Those of us who are all about Xbox have had a long wait for something that’s new and exclusive to the platform. With lengthy delays to interesting projects that aren’t Halo, Forza or Gears of War, we do have something very special that managed to keep its nose inside 2022. As Dusk Falls developed by INTERIOR/NIGHT and publisher Xbox Game Studios is now available on Xbox and Windows PC. Also if you’re one of the millions of players with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, then you can download it right now and start playing right away. If you’re looking for something that will have you super engaged almost from the get-go but equally casual when it comes to the gameplay loop, then you may be interested in this deep narrative-driven adrenaline fuelled emotional roller-coaster. Trust me when I say it isn’t an adventure you’ll want to pass by. 

Introduction

I am going to keep this review totally spoiler free since the incredibly orchestrated storytelling is the meat and potatoes of this game and boy is it great. As Dusk Falls is set in 1998 and follows the lives of two separate families who happen to come together in some very unfortunate circumstances. If you’ve recently played The Quarry and other games like Until Dawn and Heavy Rain, then this is an adventure that follows a similar premise in terms of its mechanics and core gameplay. Creative director Caroline Marchal has her hand in this genre with past projects Beyond: Two Souls and the already mentioned Heavy Rain. With both of those titles faring very well in years gone by, I had confidence going into playing this that it would be a cracker.

Gameplay

Whilst the majority of the game is literal one-button press responses with a little bit extra here and there, it’s certainly one to sit back and relax to. As Dusk Falls has some excellent pacing to the story, taking you to the edge of your seat one minute and then leaving a slight cliffhanger to return to shortly after. Each chapter of the game is roughly an hour long with plenty of choices to make along the way with limited time to make up your mind. One way or another whatever you choose will have differing outcomes. There is some light exploration and investigative to be done throughout, but mostly you’ll be painting the story and strapping yourself in for some real tough moments.

For the purpose of this review, I played alone. You can however hook up with eight players and take part in the same game together. You may be wondering, how can I do this I only have a few controllers knocking about. Thankfully with the power of XCloud or a dedicated mobile app for the game, your mates can join in with their own device. Sadly I didn’t test this feature out so I can’t inform you on how well this side of the game works but it is set up for replayability and longevity. I especially enjoyed seeing some detailed statistics after each chapter which tells you the the choices you made throughout and the percentage of players across the world who made those exact same button clicks as you did.

Graphics & Audio

As Dusk Falls is possibly the most unique visual masterpiece I’ve ever clapped eyes on. The aesthetics on display here may not be to everyone’s taste and come across quite jarring for the first ten minutes or so, but I quickly became very accustomed to them. This is because the entire tale is told through a cascade of still imagery that is both photogenic yet animated in an almost comic book style. Strangely you’ll never see narrative convert to actual moving lips on the characters, but in some amazing way of wizardry, I found myself getting hugely invested in every single person. I’d liken the entire presentation to being submerged into an incredible TV show you can’t get enough of, but you depict the outcome and with each twist and turn it’s like flicking through an on-screen comic book.

The backdrops and interactive elements I can’t praise enough, each chapter of the game just captures the atmosphere of these magnificent characters in the environments on show. The voice acting is superb and I can’t fault the cast whatsoever, the way the story is told honestly made me develop feelings and emotions for some of these fictional beings. I was intrigued to explore every avenue to learn more about each individual. The entire production has been absolutely nailed and everyone involved here should be so proud. If I had to slightly criticise anything, it would probably be the cursor controls not always being super responsive at times, but it’s nothing game-breaking and could be resolved in a future update.

In Conclusion

Whilst As Dusk Falls can be done and dusted in 6-7 hours, it may come across as a bit short for some. But the content that is there oozes quality in visual presentation, marvellous voice acting and intense decision making. The fact they have made the game interactive with several players using different devices gives the game longevity with friends. Replayability is certainly there if you want to go through and see what the outcomes of different choices are that you didn’t pick on the first run. It’s been a long time since I’ve played something and instantly felt connections with every single character. The artistry that has gone into this game is sublime and you can tell it’s been crafted with precision and passion. For me, the game was incredibly moreish to the same extent as a really good show on Netflix. It gives you that sense of not wanting to wait for what happens next. Whilst I didn’t want to rush it, I couldn’t help but binge the game in two sittings. I’m definitely going to go back and replay this to see what other stances the game takes. But I’d absolutely recommend you give this one your time, it’s an absolute must-play.