Dust: An Elysian Tail

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 538 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 440 out of 538
  2. Mixed: 67 out of 538
  3. Negative: 31 out of 538

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  1. kcanon112
    May 25, 2013
    10
    A great PC port with more options than most AAA titles combined, has great music and game play, and takes place in a beautiful world, it;s very cheap and I believe anyone can enjoy it.
  2. KingVerity
    May 25, 2013
    10
    This game is everything you could want in an action rpg. Dust has an amazing art style with fluid, engaging combat. The music is fantastic and the voice acting is some of the best I've ever heard.

    The story line is really fresh and makes you feel very sympathetic to it's characters. Not often am I impressed by a game this much. I would highly recommend this game. A game this polished,    This game is everything you could want in an action rpg. Dust has an amazing art style with fluid, engaging combat. The music is fantastic and the voice acting is some of the best I've ever heard.

    The story line is really fresh and makes you feel very sympathetic to it's characters. Not often am I impressed by a game this much. I would highly recommend this game. A game this polished, creative and entertaining to not be played would be a crime.    … Expand
  3. Claytality
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    Dust has great metroidvania action, superb voice acting, humorous moments, and a great story.

    A few small flaws:
    1. occasionally imprecise parrying
    2. the cartoon cut scenes are somewhat poor quality

    As a metroidvania fan I highly recommend this game. Bought for $2.99 on sale, played 25 hours. Will play again every few years for the rest of my life.
  4. Tzeenchist
    Jul 25, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An excellent, sweet, kind, beautiful, game with humor. Makes you wonder about the most important things in life. Visually excellent and made ​​at least sounded great. With its simplicity, can bind to itself on a long time.… Expand
  5. LOL_DUDE
    Jul 25, 2013
    9
    I personally liked this game so, so much that I would give it a 10 if I didn't take some time to examine the game. The combat is great (really spectacle fighter-y), platforming is good, and the storytelling is near-perfect. The only things that bring this down is that at some points, the voice acting is less than desirable and the 4 boss fights throughout the game (excluding the finalI personally liked this game so, so much that I would give it a 10 if I didn't take some time to examine the game. The combat is great (really spectacle fighter-y), platforming is good, and the storytelling is near-perfect. The only things that bring this down is that at some points, the voice acting is less than desirable and the 4 boss fights throughout the game (excluding the final boss) are nothing very special. Another thing is that a Windows update currently brought a bug that causes some backgrounds and cutscenes to be cut off on the top and some backgrounds to not display at all (like on the map screen where you should see the Navi-esque companion Fidget sleeping or eating marshmallows over a campfire), but since this could easily be fixed in a future Windows update, I will not allow it to affect my score. If you ask me, this is a must-have.… Expand
  6. Dbgarza
    Nov 4, 2016
    10
    This is a game that got me really hooked that I played it from beginning to end on the same month I bought it. The visual part is simply amazing. The combat system is solid and easy to dominate, and this is comming from someone who sucks at making combos, but on this game I made them fairly easy that I even unlocked the 1000 combo achievement (it is called Combo Breaker if my memory servesThis is a game that got me really hooked that I played it from beginning to end on the same month I bought it. The visual part is simply amazing. The combat system is solid and easy to dominate, and this is comming from someone who sucks at making combos, but on this game I made them fairly easy that I even unlocked the 1000 combo achievement (it is called Combo Breaker if my memory serves right).

    I loved the anime style videos that play on certain parts of the game that tells us more about the game's plot, even though in PC they're compressed as Windows Media Videos, the quality is quite high.

    The characters's personalities were quite good. Kudos to the voice cast because of how much effort they put into recording the dialogs, each actor recorded their dialogs on their home studios while the voice director was directing them via Skype call.

    I really can recommend this game. Actually I recommended it to a friend of mine and he fell in love with it.

    This is how a good game should be done and best thing is that you can play the PC version even on a old Core 2 Duo PC with 2GB ram, so no one will be out due to not having a good PC :)    … Expand
  7. DaydreamR
    Apr 6, 2017
    9
    Wow This action RPG video game that I found for a long time. Cuteness animation, all of character are neutral face. The story is great until ending, make me happy 9/10
  8. Thegunner18
    May 26, 2013
    10
    Please, whatever you do, ignore all the trolls saying this is a bad game without giving any reasoning behind it. I don't know why you'd believe such crap in the first place anyway, but I had to get that out of the way.

