Dust: An Elysian Tail

1. Pureray

   Oct 10, 2014

   10

   I found myself enjoying playing through Dust, because of the responsive controls, beautiful visuals, cute furry character's, and it's free toI found myself enjoying playing through Dust, because of the responsive controls, beautiful visuals, cute furry character's, and it's free to try out if you have ps+ this month.… Expand

   • 5 of 7 users found this helpful
2. Gamegenie2600

   Jun 25, 2015

   10

   This has got to be one of my favorite games right now. I only purchased it a few days ago for my PS4 to tide me over until a few of my preThis has got to be one of my favorite games right now. I only purchased it a few days ago for my PS4 to tide me over until a few of my pre orders come in, but this a fantastic game with brilliant colors and excellent game play. the story is pretty good as well.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. DemonoidAngel

   Feb 26, 2020

   9

   This game is astonishing! A fun to play adventure with a lot of different ways to fight your enemies, and explore the beautiful, and vastThis game is astonishing! A fun to play adventure with a lot of different ways to fight your enemies, and explore the beautiful, and vast world. It's art style is breathtaking, and truly a spectacle. The characters are amazing, fun, and always entertaining.The story will have you on the edge of you seat waiting to see more! This is a return to form in the 2D platforming genre, and yet it still does something completely new, would highly recommend!… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. AJC3317

   Sep 21, 2016

   8

   Dust: An Elysian Tail is a Metroidvania style side-scroller about the oddly named Dust, and his equally oddly named companion Fidget. DustDust: An Elysian Tail is a Metroidvania style side-scroller about the oddly named Dust, and his equally oddly named companion Fidget. Dust appears to be Raiden from the Mortal Kombat series re-imagined as a raccoon, while Fidget is some sort of cross between a cat and a bat. Together they are tasked with defeating General Gaius, who is wreaking havoc on the lands. Luckily for the two of them, they aren't going into this battle empty handed. Joining them is the mystical talking sword Ahrah, one of the five blades of Elysium, who has been watched over by Fidget and her people and gets mysteriously summoned by Dust.
   
   The story starts off shaky. Dust has amnesia, that old video game story writing crutch, and while many people of the world seem to recognize him he cannot recall any of his past. However, without wishing to spoil, the amnesia criticism gets removed as the story unfolds as it truly does fit with the character. Along the way you will come across many villages populated by innocents caught in the crossfire of one man's quest to claim the world as his own. Heartbreak and loss are common place, and some fantastic voice acting truly brings to light the pain these characters are suffering through. Fidget in particular is a wonderful sidekick. Too often sidekicks can become annoying throughout the course of a game, but Fidget's childlike naivety, sarcastic quips, and unwavering moral guidance provided constant entertainment and emotion during the journey.
   
   As mentioned in the opening sentence of this review, Dust is a Metroidvania style platformer. So expect many enemies that constantly respawn in every area, lots of backtracking to get hidden items as you unlock new abilities, and the occasional platforming section to reach new levels in the same area. Combat consists mainly of Dust using Ahrah to slice and dice his way through enemies. A twist is thrown in early on when Fidget receives a projectile attack. This is the attack that can turn the game from moderately challenging to cakewalk if managed properly. At first, Fidget's projectiles are good for crowd control, but do little to no damage. However, with constant upgrading and finding items that can multiply the damage Fidget can do, hordes of enemies will soon kneel before her power. The biggest quip I have with the game is in the platforming. Dust has a split second delay between when he lands on a platform and when he can jump again. This can lead to some frustrating falls from high places. And lest you think stopping on the platform is always a safe bet, if you're moving too fast horizontally, Dust will take an extra step left or right just when you think he's stopped. Again, frustrating falls from high places will follow. With all that said, the mechanics are all pretty solidly done, but if you aren't already a fan of this type of game then Dust probably isn't going to convert you.
   
   I'd like to take a moment to mention the collectibles of Dust. Just about every game has collectibles now. Some are useless and difficult to collect (GTA 4). Some are useless but fun to collect (Mafia 2). The best however are collectibles that actually add to the game experience, and this is where Dust shines. Scattered throughout the game are various characters from other independent games, hidden in areas that are unique to the games they come from. The character from Bastion is hidden in a room where the floor flies up beneath your feet. The character from Braid is in an area where the sound will move forward or backwards depending on which direction you're running. The characters from Spelunky are found within the cave area. In addition to being cleverly hidden, each friend you find will add 5% to your health, giving you the motivation to seek out and find everyone that you can. It all adds to the air of 4th wall breaking that Dust is going for. The game isn't afraid to tell you you're playing a game, with Fidget going so far as to say "I hope you saved" before entering a tough area.
   
   Dust: An Elysian Tail manages to tell a much more engaging, emotional story than just about any big budget title can claim. And unlike many other independent games, the gameplay isn't sacrificed at all. While the backtracking does get tedious at times as you fight through the same enemies time after time after time, the combat flows nicely enough that it doesn't feel like a huge burden. With solid enough controls, engaging characters, and a story you'll want to see to the end, Dust is certainly worth a playthrough.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. J_Khan

   Nov 2, 2014

   8

   Really fun game, visually beautiful, and not a bad story to boot. The game is easy to master but still offers enough of a challenge to keep itReally fun game, visually beautiful, and not a bad story to boot. The game is easy to master but still offers enough of a challenge to keep it entertaining. It's a great throwback to old school side scrolling games with a hint of modern HD performance. The negatives to this game are that at some points the game seems very childish in it's voice acting and story but at the same time there is an underlying mature storyline. Play it if you enjoy quest based side scrollers.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
7. drlowdon

   Dec 19, 2016

   7

   Dust: An Elysian Tail is a stunning looking 2d action platformer that ranks amongst the best independently developed games of recent times.Dust: An Elysian Tail is a stunning looking 2d action platformer that ranks amongst the best independently developed games of recent times.
   
   The combat isn't as deep as something like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry but is fast paced and the selection of enemy types each need different tactics to beat meaning button mashing will only get you so far. To be honest I didn't bother with most of the side-quests as they just weren't all that interesting but the main story-line is told succinctly through short (skip-able) conversations, and the odd nicely animated cut-scene, and builds to a satisfying final encounter that many bigger budget games could learn from (there are no QTE sections for a start).
   
   If you're looking for a satisfying 8-9 hour adventure then this comes highly recommended and, when you consider that it was largely created and programmed by just one man (Dean Dodrill), it really is a staggering achievement.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Lawgun

   Apr 12, 2016

   1

   Is it a game? Or it's just an another garbage which just pretending to be a game? Boring side-scrolling slasher without adequate art style andIs it a game? Or it's just an another garbage which just pretending to be a game? Boring side-scrolling slasher without adequate art style and laughable characters. I am not six years old. But even If I was I shall prefer to play in Contra Hard Corps from my childhood or Spyro.… Expand

   • 1 of 4 users found this helpful

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