Beaten: Dust-An Elysian Tail (360)

 Continuing my break from the latest, endless Zelda game over on the Switch, and seeking those Xbox 360 digital games that will be going away next year, I found an interesting and gorgeous game called Dust: An Elysian Tail to try. It's a 2D action-adventure Metroidvania-style game with some minor roleplaying and platforming, it was designed by one dude, and it really is a gem.

The player starts out with amnesia, and quickly finds an enchanted sword which comes with a small companion flying around to help the player out with advice, and thankfully, attack boosts. From there it's fighting the way to town, where other characters offer quests and help the story unfold. There are multiple areas to explore as the player develops their character and abilities.

Playing on normal setting, one will find the challenges tough but fair as well as rewarding enough to keep up with the purchases of new gear and healing items. Some areas are unreachable until the player finds a key item, so backtracking is required, but none of it seems tedious and the world map allows the player to return to explored areas easily.

I am not usually one for hack-and-slash games that light up the screen with effects, numbers, and other such chaos to the point where the action is so obscured that one can only hope they are doing the right thing (I'm looking at you, Dragon Crown for the PS Vita). Dust manages a good balance of all that while not holding back on the glorious and beautiful combat. 

The combat starts out hard, but with patience and thorough exploration the player can easily level and keep up. There are side quests and timed challenges that help fill out the game but never feel tacked-on. Loot comes at a generous pace and shops dot the land in case the player needs a few more things. 

Each screen is a magnificent display of color and design intent, and the fact that the game's creator, Dean Dodrill, created all that by himself is a testament to talent over whatever the hell it is most game companies are doing these days. Dust is not short, but not long either, and most importantly does not overstay its welcome.

The story is also really well done, although it starts out with the amnesia trope. Nonetheless, great points are made about topics like genocide in its telling. It's all done with cute animal characters too, so that juxtaposition stands out well as the player reveals the truth about their lost memories.

Fortunately, this masterpiece has been ported over to other platforms since its 2012 release on XBox Live, so players will be able to enjoy it long after the XBox 360 store closes next year. Everything about Dust: An Elysian Tail works well and the game stands as more proof that even one designer can craft a short epic of action and storytelling far superior to what the big guys normally create.