Duskfade Reviews
In these dark times of game ownership and obsolete disk drives, Duskfade burns brightly as a shining beacon of why we all fell in love with games in the first place. A fantastically fun experience with real heart. Challenging at times, grin inducing most others, here’s hoping this is the first of many. It’s been far too long since titles have been made with this much love and care outside of the big red gaming behemoth and the small moustached plumber.
Duskfade is a charming, enjoyable, and well-made little platformer that falls just short of being a true classic. The platforming and combat are fun, the story is well told, and the game's overall presentation is delightful. It's held back by stiff combat and tedious backtracking, but neither problem is enough to completely undermine the experience. If you're looking for a PS2-style platformer with a Kingdom Hearts flavor, Duskfade hits most of the marks and is absolutely worth checking out. It might not be the most original game on the market, but it is a darn fun one.
That being said, there is certainly room for a little extra optimization in places. Still, it makes very smart use of the hardware to know where best to make compromises. Great visuals, a fun world, inspiring soundtrack, and solid mechanics make this one an easy recommendation.
Duskfade manages to bring back a formula that, fortunately, seems unlikely ever to go out of fashion. Action, platforming and endearing characters. A winning combination
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Duskfade knows exactly what it wants to be. It doesn’t try to reinvent 3D platformers, but rather takes a familiar formula, updates some of its ideas, and makes the experience worthwhile once again. Although it has a few rough edges that could have been better polished, Duskfade was a great adventure, delivering that nostalgic feeling reminiscent of the PlayStation 2 era.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Duskfade is a beautifully crafted modern tribute to classic old-school 3D platformers, offering gorgeous worlds, fluid movement, and inventive boss fights. Unfortunately, the otherwise excellent gameplay experience is held back considerably by uneven pacing, with the most fun mechanic — grinding along edges — not unlocking until the very end of the game. Despite its predictable story and occasional technical hiccups, however, it remains a solid and engaging adventure that fans of the genre shouldn’t miss.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Duskfade is a small treasure for anyone looking for an accessible platforming adventure with storybook charm, especially those who grew up with PS1 and PS2 classics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Duskfade is a breath of fresh air in the gaming landscape right now. Not because it does anything drastically different to modern games, or because it’s re-inventing the gears and cogs we’re all so used to, but rather because it’s a throwback to a game type that just doesn’t get developed anymore. As such, Duskfade is a love letter to a time of gaming that has all but disappeared
Duskfade is a tribute to 3D platformers that fully captures what makes the genre so much fun. Is this a milestone in the genre? Well, not exactly, but don't let that stop you.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Duskfade is a perfect merge of modern graphics and old-school soul. The story is enticing, the platforming is satisfying, and the boss fights are unique and make you use the latest mechanics. A must-play for 3D platformer fans.
Duskfade is a truly well-made and fun game that stands out above all for its nostalgic PS2 vibe and its diverse clockpunk world. The combat system feels a bit limited at first, but it improves noticeably with the unlockable upgrades. With a playtime of 12 to 15 hours, the adventure is just the right length without dragging on. For fans of classic 3D platformers, Duskfade comes highly recommended.
Review in German | Read full review
Duskfade is a nostalgic love letter to classic 3D platformers, combining excellent movement, rewarding exploration, clever boss fights, and a charming clockpunk-inspired presentation. Its story is fairly forgettable and the incomplete voice acting is disappointing, but mechanically it is an impressively polished throwback that understands exactly what made the genre so enjoyable.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Whilst the game is primarily aimed at a young audience, the spikes in difficulty make it unsuitable for that very same audience. And that’s not even mentioning the gameplay glitches: whilst they’re rarely noticeable, they’re frustrating when they do occur. Nor can you rely on the storyline to keep you going, as the adventure never really takes off. And that’s a real shame, because this game from Weird Beluga is full of good intentions.
Review in French | Read full review
It’s worth mentioning that Weird Beluga is a small development team. The amount of passion and effort that has gone into Duskfade is clear from the offset. It’s a callback to the (in my opinion) greatest gaming generation in the best possible way. Importantly, though, it still feels like a modern title. Despite the combat being a bit on the simple side and the opening hour’s worth of story being a bit all over the place, Duskfade is a game well worth playing. Especially if you’re a fan of the PS2 era! Therefore, Duskfade receives a timely ThumbCulture Gold Award!
Duskfade is an imaginative 3D platforming adventure with a strange, memorable world and satisfying exploration. Its lengthy pacing, shallow progression, and underwhelming rewards hold it back, but strong platforming and a surprising amount of heart make the journey worthwhile.
Although it has some significant shortcomings precisely in the areas that would have benefited from further refinement, it is difficult not to give the team credit for bringing a genre that seems increasingly rare back to life, with meticulous attention to both its visual presentation and level design. Duskfade is certainly a title full of potential, offering everything needed to make a player fall in love with it, while rekindling in me the feelings I experienced back in the day playing titles such as Vexx and Jack and Daxter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Duskfade is a standout platformer that consistently plays to its strengths from beginning to end. It’s challenging in all the right ways, emotionally resonant, and refreshingly original, which is a welcome break from sequels and familiar franchises. If you’re looking for something new that delivers both heart and solid gameplay, Duskfade deserves a spot on your radar.
Duskfade hits the mark perfectly: it brings back the genuine magic and carefree excitement of PS2-era action platformers, while updating the formula with a more modern and fluid structure. Although the game has a few limitations, what really stands out is the passion and care put into it by the development team. After reaching the end credits, we can say that Zirian and Cucù’s adventure is much more than just a “nostalgia trip,” proving itself to be a little gem capable of entertaining both veterans of that era and new players from start to finish.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Duskfade might not reinvent the clockwork, but it certainly knows how to make the hours fly by. It’s a gorgeous, heartfelt adventure that leans heavily into the nostalgia of classic platformers, and honestly, that’s a big part of its charm. I’ll definitely be going for the 100% completion in the days to come and will lovingly revisit this colourful world many times over in the years to come! Duskfade had me hooked from the first gear to the final tick, and I’m already wishing I could turn back the clock and play it again.
"Duskfade" absolutely lives up to the high expectations. Exploring the world is a joy, unlocking the story of Zirian's family—her grandfather, sister, and the cloud beings—piece by piece, and getting emotionally swept away. The combat sections between bosses can sometimes feel a bit repetitive, but unlocking new abilities adds enough variety to make it bearable. The boss fights are phenomenal, and I wish I could replay them outside of the story. Maybe even on a higher difficulty level, because they're genuinely fun! Anyone who enjoys 3D action-platformers should definitely give "Duskfade" a try!
Review in German | Read full review