    Dust is honestly one of the most enchanting and charming games I've ever played. The fact that all of this (other than the music) was made by one person just makes this    Please, whatever you do, ignore all the trolls saying this is a bad game without giving any reasoning behind it. I don't know why you'd believe such crap in the first place anyway, but I had to get that out of the way.

    Dust is honestly one of the most enchanting and charming games I've ever played. The fact that all of this (other than the music) was made by one person just makes this whole thing even more amazing than it already is. And if you're wondering about the music, then you won't be disappointed. Not by any means whatsoever. All-in-all, this proves to be perhaps *the* most captivating PC experiences I've had. The art, the music, the surprisingly dark story...everything.

    Buy this game!    … Expand
  9. kckkryptonite
    Jul 27, 2013
    8
    What a beautiful game, with fluid controls and slick combat. The voice work is great and the difficulty of the side-puzzles reminded me of a time when things weren't hand fed to the player; and it is quite fun figuring things out on your own. It's a bit short and the combat may get repetitive at times, but I never found myself bored. The furries made me hesitant to try this game at first,What a beautiful game, with fluid controls and slick combat. The voice work is great and the difficulty of the side-puzzles reminded me of a time when things weren't hand fed to the player; and it is quite fun figuring things out on your own. It's a bit short and the combat may get repetitive at times, but I never found myself bored. The furries made me hesitant to try this game at first, but I ended up enjoying it.… Expand
  10. JoeRosa
    May 25, 2013
    10
    The developer built the game from the ground up on pc then ported it to xbox. He then added pc settings and such. This is a solid game and has everything you could ever want from a Metroid/Vania type game.

    The combat is fast and fluid. Character stat customization. Amazing art style and graphics. Glorious music. Crafting. Exploration and adventure. You grow attached to the npcs    The developer built the game from the ground up on pc then ported it to xbox. He then added pc settings and such. This is a solid game and has everything you could ever want from a Metroid/Vania type game.

    The combat is fast and fluid.
    Character stat customization.
    Amazing art style and graphics.
    Glorious music.
    Crafting.
    Exploration and adventure.
    You grow attached to the npcs and care about what their issues are and what happens next.    … Expand
  11. chad12420
    May 28, 2013
    10
    This game is phenomenal. Polished from start to finish. Great combat, environments, graphics, sound, and a decent story to boot. NO I didn’t make the game, some people are just too childish to admit not all reviews come from some paid scrub that comes on here to boost ratings. This game is awesome, don’t miss it.
  12. Shadirrasda
    May 28, 2013
    10
    I didn't think i would like this game as I'm not a storyline type of person but the controls of this game are so slick with amazing music that i just can't stop playing!
    It's a very compelling world full of vibrant colors that just pulls you in and makes you actually care about the NPCs you're trying to help without it being quests of "kill 10 boars".
    A very very impressive game    I didn't think i would like this game as I'm not a storyline type of person but the controls of this game are so slick with amazing music that i just can't stop playing!
    It's a very compelling world full of vibrant colors that just pulls you in and makes you actually care about the NPCs you're trying to help without it being quests of "kill 10 boars".
    A very very impressive game considering it was made entirely by one person!
    An absolute must-have title.    … Expand
  13. tjgiannhs8es
    May 30, 2013
    10
    The game is EXCELLENT! The story is great and combat is a lot of fun! However, the best thing in the game is the art. The game is beautiful and the work the developer has done with painting the environment, the enemies and the protagonists is OUTSTANDING! This game must be one of the best looking games I have ever played and the npcs are all voiced which is a nice and impressive touchThe game is EXCELLENT! The story is great and combat is a lot of fun! However, the best thing in the game is the art. The game is beautiful and the work the developer has done with painting the environment, the enemies and the protagonists is OUTSTANDING! This game must be one of the best looking games I have ever played and the npcs are all voiced which is a nice and impressive touch (fidget's voice is the best). I rarely write reviews but I think this game is worth it. I don't think anyone would dislike this game since there isn't anything bad in this game. And the price makes it all the more appealing. I recommend this game by all means and hope we see a new project from the developers as soon as possible ^^… Expand
  14. Slizarus
    May 28, 2013
    10
    Honestly, this game is beautiful, the gameplay is extremely fluid combat is very fun and the metroidvania style is really well represented in the level design. The Sidekicks are pretty funny, the Nimbat is hilarious and her often silly behavior is a wonderful choice in contrast to Dust's cool demeanor.

    This game's story is really surprising, you can run through it, jaded, and ignore it    Honestly, this game is beautiful, the gameplay is extremely fluid combat is very fun and the metroidvania style is really well represented in the level design. The Sidekicks are pretty funny, the Nimbat is hilarious and her often silly behavior is a wonderful choice in contrast to Dust's cool demeanor.

