As Dusk Falls [Review]

From the moment that I've pressed play, it was undeniable that As Dusk Falls was poised to feel paradoxical for me. Narrative games are as old as videogames themselves, and the allure of having choices and interactions in a story has been enchanting both video game developers and players alike.

Having consequences to my actions and seeing the story unfold in a satisfactory manner is maybe the biggest challenge any narrative game really has to tackle. Most games rely on scenes that always happen, but with different perspectives, changed based on player decisions – the fight is the same, who punched first is different.

As Dusk Falls boldly does the opposite: player choices not only change an upcoming scene, but the route of events entirely, with different scenes specific to different routes, having multiple, almost opposite endings.

This narrative ambition was very well implemented, and it is really fulfilling to see meaningful changes from decisions I've made. As Dusk Falls created a new gold standard of player choice in these kinds of games for me.

Ultimately, though, it is clear where the focus of the team was. There are many paradoxical elements on this game. While the art itself can look pretty, the whole presentation ranges between gorgeous and uncanny. The 3D rendering of the world is often spotty and looks like an old PC game while there are some other elements that can feel overly produced and out of place.

The whole aesthetic felt somewhat unfinished and uneven. Maybe because some scenes are properly structured with more frames than others. It is one of those games that put 2D images in 3D environments and of course that this is not inherently bad, but the lack of predictability made the whole presentation fall apart on moments where structure were needed the most.

The story is divided in two acts (referred as "books") – with the first being better realized than the second in terms of what they were trying to do. The second book is mostly about tying some knots and properly giving consequences to my choices. Honestly, most of this act was good, but the cliffhanger at the end relies in one last plot point, so it felt unjust and definitely hurt the experience as a whole.

Gorgeous, but, at many times, uncanny. Rewarding consequences, but it ends in a terrible cliffhanger. As Dusk Falls is good and I liked playing it, but maybe a little more time in the oven could've made this one of the best narrative games of all time. As is, it is just a good game, even if bold in its structure.

8/10

"As Dusk Falls" is published by Microsoft. It is relevant (even if hypocritical, of my part) to highlight the BDS movement call for boycotting Microsoft services and Gaming Products due to their complicity in the genocide in Gaza. You can learn more about it here, but, to quote the article:

“Microsoft provides the Israeli military with Azure cloud and AI services that are crucial in empowering and accelerating Israel’s genocidal war on 2.3 million Palestinians in the illegally occupied Gaza Strip”

Every image on this post is from IGDb