As Dusk Falls Reviews
Good characters, strong performances and well-engineered dual timeline storytelling are let down by pacing that’s utterly arhythmic and gameplay that’s fighting you at every step.
Interactive drama game As Dusk Falls has a strong start, but it's quickly bogged down by pacing issues and an uninteresting second half.
Without digging too deeply into the real reasons behind Interior Night's choice of aesthetic and presentation, As Dusk Falls is one of those cases of a solid foundation let down one too many times by its execution.
I’d gone in hoping for a groundbreaking style of narrative-driven experience, one that operated on a sprawling web of branching paths over the course of 30 years of events, and was left underwhelmed by a fairly by-the-numbers entry in the genre that only dips its toe into its three decades-of family history and character entanglement. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll probably have some fun with this, but it’s hardly the revelation that the decision-based, narrative-driven genre feels like it so desperately needs.
As Dusk Falls is a valiant attempt to tell a good crime drama where actions have consequences. The story went on a lot longer than I expected, as the tense moments at the motel spawned a lot of different threads — both flash forwards and flashbacks — that I didn’t expect. But ultimately the tale failed to move me in the way that I had hoped for.
The characters too feel real, down-to-earth, and the sort of archetypes you'd expect to see in a branching crime drama.
As Dusk Falls is held together by a strong start and good characters, despite the narrative deflating itself in the second half. Its choice and consequence system lacks real significance and more polish was needed for its atypical visual design.
As Dusk Falls isn’t quite the arty thinkpiece it aspires to be. But it’s a hell of a lot of fun nonetheless. This is a perfect Game Pass experience for a mellow weekend, and probably best enjoyed with an adult beverage in hand — and the company of your favorite like-minded sickos.
While As Dusk Falls’ story is full of thriller cliches and tropes, if you can look past the unique animation style, playing around with the well-written characters’ lives can be a lot of fun.
As Dusk Falls is fair experience, but compared to the other representatives of its genre, it manages to stand out only as being the closest to a tv series, rather than a videogame. The plentitude of choices creates numerous ramifications that will encourage the fans of the genre to go through multiple playthroughs in order to discover every outcome.
Caroline Marshall's first independent project may not have panned out exactly as planned, but it shows enough potential in its story telling to convince some to give it a try, and if you already own a Game Pass subscription then you are just investing your time, which will probably worth it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
We have a lot of gripes about As Dusk Falls, but we’ve still very much enjoyed our time with it. Its story will keep you hooked from start to finish, but some of its narrative gaps will leave you with questions. Should that keep you from playing? No – ultimately, this is a very well-executed narrative drama complete with excellent voice acting and a unique art style. Yes, it could have been better in many ways, but it’s still worthy of your time.
As Dusk Falls is an incredibly easy game to judge within its opening hours. If, by the time you finish the first chapter, you find yourself liking the characters and wanting to know what happens, As Dusk Falls is great. If it can't grab you by that point, however, there isn't any other reason to keep playing, thanks to its dull gameplay and hit-or-miss art style.
As Dusk Falls is the non-game narrative adventure for your non-gaming family and housemates. It’s the most engaged I’ve ever seen my lapsed casual gamer partner in a videogame and that’s because it has the familiar story pacing of a six-part TV series and almost no gameplay, which means minimal barrier to entry.
As Duks Falls is a very unique game with a distinctive art style. Off to a strong and gripping start, it loses its touch on the second half. A game you savor like a Netflix show that you can't stop binge-watching.
Review in French | Read full review
As Dusk Falls is an atypical narrative adventure game with a compelling story about family.
So overall, is As Dusk Falls worth it? It has a captivating story with more than a few rocky moments, but is as close to feeling “genre” as it can get. It also has a lot of shortcomings that might only be saved by the interesting multiplayer features. It’s the perfect game to pull out for any digital or physical get-togethers, but is otherwise a reminder of wasted potential.
Despite a sputtering start, As Dusk Falls eventually finds its footing with a character-driven story that rewards replays with insight into the backstories, motivations, and psyches of its troubled cast that’s been battered down by their everyday existences. It’s a tale that grows increasingly engrossing, provided a tolerance for some sensationalised theatrics and protracted payoffs.
Xbox Game Studios' branching crime drama is best enjoyed in a group, with friends arguing over decisions and taking the blame for fatal outcomes
As Dusk Falls offers a high-end interactive experience and an impressive story that you will love in the first hours of playing, but the strange artistic direction presented by the game might make you very confused. in general, if you are a fan of video game stories at the expense of the gameplay and graphics, then you'll get what you are looking for here, in a distinctive and different experience.
Review in Arabic | Read full review