    This game's story is really surprising, you can run through it, jaded, and ignore it if you want, the gameplay is fun enough and the personal evolution of your character and his choices by themselves are worth the price of admission, but if you start paying attention you'll uncover a rich plot covering issues like Racism, the Moral Struggle of Absolute Justice vs Acceptance, and little a brother not accepting the guy his older sister likes.

    The story, 30% in, is enough to start some conversations with a friend or gaming significant other :)

    The game will get a full 10 from me because for what it's worth, I can't find a problem with it worth nitpicking, but broken down this would be my score.

    Gameplay 9
    Menus 9
    Replayability 9
    Graphics 10
    Story 10    … Expand
  15. Jarkfander
    Jun 8, 2013
    10
    A game I really enjoyed playing: catchy story, delightful music, charming characters. Everything a game needs.
    The 2D cartoon style is well performed and fits really well the universe, the fights are really cool too and the combat system is well though.
    I highly recommend this cheap game, it'll make you lough and cry.
  16. XaoGarrent
    May 31, 2013
    10
    Take a slice of Metroidvania, take a side of Secret of Mana, throw them in a pot with a dash of Devil May Cry style combat (or perhaps an Arcsys fighter, after all dust DOES seem to wield his sword like Sol), and you've got the inspiration behind Dust. This game takes what made the greatest classics of the 16 and 32 bit era what they were and upgrades that formula with modern designTake a slice of Metroidvania, take a side of Secret of Mana, throw them in a pot with a dash of Devil May Cry style combat (or perhaps an Arcsys fighter, after all dust DOES seem to wield his sword like Sol), and you've got the inspiration behind Dust. This game takes what made the greatest classics of the 16 and 32 bit era what they were and upgrades that formula with modern design sensibilities and high definition art. As if the strong features of the actual game itself aren't enough, at a paltry 15 dollars it's an ambitious success that you'd have to be foolish to overlook, even as a budget minded gamer, and make no mistake: This is one very well executed port that feels like it belonged on PC in the first place.

    The story itself reminds us of a time when the fantasy genre in video games wasn't desperately clinging to the coattails of Tolkien or drenched in angst and J Pop style, and the gameplay teaches us the valuable lesson that designs of the past are still relevant and can be improved upon. Bright, whimsical storybook fantasy story and characters that yet manage to be woven seamlessly into a serious and perhaps tragic story are found alongside straightforward and gripping gameplay that does nothing to divert the player from the goals laid out in front of them. In short, Dust makes up a sleek and well assembled package that shows far more polish and planning than you'd expect of a big name let alone indie.

    Like Bastion or perhaps Cave Story, it's a throwback to days long gone, improving upon the strong foundation left behind in such a way that it begs the player to question why such things were ever abandoned to begin with. If this was a game you found yourself watching and waiting for on PC, make no delay in picking it up, it really is a no brainer purchase. It is a game that will suck you in, though, so be warned: You may want to put aside some time for it.    … Expand
  17. Myzt0
    Jun 11, 2013
    10
    Dust: An Elysian Tail (Dust for short) makes a lot of AAA games look like Yes, the game is a 10 because not only was it created by one person, but the story... You feel so bad for "Dust" when you play the game. Yes his real name isn't Dust, but he doesn't remember anything. And no that isn't a spoiler because you get to know that the first fart minute into the game. Back to my point. TheDust: An Elysian Tail (Dust for short) makes a lot of AAA games look like Yes, the game is a 10 because not only was it created by one person, but the story... You feel so bad for "Dust" when you play the game. Yes his real name isn't Dust, but he doesn't remember anything. And no that isn't a spoiler because you get to know that the first fart minute into the game. Back to my point. The story is so immersive, the voice acting is amazing and the sound is impressive. Simply on of the best games, not just action/rpg games, but on of the absolutely best games ever, period.… Expand
  18. Rum72
    Feb 18, 2014
    10
    for it's genre it is the best you could play .
  19. IRevolution
    Aug 17, 2013
    7
    So after just finishing the game, I feel obligated to write a quick review.
    I thought the game was pretty good in terms of graphics and characters. I felt that the item crafting and combat was a little repetitive and lost it's touch except for a few bosses here and there.
    The story line was great and very interesting. Would rate higher if game had a little more options. I would have    So after just finishing the game, I feel obligated to write a quick review.
    I thought the game was pretty good in terms of graphics and characters. I felt that the item crafting and combat was a little repetitive and lost it's touch except for a few bosses here and there.
    The story line was great and very interesting. Would rate higher if game had a little more options. I would have liked to see dust's clothes change to the different armour and items he was wearing and more Elemental powers for the nimbat. Over all still a good game and worth getting.    … Expand
  20. socokid
    Jun 17, 2013
    9
    I am not usually a fan of side-scrollers, but this game was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. The pace was perfect, the skill tree provided noticeable and significant upgrades to the play with every choice and the story was engaging. The voice actors were top notch.

