Dust: An Elysian Tail Review

Dust: An Elysian Tail
Developed By: Humble Hearts
Published By: Microsoft Game Studios
Date of Release: August 15, 2012
Price: 1200 MSP

As I sit here after finishing Dust: An Elysian Tail, I find myself having to fight back tears while thinking of the revelation-packed ending. It is not often that a game presents such a profound and gripping narrative, in this world of rushed to market cookie-cutter shooters and overblown RPGS. And yet here is a game, built in less than four years by a single driven individual. Dean "Noogy" Dodrill himself handled the programming, visuals, writing and animation, and only reached out for help with the music and voiceovers. And yet this seemingly simple metroidvania-style XBLA title manages to surpass the production values of nearly any recent big budget blockbuster that can be named.



The gameplay in Dust is fast paced and compelling, with a combat system that takes the best parts of games like Castlevania SOTN and Devil May Cry. As in DMC, you can rack up insane combos for extra experience points (my personal best was just over 3500 hits). Upgradable abilities earned along the way keeps everything feeling fresh, and will open the way to previously inaccessible areas, a la Metroid. A continuously updating automap will keep you from ever getting lost in the game's vast world.



Dust certainly has a lot of stuff to do, with a number of sidequests nearly bordering on the excessive. There are countless secrets to be found, so be sure to explore every nook and cranny for destructible walls. If nothing else you will be rewarded with a Mysterious Wall Chicken. Noogy definitely packed the game to the brim with tributes to many classic games, both old and new (to get the "wall chicken" joke one simply needs to play Castlevania). Add to all that a blueprint-based crafting system, and Dust's adventure just keeps getting deeper and deeper.



When it comes down to the quality of the narrative and voice acting, Dust: An Elysian Tail is definitely no slouch. It is near impossible not to fall in love with the varied cast of characters and their often wacky hijinks (Dust's companion Fidget is one of the most endearing characters I have seen in years, and does well to break the "Navi" stereotype). That's not to say the whole game is a barrel of laughs, it gets incredibly serious towards the end with a major plot twist that will leave player's heads spinning. With an epic plotline that will last the average player at least 8 hours and with sidequests out the wazoo, players will definitely get their 1200 MSP worth with this game. Dust: An Elysian Tail is simply too good to pass up!