Ever since this game was announced I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to make a As Dusk Falls review. It is, without a doubt, a very particular product in every way. The trailers managed to introduce some of what the game has to offer, but I have to say that the As Dusk Falls experience is much deeper and more interesting than I expected. Of course, also limited in certain aspects, although I think they do not change the experience that the game sets out to provide.
If it were to be clear, it would have to be said that As Dusk Falls is the most refined and profound version of those interactive movies that Netflix has created and that have come to video games a while ago. We sit down to watch a story and while we watch, judge and decide, the story takes a course that depends on us. In addition, we are being analyzed by the game, to offer us at the end of each chapter an evaluation of what kind of person we are.
As Dusk Falls Review
Yes I was surprised that the game didn’t have action gameplay and movement, beyond action events that were resolved by pressing buttons as indicated. But the result is not negative at all. In fact, it even suits the style of the game quite a bit. I was recently trying Telling Lies on Xbox Game Pass and the experience was, shall we say, similar. But As Dusk Falls is a game so deep and complex in what it proposes, that these types of comparisons are not very precise.
As Dusk Falls is a decision-based adventure which begins with a hostage situation in a small Arizona town in 1998 and explores how the people involved had to live with their actions. The story begins with Vince, a former airplane mechanic who has marital and work problems. He and his family have had to move, and during the trip they have an accident that starts the story.
a narrative adventure
It is a graphic adventure, a narrative game that although it has a base line of the story, it is totally open the exact way in which the events unfold, the relationships between the characters and even who lives and dies. Everything can change based on the decisions you make as a player. And because of the charisma that each character has, and the depth with which it is told, this element is really important. You suffer a lot because of the decisions you have to make.
As Dusk Falls offers a serious and grounded story whose only sin is that it can be longer than some would like. But the reason for this is that it delves into each of the characters, their stories, their needs, and the reasons they have for acting the way they do. But the thing here is that the decisions you make have a longer-term impact than you might imagine. It is about 30 years of the history of two families. The things you do in 1998 will be decisive for the stories that you will later live with the game.
Decisions are long term
If you have played any Tell Tales game you can get an idea of what As Dusk Falls is like. Is about a mixture of visual novel and something similar to an exploration of the area. In the game you do not control a particular character, but follow the story of many of them. And at each moment you will have to pay attention, make decisions, look at the scenery and discover secrets and then again make decisions. You have a few seconds to choose conversation or action options or the game will choose one at random. And so on until the end of the chapter.
What time will Ace Dusk Falls be playable?
The most interactive part of the game, which can be nerve-wracking at first, are the action events which generally require you to slide/twist the joystick or press a button. Not all As Dusk Falls options have repercussions, but the ones that do, are usually quite important. Since this is an interactive story, the game goes from scene to scene. You’ll never get a chance to explore the locations or have quiet chats with the NPCs.
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I feel that the style of As Dusk Falls is quite original. And the way he manages to capture you in his story, which starts off slow but picks up a bang, is something to write home about. Also, the game includes quite interesting multiplayer mechanics. You can play with up to eight other people. I don’t know how chaotic it will be in that case. I played with another player, and the game has two types of decisions. The first type are basically decisions where you and the other player will be able to choose different options and these will be decided randomly.
And others in which you will have to agree, since both players can only choose one option. Because of the type of game it is, you don’t need a controller to play it. You can add players who instead of using an Xbox Series X | S controller use their mobile thanks to the app. This option was not available at the time of this review, but it is worth mentioning. Finally, it also happens that not all options for action or choice appear.
Some must be found by moving the cursor around the stage. What is sometimes difficult considering that there is little time. But this makes it even more interesting, because there are many possibilities that open up. After completing a chapter, you will be shows a graph with each choice made, and the paths and options that could be openedwhich is an incentive to replay the game.
It looks amazing but it’s weird
The aesthetic of As Dusk Falls combines 3D scenes with still photographs of real actors who have been worked with a technique known as rotoscoping. The result is undoubtedly amazing in terms of stage design, appearance of the characters. The creators of As Dusk Falls had the actors perform on all the stages and all the actions. The result of this is mixed. On the one hand, it manages to offer something completely original.
But on the other, it feels strange and even annoying while you get used to it. The thing is that although the game has animations, most of these are frame by frame, and quite limited. It is a style choice that shows an ambition to do something different, and even artistic. But listening to voiceover with animations that are usually not synchronized is uncomfortable and sometimes it can even happen that you do not know who is speaking.
To this can be added the fact that voice acting is not always the bestAt least in dubbing. It’s not bad, not at all. But she does not always manage to convey what she intends. All in all, this game manages to offer through its strange animation very beautiful moments and others that are really emotional, dramatic, shocking.
conclusion
If you are looking for a game that offers you a deep story, and you have no problem with a limited gameplay in terms of live action, but deep in its decision mechanics, then As Dusk Falls is the game you need. In what it offers I don’t think I have competition. Take narrative gaming to another level and captivate with its story, its characters and the impact of what you decide. Knowing that in each chapter you play you have left a multitude of paths to follow is a bit overwhelming, in a positive way.
As Dusk Falls confirms its launch directly on Xbox Game Pass
In the playable aspect I think Ace Dusk Falls only fails in occasional action events. They are too simple and after doing them several times, they lose the emotion. But the mechanics he has created to make you part of the fate of his characters is incredible and the developers have to be given an honorable mention for that. However, sometimes it loses rhythm and it feels like it drags on too long. I feel that for the best experience you shouldn’t play for many hours at a time, letting each moment of the story sit and go on.
When it comes to graphics and sound, the result is mixed. There is no denying the artwork that As Dusk Falls has. But it cannot be hidden either that the result is often strange. There are even moments that try to be dramatic but the movements made by the characters (extremely limited) feel contrary, even as involuntary humor. But at the end of the day, the game holds up and manages to offer a good experience within its genre, one of the best so far I would say.