User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 208 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 18 out of 208

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  1. Oct 11, 2014
    9
    I had a blast with this game, the controls, visuals, story and the characters sure made it worthwhile. I bought a Playstation 4 yesterday along with Infamous: Second Son, which I was playing in the start, but after downloading this game during a break, it didn't take long before i found myself playing Dust instead of Infamous. If you enjoy indie titles this is another gem to add to theI had a blast with this game, the controls, visuals, story and the characters sure made it worthwhile. I bought a Playstation 4 yesterday along with Infamous: Second Son, which I was playing in the start, but after downloading this game during a break, it didn't take long before i found myself playing Dust instead of Infamous. If you enjoy indie titles this is another gem to add to the library, also it's free in this month's PS+ Expand
  2. Oct 12, 2014
    8
    This is a surprising one, downloaded it as was free on PlayStation Plus and thoroughly enjoying it so far. The characters are great the skill system and controls are easy to understand. Simply a great game would definitely recommend.
  3. 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 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 thereReally 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
  4. Mar 6, 2015
    10
    l downloaded it for free and after several start stop tries it grabbed my interest. it was absolutely fun. took a little to get into because i just finished a serious game. wow, this thing turned into a beautiful game. the main two characters were likable especially fidget, and the upgrades kept you killing monsters. the story was enough to keep you curiously interested and sidel downloaded it for free and after several start stop tries it grabbed my interest. it was absolutely fun. took a little to get into because i just finished a serious game. wow, this thing turned into a beautiful game. the main two characters were likable especially fidget, and the upgrades kept you killing monsters. the story was enough to keep you curiously interested and side missions were fun as well. i wish it were longer. a good player could certainly get through it in less time than me, but i spent about 35 hours playing it and roaming. this game is one of the better indies i've played on ps. Expand
  5. Oct 31, 2014
    9
    A compelling story-driven adventure with a brilliant art style and glorious gameplay.
    Faults can be found, however, such as there being no variation in weaponry, though this is for story reasons.
    One could find certain characters, such as Fidget, annoying, though it becomes aware that the voice actress tries to put an irritation spin on it, and evokes memories of the fairy from Zelda.
    A compelling story-driven adventure with a brilliant art style and glorious gameplay.
    Faults can be found, however, such as there being no variation in weaponry, though this is for story reasons.

    One could find certain characters, such as Fidget, annoying, though it becomes aware that the voice actress tries to put an irritation spin on it, and evokes memories of the fairy from Zelda.

    Considering this project was mostly completed by one man, his accomplishments are marvelous.
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  6. Oct 13, 2014
    8
    This game gets one thing wrong, first impressions. What at first appears to be a low rent, furry pandering hack-n-slash is actually a more like a mash-up between Dragons Crown and metroid with fast paced aerial juggling combat that's surprising deep and always fun.

    Level design is great, dialog is often humorous and the graphics are occasionally beautiful. Id love to see what the devs
    This game gets one thing wrong, first impressions. What at first appears to be a low rent, furry pandering hack-n-slash is actually a more like a mash-up between Dragons Crown and metroid with fast paced aerial juggling combat that's surprising deep and always fun.

