Dust: An Elysian Tail (XBLA) Review

Engaging Story And Fun Main Characters
All of the characters in the game aren’t human as all of the characters are talking animals. One of the characters isn’t even an animal as he’s a talking sword that the protagonist uses. The protagonist in question is named Dust and he’s an amnesiac. He has no recollection of his shady past and it’s up to him (and the player) to find out who exactly he is. He is also joined by a humorous loudmouth orange flying weasel called Fidget. It’s always enjoyable to hear the dialogue between the two characters, because Dust hates the way Fidget talks so loudly all the time…

The story itself is engaging as you try and find out who Dust really was before he lost his memory. It will keep you guessing as Dust may not be the “good guy” character we think he is. Sure he’s doing good deeds now, but his past may not be as noble as we thought. I’ll leave it like that to avoid any more spoilers for you…

Not

Slightly Repetitive
As gorgeous as Dust: An Elysian Tail looks and the amount of side-quests and exploration there is to be had in this game, it inevitably suffers from being a bit repetitive. The combat system is fun but there are lots of sections in the game where you’re fighting a lot of enemies all the time. It would have been better if the game was better paced where you were able to undertake a variety of different missions in certain parts in the game.

Map Is Unclear
Another minor gripe about this game is that the map isn’t very clear to read. While navigating through each level, there are many areas to visit with many different layers. The map fails to actually clearly tell you where exactly you need to go to next because it’s only represented as grids. It would have been much better if the map was actually illustrated properly as it’s rather odd looking at a bunch of little squares and flags instead. An actual map of the level itself would have made navigating through the game a lot less frustrating.

Verdict

Despite Dust: An Elysian Tail being slightly repetitive in some parts, the rest of the game is a blast to play. If you can get over the furry character design (some people may find this odd but I didn’t), you have one of the best XBLA games ever released. The visuals are stunning and the gameplay caters for gamers of all skill levels. This game offers a 20 hour experience that you will never forget. Dust: An Elysain Tail is easily one of the best games I’ve played in 2012. Too bad this game isn’t out for the PSN or Steam as PS3 and PC gamers are missing out on a modern masterpiece.

[Editor’s Note: Dust: An Elysian Tail was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]