Dustforce Review

Dustforce (Steam)
Developed and Published By: Hitbox Team
Date of Release: January 17, 2012
Price: $9.99

After all the dirty little games I've been playing lately, I have to say it's nice to have some good clean fun. Hitbox Team sweeps their way onto the scene with Dustforce, the world's first true dust-em-up platformer. Playing as one of four badass ninja janitors it is your task to clean evil's clock!




The gameplay in Dustforce seems to be greatly inspired by such hits as Super Meat Boy, N+ and the like. The objective is simple: dash around the level while cleaning up any mess along the way, defeat your grimy foes, and do so with enough finesse and speed to earn a high score. As simple as the gameplay may sound on paper, in reality it will take a lot of practice to master the controls.




The levels in Dustforce are acrobatic playgrounds require you to time your double jumps just right so that you can dodge between walls of spikes, and if you defeat a foe in midair you can then take another leap, which can make all the difference between a safe landing and spikey doom. Don't despair though, the early levels serve as an excellent tutorial to get you on your way, with a bit of practice you will make it through.




I can say without a doubt that Dustforce is one of the most engaging platformers I have played in quite a while. The way that it slowly eases you into the unique gameplay style is commendable, and I can think of so many recent games that could have benefited from the same approach. At a mere $10, Dustforce is a must have for hardcore platformer fans and newcomers alike!