    Level design is great, dialog is often humorous and the graphics are occasionally beautiful. Id love to see what the devs could have done with a bit more cash and a lot more polish. Having played this game for free on PS+ I would have happily payed money for it.
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  7. Oct 13, 2014
    5
    I bought into the hype and I'm glad I didn't pay for this game. The first 3-4 hours are fun, but then the game becomes too repetitive. It's frustrating in the way 8 bit games used to be. Deaths usually come cheap (playing on hard so take that into consideration) and the platforming could use some work.
  8. Mar 12, 2016
    3
    The game is fun for the first hours, later - not so much. What was looking as a decent light metroidvania at first, turned out to be a shollow, static slog through copy-pasted content that tries to cover itself with "now you have new ability: DOUBLE JUMP! You can go backtrack early stages to find a hidden treasure or finish a side-quest! So varied!"
    The sad truth is, the gameplay never
    The game is fun for the first hours, later - not so much. What was looking as a decent light metroidvania at first, turned out to be a shollow, static slog through copy-pasted content that tries to cover itself with "now you have new ability: DOUBLE JUMP! You can go backtrack early stages to find a hidden treasure or finish a side-quest! So varied!"
    The sad truth is, the gameplay never evolves besides two basic combos and ridiculously overpowered aoe attacks (that basically stagger all the mobs so you can easly hit that 1000+ combo so hardcore and pro). You will endlessly swirl around the screen staggering the same mobs over and over again on really basic stages that mostly consist of two levels and few platforms. Sometimes a bigger mob will appear that requires to be stunned with parry (you just hold your basic attack button).
    This kind of game would be acceptable if it was 1-2 hours long. But every few steps you're assaulted with awful, invasive, badly voiced expository dialogues that uncover the awful story before you, even if you couldn't care less (you need to wait two seconds of every line to be able to skip it). Like someone said already, it's really bad and is considered high quality only by rabid furries, that never read anything besides their own fan-fics or Harry Potter. And it drags, and drags on. 4 hours of the gameplay felt like an eternity to me. 7 hours in it's so tiring I just fly through next stages ignoring trash mobs, just to get to the next checkpoint.
    It's a deal for 0,5€ I guess. It's not a good metroidvania, it's a bad game overall.
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  9. Dec 13, 2014
    9
    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.
    What a great surprise ! Astonishing visuals, cute/cool characters, an unusual story, a good length ( 15 hours more or less), and almost perfect game-play with an old-school taste (like the first Castlevanias) except that it was pretty easy apart from few platforming
    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.
    What a great surprise ! Astonishing visuals, cute/cool characters, an unusual story, a good length ( 15 hours more or less), and almost perfect game-play with an old-school taste (like the first Castlevanias) except that it was pretty easy apart from few platforming moments (and I've done it in the hardest mode).
    Those are all characteristics of a great AAA game, but you may find all of them in Dust: An Elysian Tale for 15€/$. For that price i don't know any games better than Dust and if there is a sequel I won't wait for the PS+ to offer it before getting it. The only reason that I didn't give it the perfect mark is for the bosses that are way too easy you just have to do the same combo again and again.
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  10. 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 to try out if you have ps+ this month.
  11. Oct 9, 2014
    10
    This game is an overall joy to play through. It takes well over 10 hours to complete. If you every played Guacamelee you will be right at home in Dust. The platinum doesn't seem too challenging. Definitely worth buying OH WAIT it's free all month!
  12. Oct 14, 2014
    8
    A westernized muramasa rebirth. In a nutshell this game is fun and simple. A hack and slash game that gets propelled to better heights with the rpg elements, and the random loot. I loved the random loot it kinds of cancels out the repititive nature of hack and slash games. I also enjoyed the grinding and leveling up, so much so that I've spend almost 13 hours on this game, yes that's moreA westernized muramasa rebirth. In a nutshell this game is fun and simple. A hack and slash game that gets propelled to better heights with the rpg elements, and the random loot. I loved the random loot it kinds of cancels out the repititive nature of hack and slash games. I also enjoyed the grinding and leveling up, so much so that I've spend almost 13 hours on this game, yes that's more than I've spend on some triple a games. However the downside to this game is that it is repetitive, and the last stage was so horribly long and unnecessary that it almost made me hate this game. Other than that the story and voice acting are good, and since this is probably not a full priced game (it's free on plus now), I would definitely recommend getting it. 87/100 Expand
  13. Nov 5, 2014
    10
    I just got through this game after getting it for free on the PS store and I an very thankful that it popped up on my radar, this game is stunning, literally stunning. Let's start with the obvious, the artwork, backgrounds and the art style is simply amazing it is just beautiful, simply beautiful.

    The story might be a little simple but then again many of the best stories are, the
    I just got through this game after getting it for free on the PS store and I an very thankful that it popped up on my radar, this game is stunning, literally stunning. Let's start with the obvious, the artwork, backgrounds and the art style is simply amazing it is just beautiful, simply beautiful.

    The story might be a little simple but then again many of the best stories are, the characters are so vivid and lovable, even fidget after you get over the first hour, and especially the side characters like the villagers in Aurora, Moska and Reed might be my favourite side characters in any game ever. It might be cliché but the amnesia thing (not technically amnesia, spoilers) works here as you, yourself are left wondering who Dust is, as you grow to love him. I was honestly moved by some points in the game as I was that invested in it and that immersed in this wonderful story that might seem simple, but if you approach it without being cynical (as it is intended) it will take you away, it filled me with childhood wonder and enchantment and no game has done that to me since I stopped being a child. (some might argue that is yet to happen)

    The gameplay is incredibly fun, the plat-forming and combat is fluid and any mistakes made are your fault not the fault of janky physics like in many other games, it is just so fun to try get the highest combo you can and jump around exploring the levels and finding all the secrets, there are even quite a few shout-outs to other indie games of the past which fans of said games will adore. Most importantly this game is a blast to play, not once did I get frustrated enough to shout and not once did I swear, rare for me, I was loving the game too much.

