DUSK Reviews
DUSK is a fun old-school FPS aimed at people who can appreciate the original Quake. This game requires you to unplug your brain and just enjoy the ride.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Dusk is a fantastic game. I think it loses a little bit by being on the Switch as controlling such a fast character with a controller just doesn’t feel as good as it does with mouse and keyboard. Combine that with a weapon wheel that doesn’t slow time, and you can have some chaotic moments that come from annoyance as you struggle to get the weapon you want while bunny-hopping around. Still, the atmosphere, level design, and pure frenetic gameplay are more than enough to make up for these minor drawbacks. Dusk on Switch is a horrifically good time, and being able to take it on the go is worth a few compromises.
Dusk is a game I simply cannot praise enough. It has managed to capture lightning in a bottle, fill it with viscera, and force the entirety of Louisanna to worship it as a deity. It doesn’t just bring Boomer Shooters back from a long hiatus - it actively takes steps to improve upon them. This isn’t just a throwback to Quake and its ilk - it’s the next evolution - the replacement. What few flaws Dusk has are so minor I forgot they existed - if they even exist at all. Pure perfection.
Because of games like DUSK, we’ve gotten officially sanctioned expansions to 90s PC classics, enhanced ports with features like ray-tracing, a slew of brilliant content creators, enthusiast magazine E1M1, and a seemingly endless list of games that I’m excited to play... Having one of my favorites of this movement on the go as a Switch game is surreal.
Fast paced oldschool FPS with complex environments and even some new additions.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Each year, as Halloween approaches, developers release spooky titles celebrating the scariest holiday of the year. As someone who typically avoids horror games, I never rush to pick these games up. However, this year, DUSK caught my eye. Even though I had goosebumps the whole way through, I was pleasantly surprised by the fluid controls, multiple difficulty settings, and a variety of weapons. Does this set it above the rest? Or is it a rotten trick? Find out in this Rapid Review.
DUSK is a bloody good time on Switch that perfectly evokes the spirit of the best 90’s shooters.
Dusk is the kind of game I could not help but smile while I was playing it. Every level was a treat to play and the accessibility options really open it up to so many people. The attention to detail in this port is also super appreciated. It really takes advantage of the hardware while not compromising the original concept. This is a game that every fan of shooters needs to play, and I cannot recommend it enough. Get your boomer shooter pants on (or off) and buy Dusk!
Regardless of the few issues, though, Dusk is a pleasure to experience. It's optimized wonderfully for Switch, the sound design is exceptional, weapons and power-ups are unique and a joy to use, and there is a lot of variety between levels. In addition, the game has an Endless mode, complete with a stage inspired by Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64. And if you preordered the title, you get access to Dusk '82, an 8-bit demake prequel that's actually pretty neat. All in all, Dusk stands together with Doom and Quake as a formidable FPS.
It is not only a revival of the FPS of the past, and not even just a tribute, but it is their most punctual and effective actualization.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It is a devilish delight to navigate Dusk’s hellish environments and labyrinth-like levels, all whilst laying waste to its army of twisted enemies with its second to none gunplay. Not only is this title a fitting tribute to the games that inspired it, but it’s also something that manages to feel entirely relevant to the modern era due to its impeccable gameplay and emphasis on providing a simple but intriguing story. So if you are in any way nostalgic for retro FPS experiences, or for that matter, just a lover of FPS games in general, then do yourself a favor and check out Dusk on the Switch.
DUSK has found a fantastic home on the Switch, where its top-tier throwback FPS can bloom in all its bloody, wretched glory.
With a story that is cheekily woven into the gameplay, rock solid action, air-tight controls to compliment an amazing gallery of enemies, level design, and weapons; Dusk has it all. The only problem with Dusk is the craven sensation felt when the game ends. There are few horror themed shooters that have the unbelievable rush that Dusk offers.
Dusk is one hell of an impressive piece of software and possibly the single best Unity port to Switch we've ever seen, sidestepping all the usual performance problems and delivering a brilliant experience of a brilliant game. We've tried to think of meaningful criticisms or negatives. Of course pad controls are never going to be as precise as mouse aim, but when the developers have tailored the analogue sticks to such a degree of precision, that would be churlish to ding them for. It's not as good a game as Quake, but almost nothing is. It's arguably a better port than Quake got, and that was itself excellent. There's a relatively limited arsenal of weapons - they're all great, but there's no iconic gun here, just your usual pistol, shotty, assault rifle, explosives, et al. Ultimately, Dusk is another absolute cracker in what's turned out to be a phenomenal month for Switch; a real horror show, and the highest of 9s.
When I played just a demo of this well over a year ago at PAX East on the Switch hardware I knew it had massive potential, and playing the release version all I can say is “Bravo!” to the folks at New Blood for their efforts...
If you are a fan of first-person shooters you're doing yourself a disservice not to play DUSK.
DUSK's arrival on Switch has been a long time coming. But I'm honestly relieved that the creator took his time sanding down and sharpening every little corner of DUSK for its Switch debut. It feels like a game that was meant to be played on Nintendo's console and uses its retro inspirations to pump new life into this particular genre of games. If you ask me, it's the beginning of a new dawn.
I hope we see a DUSK 2 in the near future as the game is a winner and can show bigger studios how to make an engaging shooter that gamers will love without the mega-budget bells and whistles.
DUSK is the rare shooter that understands what made games like Blood, DOOM, and Quake so great, and stands beside them as one of the best shooters in years.