    The graphics are beautiful, and action is very fluid. The price was right so I gave it a shot and was well rewarded.
  21. BinarySplit
    May 27, 2013
    10
    Beautiful side-scrolling action game. Has fantastic animated dialog, interesting characters and AMAZING gameplay. My only complaint is that the ending is a bit weak and there's no New Game+ to help you get 100%. At $13, this is definitely worth it.
  22. Sinfullysweet
    Jun 13, 2013
    10
    THIS IS A MUST HAVE! The story line, the play style, everything was awesome about it. When the ending makes you actually tear up, that means that the game did it's job. You care about all the characters. I played it on the casual setting, with my laptop/gaming pc hooked up to my television using the full controller support. Flawless execution. Definitely worth the time and money. So manyTHIS IS A MUST HAVE! The story line, the play style, everything was awesome about it. When the ending makes you actually tear up, that means that the game did it's job. You care about all the characters. I played it on the casual setting, with my laptop/gaming pc hooked up to my television using the full controller support. Flawless execution. Definitely worth the time and money. So many throwbacks to other indie developers that it made me smile. So thank you game developers for a game that not only I can play but my kids can play as well, that really brings you into the story! Thank you for sharing your creativity with the rest of us gamers out here. Keep up the great work. And Can I haz real life Fidget doll please? =3… Expand
  23. Muuvinki
    Jul 20, 2013
    9
    Very interesting platformer action game with great combat system. Story that will keep you interested until the end of the game. If you haven't considered buying this game go get it now. Its fully worth its money.
  24. Necrometaloxico
    Jul 25, 2013
    10
    ¿Qué acciones tomarías tú, si un día despertaras en un lugar extraño y sin recordar absolutamente nada sobre ti mismo y tu pasado?...

    Esto es lo que nos propone Dust: An Elysian Tail, un juego donde se desenvuelve una historia no solamente original, sino verdaderamente atrapante y con varios giros en su desarrollo que no son para nada predecibles en realidad. Una historia en la cual te    ¿Qué acciones tomarías tú, si un día despertaras en un lugar extraño y sin recordar absolutamente nada sobre ti mismo y tu pasado?...

    Esto es lo que nos propone Dust: An Elysian Tail, un juego donde se desenvuelve una historia no solamente original, sino verdaderamente atrapante y con varios giros en su desarrollo que no son para nada predecibles en realidad. Una historia en la cual te encuentras con varios personajes únicos y memorables, sobre todo los principales, de los cuales te hacen querer saber más sobre ellos.

    Si extrañas juegos al estilo de los clásicos "Castlevania" encontrarás varias similitudes a ello en "Dust", que cuenta con una jugabilidad sencilla pero completamente adictiva, niveles amplios y con elementos de RPG ya que nuestro personaje puede subir de nivel y portar objetos que lo ayuden a ser más fuerte. También existe el uso de ataques mágicos que llegan a ser bastante espectaculares

    Este juego cuenta con varios secretos y parodias por descubrir en los cuales llega a hacerse mención a otros juegos reconocidos de otras empresas.

    En cuanto a gráficos es impresionante ya que son totalmente coloridos, atractivos y con escenarios perfectamente diseñados, cada uno con su tema propio muy bien adaptado.

    La banda sonora es de las mejores que he escuchado en mucho tiempo, sencillamente perfecta, encajando con la atmósfera de forma muy exacta, permitiéndonos sumergirnos placenteramente en esta aventura épica. Es increíble la manera en que encaja de forma maravillosa en los momentos mas críticos y emotivos de la historia.

    Las actuaciones sobre las voces de los personajes es algo que cabe destacar también ya que los diálogos son interpretados increíblemente, convirtiendo el intercambio de dialogos entre personajes en algo muy apetecible y entretenido. Sobre todo en las escenas de éxtasis donde las actuaciones llegan a convertirse en algo muy bello.