    The RPG elements really begin and end with whether to give a snooty guy a bad rash or where to put your level up points and what upgrades to use in equipment, no good-bad choices here, I think there was meant to be but it was removed, it wouldn't make sense for Dust to be evil anyway.

    If this game had come out from a triple A developer I would be astounded, but this was made by one man, one man, Dean Dodrill, and that fact is just astounding when you see the hand-painted landscapes and the amount of content in the game, this is a real labour of love and it shows, the man deserves major major kudos.

    Perhaps the best thing I can say about this game is that it earned total completion to 100 (or 117% in this game, another reference). Finding all the secret and exploring all the map because I wanted to see everything it had to offer as none of it was meaningless or surplus to requirements. This took me approximately over 20 hours so it has good playtime for what it is.

    I recommend playing on a high difficulty as like every RPG in the history of gaming, once you get past a point you become an immortal god.

    I have played many games, few I have enjoyed more than this, fewer still I hold as warm feelings for as this game. But that is not all, I have until now played 2 or 3 games that I consider to be close to perfect, including shadow of the colossus and portal. However now I can finally say I have played a perfect game, and that game is Dust: An Elysian Tail. I found no flaws, nothing I consider to be a flaw, I loved every single second of it and cannot wait to begin again but I also feel that I need to wait along time before playing it again so it remains special, and I can relive this wonderful moment of gaming history, the fact I missed it for 2 years irritates me, but better late than never.

    Incidently this would also make a good cartoon sow aimed at kids, enjoyable by adults such as people my age like the 90s cartoons I grew up with. So any tv execs, get on that.
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  14. 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 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.
  15. Mar 7, 2015
    2
    I really pushed myself to play this game but unfortunately because of ULTRA SUPER MEGA REPETITIVE gameplay and silly fight sequences I just gave up at the middle of story. First of all this is not an RPG game, this is a shallow button smashing action. No character development, no choices, no effects to the storyline, lineer gameplay and stupid combat mechanics. From the beginning to endI really pushed myself to play this game but unfortunately because of ULTRA SUPER MEGA REPETITIVE gameplay and silly fight sequences I just gave up at the middle of story. First of all this is not an RPG game, this is a shallow button smashing action. No character development, no choices, no effects to the storyline, lineer gameplay and stupid combat mechanics. From the beginning to end the only thing you have to do is smashing three buttons at the same time and create a FLYING TORNADO OF FIRE or WATER COMBO . Really that is all. This game is a joke. Fortunately, I did not pay anything for this. Expand
  16. Mar 2, 2015
    1
    I judge games on how they play, how they look, how good the story is and the music score/voice acting. But to learn all that a game needs to be played. Majority of games I can put in a few hours even if they have weak elements, but Dust was so bad 5 minutes of play felt like an eternity.

    The story is utterly laughable, I though it was a deliberate comedy and written so bad as a joke,
    I judge games on how they play, how they look, how good the story is and the music score/voice acting. But to learn all that a game needs to be played. Majority of games I can put in a few hours even if they have weak elements, but Dust was so bad 5 minutes of play felt like an eternity.

    The story is utterly laughable, I though it was a deliberate comedy and written so bad as a joke, but sadly it wasn't. The story drags in the first few minutes and I began surfing Facebook on my phone until finally the game began.

    The gameplay is very basic, it reminds me of a Barney the Dinosaur game my daughter played when she was four. A very basic sidescroller, you literally can push right and close your eyes it's that bad.

    The characters are crudely animated. They are forgettable and lack anything distinctive to make them enjoyable to play with. The overall graphics are of a very poor standard, everything looks like a badly drawn episode of a Nickelodeon cartoon.

    Basically the game is a dumb button masher pretending it's an RPG so noobs will believe they are part of the RPG crowd.

