Duskfade Review

I love how the PS2 defined the 3D platforming era. It was exciting, original, and full of absolute belters! Accordingly, I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to try my hand at Duskfade. It is a PS2-inspired title that helps lovers of the genre get their nostalgia hit. More than that, though, it has a deep and meaningful story that drives many touching subjects.

Weird Beluga Studios has developed this single-player 3D adventure platformer. It is brilliantly retro, as there are puzzles to complete, tight spaces to navigate, and plenty of familiar mechanics. However, it is nicely polished, and I love the theme-related settings, the drip-fed mechanics, and the almost never-ending combat.

Duskfade tells a touching story.

I love it when a game relies on bygone mechanics while offering a deep and meaningful story. Duskfade does this with its sense of loss, grief, and memories that haunt you. Yet, it isn’t all doom and gloom. The characters are colourful and lean on one another for support. Additionally, you find new characters who add layers of joy and challenge to the action.

You play the role of Zirian. He is an apprentice living in a wonderful clockpunk world. Everything was going well for him until his sister became trapped in the clock tower. This sets him on a wild adventure that is filled with danger, monsters, puzzles, treasure, and huge bosses. However, the hero is joined by a robotic bird called Cuckoo. The pair form an unbreakable bond, and this mechanical bird becomes more than just a friend.

Smooth gameplay.

Duskfade plays out over 4 unique worlds and a central hub town. The latter allows the heroes to upgrade their gear, hand over collectables, and progress with their adventure. This is essential to the team being able to kill stronger enemies and reach otherwise unreachable places. Think of a Metroidvania and you kind of get the idea.

As the pair develop, Zirian gains new abilities that bring the world to life. He can grind rails, hold onto moving platforms, deactivate traps, flatten foes, become invincible, and much more. Each of these abilities alone is enough to impress you, but when combined, they make the hero a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, the powers can’t be used whenever you want. Instead, you must gain power by killing your foes. This prevents things from becoming imbalanced, and I liked the design choice.

The action demands that gamers look across every visual plane. If you do not scan your environment, you may miss collectables and other vital parts. What does become tedious, however, is the constant need to destroy boxes and other irrelevant items. You could avoid them, but you’d miss gems and not be able to upgrade your gear, so there is no avoiding the repetitive action.

Duskfade is wonderfully vibrant.

One of the leading elements of Duskfade is its vibrant colour palette and exceptional stage design. The world feels rich with obstacles and theme-specific areas. Cogs, clock faces, and other mechanical elements dominate the landscape. Alongside this, the action is brilliantly smooth. Frame rates are consistent, and I experienced no visual problems. The audio is loud and aggressive. There are some quiet moments to match the sombre mood, but it is genuinely dramatic, upbeat, and nice to listen to.

The controls work exceptionally well. Each input is responsive, and this helps when leaping chasms, overcoming problems, or fighting monsters and bosses. Additionally, the tutorial is thorough, and the UI is easy to navigate. There are plenty of collectables to find and loads of reasons to return to each level. Moreover, the combat is nicely balanced, and the bosses will test your patience and skills. Subsequently, this has enough replay value without outstaying its welcome.

Duskfade is an excellent indie title.

My only major complaint is the repetitive box smashing. This was a little tiresome and something that could have been addressed. Other than this issue, Duskfade is an excellent indie title. It tells an interesting and deep story. Furthermore, the mechanics are nicely considered, and the level design is great. Accordingly, I love it and recommend grabbing a copy from the Xbox Store!