    En resúmen: "Dust: An Elysian Tail" es un juego que no te puedes perder si eres amante de las aventuras fantásticas o simplemente buscas un buen juego que te haga olvidarte completamente de la vida cotidiana para llevar tu mente a lugares fantásticos y coloridos... sin necesidad de drogas.

    Mis felicitaciones a los desarrolladores.    … Expand
  25. Jovuto
    Nov 2, 2014
    4
    Boring, repetative, button-masher with character designs that look like they've been taken from a DeviantArt/Tumblr furry page. Apart from the characters, the overall art style is pretty nice.
  26. sanchokobe
    Jul 26, 2013
    10
    A fantastic game. Beautiful hand-drawn and hand-animated art, memorable characters, engaging and emotional story, brilliant atmospheric soundtrack, and the gameplay hits that sweet spot of "easy to pick up, difficult to master".

    What is truly amazing about this game, however, is the story of its development. With the exception of the music composed by Hyperduck Soundworks, everything    A fantastic game. Beautiful hand-drawn and hand-animated art, memorable characters, engaging and emotional story, brilliant atmospheric soundtrack, and the gameplay hits that sweet spot of "easy to pick up, difficult to master".

    What is truly amazing about this game, however, is the story of its development. With the exception of the music composed by Hyperduck Soundworks, everything else in this game (design, art, story, programming, EVERYTHING) was done by one person working unassisted. And this one person went into this with zero knowledge of game design and programming. He taught himself everything as he went along. The fact that he was able to start from nothing and produce a game of such impeccable quality...it is a tremendous achievement, and truly inspiring. The game deserves a playthrough based on that fact alone.    … Expand
  27. praXis
    Nov 1, 2013
    7
    Pros: Gameplay is really great, in a classic side-scrolling way. Audio is also fantastic. Artwork is truly gorgeous. Voice work is very well done.

    Cons: Characters and some elements of the game are excessively twee. If you have an aversion to anthropomorphized animals, kawaii characterizations, or Disney-level cheese, you will probably be put off to some degree. Developer(s) put heavy    Pros: Gameplay is really great, in a classic side-scrolling way. Audio is also fantastic. Artwork is truly gorgeous. Voice work is very well done.

    Cons: Characters and some elements of the game are excessively twee. If you have an aversion to anthropomorphized animals, kawaii characterizations, or Disney-level cheese, you will probably be put off to some degree. Developer(s) put heavy emphasis on a storyline that is very linear, naive, cliche, overwrought, and largely unexplained. If you're hoping for a big twist or reveal near the end, you're going to be disappointed. Dodrill's thanking of "an everloving God" in the credits makes me wonder if the story was supposed to be some kind of allegory, and if an agenda is being pushed.    … Expand
  28. MyOnlyAlias
    Jun 16, 2013
    10
    This game is fantastic on PC. The port if phenomenal, with almost every port feature accounted for. V sync, individual sound controls, graphics settings, resolution, and even an option to toggle higher quality art assets. The story and gameplay are top notch. This is a must own for everyone.
  29. ShaziaTheProud
    Jul 29, 2013
    9
    A truly outstanding game. While playing, you are constantly in awe of the fact that it was all hand-drawn by one person. It's definitely easy to tell that it was a labor of love. Everything about the game is fantastic the gameplay is fun, fast-paced, and addicting, the story is interesting, the characters are endearing, the music is great, the environments are dazzling, the animation ofA truly outstanding game. While playing, you are constantly in awe of the fact that it was all hand-drawn by one person. It's definitely easy to tell that it was a labor of love. Everything about the game is fantastic the gameplay is fun, fast-paced, and addicting, the story is interesting, the characters are endearing, the music is great, the environments are dazzling, the animation of the main character is exquisite, and I enjoyed the voice acting. I really, really hope that there is a sequel to this down the road, even if it takes years. My only complaint about the game, an all-too-frequently complaint about many games that we love, is that it's too short … Expand
  30. Max_Killington
    Dec 5, 2013
    10
    What a video game should be: non-stop fluid action plus a bit of loot. If Contra and Super Metriod had a child then raised it in Potos village it would be called Dust: and Elysian Tale.

    Great artwork and direction. Great music.
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2013
66
#66 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
79
#79 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 19, 2013
    100
    Dust is energetic like a tornado. It has its artistic touch to it. This gem is like the best of the video games history, to shine upon the present days. [Issue#232]
  2. PC Gamer
    Jul 8, 2013
    79
    Highly entertaining, substantial and a visual treat but with a slight whiff of Gorgonzola in the story department.
    Read full review
  3. GameStar
    Jun 6, 2013
    79
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »