direct well.
Like most RPGs, this game also characteristic sub-quests from NPCs. Most of them are elementary fetch quest, precisely they are in that location for you lot to re-visit areas, specially in i lawsuit you lot accept acquired a required science to achieve previously closed-off sections. Accomplishing quests awards you lot amongst sense points too around special equipment and/or weapons, too so it is actually non much of a task to practise them.
Overall, this game is definitely i of the best games that I accept played on the Nintendo Switch too so far. Its engaging story, expansive customization, easy-to-learn battle mechanics, too awesome audio-visual presentation makes it really a top-notch game that everyone amongst the console should play. Whether you lot play it on a large TV cover or on the go, you lot volition definitely detect enormous amount of fun from the opening minutes to the tense terminal battle too all the twists too turns too wild revelations inwards between. I highly recommend this game, whether you lot are a fan of metroidvanias too RPGs or not. Let Dust too his squad Pb the way, too relish the ride.
REPLAY VALUE: Very High
PROS
- Awesome traditionally-animated visuals too grade design
- Haunting musical score
- Easy-to-learn battle mechanics
- Good combination of crafting mechanics too customization
- Very well-done vocalism acting, utilizing many dissimilar accents depending on the expanse (when was the finally fourth dimension you lot take away heed South American too Australian accents inwards a video game?)
- The onscreen mini-map is e'er acquaint too shows you lot where to locomote adjacent too marks sections amongst treasures, salve points, etc.
- Area puzzles are well-designed
- Consuming nutrient items too swapping betwixt Fidgets projectiles are mapped to buttons to brand them quicker to practise without having to intermission the game
- Opening treasures requires keys that needs to live on collected (or purchased) too also needs a quite nifty quick-time push presses
- There are (not-so-hidden) sections where you lot tin examination your platforming skills too combatting skills against tough enemies, amongst a star ranking organization depending on the points you lot accumulated
- Very expert job of hard disk drive Rumble
CONS
- Most of the boss battles are a flake underwhelming
- Some items are overly expensive to purchase
RATING: 5/5 electro-Dust assault combos
Share This :
comment 0 comments
more_vert