Dust: An Elysian Tail Review (Talirium)
Way way back in the far off year of 2014, I decided to get a gold membership on my Xbox 360. And back in this long forgotten era, you got 2 free games every month when you had a gold membership. (No gamepass yet kids!) I was super excited to get a bunch of free games, and the very first one I got? It was Dust: An Elysian Tail. It was super difficult, and I didn't get very far, but always thought the main character's design was really cool. I gave up around half way in, but watching my sister play it was a lot of fun. And then, 8 years later, I noticed it was on steam and picked it up.
Dust is really easy. This is baby's first metroidvania through and through. Don't let that be a deterrent though, this game is still really good. Just moving through the levels is really fun, with all of the movement options they give you. The progression feels really nice, and while the difficulty never really changes, its pretty easy throughout, getting new moves and watching your damage numbers get higher is always a joy.
Outside of gameplay, the game looks really pretty. Dust is really well animated, as are the effects on all of his moves, making it a spectacle every time you get into a fight. The environments are all gorgeous, and all feel distinct, making it really easy to remember where everything is for backtracking. The enemy designs don't stand out very often, but when you're destroying them in mass, they don't really need to stand out as individuals. The story is interesting enough, and while the writing can be really corny sometimes, its still really charming, and the dynamic the main trio has is really enjoyable.
Overall, it was really cool revisiting a nostalgic game, and while I was kinda disappointed how easy it was, I really enjoyed my time with Dust. If you want to get into metroidvanias but are intimidated by the big guys, this is absolutely worth giving a shot. 8/10