    Terrible game, I switched of and uninstalled after 10 minutes due to absolute boredom. Hopefully one day this disgraceful time in gaming is forgotten and we will not be subjected to such terrible Indie games on next gen consoles any longer. Avoid this game at all costs if you want to see gaming progress.
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  17. Oct 15, 2014
    9
    A solid and fun side view hack and slash game (that came out a couple years ago on last gen) that is free for PS+ folks. It has satisfying combat, a good variety of enemies and environments, light platforming and good RPG elements. It even has a fun sidekick fairy.
  18. Oct 20, 2014
    8
    Dust is a beautiful simple RPG game. With really simple RPG elements that's of almost no effect in your character except for levelling up.
    The story is beautiful tail. With simple twist. So don't expect any thing fancy here.
    Compact is simple and not even that hard on tough/hardcore difficulties. Still controls are sometimes annoying. Like us have the option to use R stick or Right/Left
    Dust is a beautiful simple RPG game. With really simple RPG elements that's of almost no effect in your character except for levelling up.
    The story is beautiful tail. With simple twist. So don't expect any thing fancy here.
    Compact is simple and not even that hard on tough/hardcore difficulties. Still controls are sometimes annoying. Like us have the option to use R stick or Right/Left trigger for dodging. Problem here is that R stick is much fluent however R3 displays the inventory menu. When in combat and face this you'll really get pissed off.
    Same thing for direction. The left stick is annoyingly sensitive that when you move and release the stick the character turns to the other direction.
    Few simple things like the above where annoying for me.
    The game in general is awesome. 2D graphics with good story and awesome soundtrack. Game play is fine. Not perfect but fine. It was a great addition to PS+.
    I wouldn't go and buy it though if I didn't get it for free on PS+.
    This is an 8 for me
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  19. Oct 14, 2014
    9
    Played it on Hardcore because some people said it was an easy game even on Tough difficult and had lots of fun on it. The combat is very simple, but entertaining. Graphics are excellent and very well done, the way I like. The story starts slow, but by the middle you can't stop playing because you want to know what's going on. It's not the typical "good vs evil" story and the ending isPlayed it on Hardcore because some people said it was an easy game even on Tough difficult and had lots of fun on it. The combat is very simple, but entertaining. Graphics are excellent and very well done, the way I like. The story starts slow, but by the middle you can't stop playing because you want to know what's going on. It's not the typical "good vs evil" story and the ending is awesome. One of the best indie games I've played in my entire life. Expand
  20. Oct 29, 2014
    5
    I get this is an indie game but I'm shocked other people aren't talking about howugly the art of this game is. Now, maybe this is just my tastes, but to me it all looks like one of those "learn to draw manga!" books you got at your 5th grade bookfair. It dosen't feel like a badly put together game... sorta middle-of-the-road indie title in terms of gameplay, but the art style looks SO badI get this is an indie game but I'm shocked other people aren't talking about howugly the art of this game is. Now, maybe this is just my tastes, but to me it all looks like one of those "learn to draw manga!" books you got at your 5th grade bookfair. It dosen't feel like a badly put together game... sorta middle-of-the-road indie title in terms of gameplay, but the art style looks SO bad to me that I can; recommended, it makes the whole thing feel cheaper. Expand
  21. 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.

    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
    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.
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  22. May 6, 2015
    9
    Wonderful game, perfect balance of fighting, platforming and rpg, the game is an absolute charm. The combat is challenging but not overwhelming and the game is all around very fun and rewarding.

    Highly recommended.
  23. Oct 12, 2014
    7
    A solid game with fun combat, some customization and a very interesting character fidget, whose personality is interesting indeed but doesnt do much in actual gameplay.
    In Dust it is very easy to chain long combos and parry, which is good in that it is easy to learn and your character feels agile, and getting 3-figure combo counts can really never get old. That said, Dust is a rather easy
    A solid game with fun combat, some customization and a very interesting character fidget, whose personality is interesting indeed but doesnt do much in actual gameplay.
    In Dust it is very easy to chain long combos and parry, which is good in that it is easy to learn and your character feels agile, and getting 3-figure combo counts can really never get old. That said, Dust is a rather easy game, as you attack non-stop and kills ordinary creeps in 2 hits. While enemies do inflict significant dmg to you as well, their attacks are not nearly frequent enough and can be easily interrupted or parried. There is also a lack of moves (only 6 in total and I dont see a locked move list).
    Since its free with ps+ I do suggest everyone with a subscription to try it out. Even just for fidget.
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  24. Mar 22, 2016
    10
    OMG This game was made for me. When I play this game it just makes me feel like a kid again. (When live was easy and simple and fun) Story is enjoyable, Visually beautiful, game play too much fun(a bit simplistic). Down Side? I wish the game was longer. I have played it about 3 time now and I'm just in lave with it. Not at all hard to get in too. Very pick up and play "maybe too easy for some"
  25. Nov 3, 2014
    10
    A gorgeous, fun, action-packed 2D game with a great and interesting story. Dust: an Elysian Tail is perfect, it nails everything and it's also pretty lengthy, which is very good. This game is better than many AAA games, it's just amazing.
  26. Oct 14, 2014
    8
    Dust: An Elysian Tail is a really enjoyable hack and slash game and is likely one of the best side-scrolling games for the PlayStation 4. Movement and fighting is fluid and precise though occasionally I end up swinging the wrong way after dodging. Sometimes platforming might be really frustrating mainly because the edges of platforms aren't always very clear. Leveling your character has aDust: An Elysian Tail is a really enjoyable hack and slash game and is likely one of the best side-scrolling games for the PlayStation 4. Movement and fighting is fluid and precise though occasionally I end up swinging the wrong way after dodging. Sometimes platforming might be really frustrating mainly because the edges of platforms aren't always very clear. Leveling your character has a huge impact on your stats and especially if playing higher difficulties, picking the right stat is very crucial.

