When the world constantly throws outdated sequels and remakes at you from all manner of media, it’s hard not to get swept up in the nostalgia wave. Sad and burned out adults love to reminisce about the childhood joy they fondly remember, and what better way to capture that than with a beloved franchise churning out something new. Nostalgia is more powerful than just clinging onto a big name like Star Wars or He-Man though, it can also conjure up magic just based on a vibe or genre. Duskfade perfectly captures the feeling of hiding away on a rainy weekend and playing a 3D action platformer on your PlayStation 2, which is just the niche sort of nostalgia my soul craves.
In Duskfade you play as Zirian, a clumsy young boy raised by his grandpa. His grandpa is the talk of Tick Town, because his clock making skills are top notch. Zirian has never been much of a crafter and certainly didn’t inherit his skills, but his sister was looking to follow in his footsteps until Gramp’s untimely passing. This tragic event sends her into a downward spiral, and she locks herself in her room to fix a project as the town gets torn apart by a giant clock tower. Your job is to save the day and your sibling, with of course some help from a sassy clockwork cuckoo. The story of Duskfade is better than it needs to be, but isn’t really the most important part of the game.
From the first moment I started jumping around the floating stained glass tutorial area, I realised I was in for a treat. Zirian controls really well, with the ability to double jump and dash through the air from the very start of the game. This means you can immediately propel yourself across some pretty massive gaps, and the controls are mostly tight enough to set you up for some precision platforming as well. All the bells and whistles like wall jumps and long jumps are here too, rounding out a satisfying moveset for the platforming.
Jumping around is but one of the elements that makes up Duskfade though, and another big one is combat. There are all sorts of enemies who need smacking around with your sword, in an easy-going hack and slash fashion. A simple combo and a dodge roll or two will deal with most early enemies, but as you progress through the game you’ll discover all sorts of upgrades that’ll improve your slicing repertoire.
Even in the first few hours with the game, I started to unlock a whole host of new abilities. The stinger thrust from Devil May Cry was the first and probably most appreciated, but I also got a special attack that dealt massive damage to nearby foes and I even upgraded Cuckoo to help in battle by firing bullets too. There’s more where that came from as you progress, as long as you find plenty of collectibles.
Duskfade is a 3D platformer, and as such has plenty of shiny doodads to find. The main currency of the game are crystal shards, which you’ll find pretty much everywhere in different quantities. There are also gears which are a more premium currency for more exciting upgrades, and various maximum health and energy boosting bottles that’ll really come in handy against baddies and bosses later on. The majority of these won’t be accessible on your first trip through an area though, because you won’t have the right gear.
Yes on top of everything else, Duskfade essentially has Metroidvania elements. The different abilities you get are a lot of fun for everyday use too, ranging from a grappling hook (the agreed upon best thing in all of gaming) to a glide or even just a stronger attack that can break tougher crystals. You’ll notice all the telltale signs of areas you’ll be able to access later in the game, and getting to come back to them for extra loot always feels satisfying.
There’s a lot to like about Duskfade, but what impressed me most about it is quite how gorgeous its world is. The visual design of each area is unique and delightful, and whether you’re relaxing in the dreamy Tick Town, in a lush forest, or scaling a flaming mountain it’s always a treat for the eyes. The individual areas all provide different challenges and obstacles too, so it’s not just a surface level difference when you reach somewhere new.
Although I had fun with Duskfade, there were a few issues I had while playing. The main one of these is that despite everything, combat never really feels that great. Repetitive arenas full of similar foes litter the land, and the combat isn’t designed to compensate for the number of enemies. You’ll get hit by off-screen enemies over and over again, and when you’d already prefer to jump around instead of scrap it’s not really ideal. I also had some small issues with the platforming too, with jumps not registering close to edges that added a little frustration. It’s not a massive deal, but when it happens just after a fight you’re glad to be rid of it’s annoying to say the least.
Duskfade is a platforming adventure that as a teen I would have utterly devoured, and I enjoyed as an adult too. This fully fleshed out experience is full of everything you’d want from a big budget family romp, from gorgeous locations to loads of abilities to unlock. There’s definitely a little much of the combat for my liking, but that still didn’t stop me from playing about five hours a day of this surprising title until the very end.