    The story seems to have some depth into it but I feel like I know how it will progress. Fortunately I have only played for a couple of hours and I have yet to see what will happen. Some of the NPCs in towns have boring or repetitive dialogue specifically those that give multiple side-quests, voice acting is fairly good though.

    Visually Dust looks very good with colorful and detailed enemies and backgrounds. Unfortunately I have yet to see much variation in enemy designs or strategies to beat them. Mostly it seems like you only have to plan your attacks when fighting bigger monsters and the strategy has been somewhat same regardless of what the big monster looks like. So fighting might get somewhat repetitive but you will get more skills when you progress the game, adding combat strategies and attack patterns.
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  27. Nov 11, 2014
    7
    Dust: An Elysian Tail is a good game This is an action rpg with a good story and beautiful graphics.

    Graphics 7/10
    Music 8/10
    Gameplay 6/10

    My overall score is 7
  28. Oct 30, 2014
    9
    I downloaded Dust: An Elysian Tail yesterday for the PS4. I just have to say, I have never, ever, enjoyed a game as much as this. It completely threw me off guard with the type of game it was, I was sceptical at first when I was scrolling through the screenshots but I downloaded it and it was the best thing I ever did. Its just so smooth, visuals are absolutely brilliant and the gameplayI downloaded Dust: An Elysian Tail yesterday for the PS4. I just have to say, I have never, ever, enjoyed a game as much as this. It completely threw me off guard with the type of game it was, I was sceptical at first when I was scrolling through the screenshots but I downloaded it and it was the best thing I ever did. Its just so smooth, visuals are absolutely brilliant and the gameplay is better than most triple A titles, seriously. I do feel guilty due to the fact it was FREE (for ps+ members, I believe it was around £10 to buy, which is totally worth it.). A game such as this, for free. I mean its literally so good, it makes you feel guilty for downloading it for free.

    One setback is, there are boss battles in the game and they are fairly decent, its just they needed to be harder. I played it on 'casual' mode as this struck me to be a game with a deep story (and jesus christ it was! story was brilliant!). Its just the boss battles need to be more difficult rather than being a minor chore. After completing a boss battle, I want to feel a sense of accomplishment. That's the only thing, the boss battles need to be tougher. The rest of the game, visuals, gameplay, mechanics, characters, voice actors etc, every single piece of the game was amazing, I can stress enough. One of the best games I ever downloaded, period.

    - Samu
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  29. Nov 5, 2014
    8
    Dust: An Elysian Tale is a gorgeous game to look at and the controls handle superbly.

    The story is intriguing and as you progress the game manages to rack up the difficulty level really well and when you get the hang of combos managing to do a realy long combo chain feels extremely satisfying and rewarding. I loved the side scrolling and art style as it gave the game an old school
    Dust: An Elysian Tale is a gorgeous game to look at and the controls handle superbly.

    The story is intriguing and as you progress the game manages to rack up the difficulty level really well and when you get the hang of combos managing to do a realy long combo chain feels extremely satisfying and rewarding.

    I loved the side scrolling and art style as it gave the game an old school feel but with an up to date look.
    For a free game on PS Plus you can't go wrong and I'd have been happy paying for this title.
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  30. Dec 1, 2014
    8
    While not the most deep experience around, this game is tons of fun! While my wife is not even close of fond of Fidget's voice, I found a loving bond with that...whatever she is!

    Easy to pick, plenty of fun with solid controls, PS+ provided free entertainment, and a story worth a playthrough I am glad I downloaded and tried it out!
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Nov 28, 2014
    80
    A labour of one man's love that'll melt your heart, while satisfying your bloodlust. [Christmas 2014, p72]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 16, 2014
    80
    That it's free on Plus is one of the year's best bargains. [Dec 2014, p.94]
  3. Oct 21, 2014
    73
    PS Plus brings us a high quality game. A game that is really worth seeing, playing, experiencing and enjoying. More than recommendable for any player of any age.