Duskfade Reviews
Duskfade is the epitome of a flawed gem. There's an excellent game in here, but Weird Beluga hasn't quite managed to find it yet. Duskfade thus feels like a great 'proof of concept' release where, despite the jank, it provides a strong foundation for a potential sequel to build upon.Gorgeous graphical design, enjoyable platforming, and a heartfelt story all make this one a worthwhile endeavour, even if the combat can get tiresome and navigation frustrating. I'd suggest picking up Duskfade if you're feeling particularly nostalgic for the early-2000s era of gaming, though perhaps this is one to hold out for a modest sale before grabbing it.
Duskfade reminded me that a game doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to leave an impression. Sometimes, all it takes is a colorful world, satisfying movement, charming characters, and a genuine sense of passion behind every little detail to make you feel enthralled.
Duskfade is a consistently delightful platforming adventure that hearkens back to a simpler time, made all the better by the colourful and interesting clockwork world it's set in.
Duskfade stands as nothing more than a competent pretender. There's nothing particularly remarkable here despite a few thought-provoking and alluring biomes, a decent premise, clockpunk USP, and some nice offensive enhancements for Zirian. You will enjoy Duskfade, though its ambitions are mostly encased in nostalgia and it can't tick along with the greats of the genre.
A game inspired by titles like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and (especially) Kingdom Hearts, but one that struggles a bit to find its footing and offer something original. The first half is a bit of a slog, but once a few key mechanics are introduced, the game becomes fun and replayable thanks to its pseudo-3D Metroidvania structure. The platforming mechanics and lock-on system require some getting used to, but overall, Duskfade is enjoyable and suitable for a very wide audience thanks to its multiple difficulty levels.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Duskfade is a confident reminder of why 3D platformers once reigned supreme. Packed with character and charm, it’s a great adventure which places movement and traversal at the forefront.
Duskfade offers a heartfelt, emotional story, gorgeous visuals, excellent boss design, and plenty of hidden goodies to keep you scouring its beautiful locales for a couple dozen hours. The voice acting can occasionally feel a little awkward, and combat timing can take some getting used to, but it still remains one of the best platformers of the year.
We don't quite get as many family-friendly games as we used to, which makes Duskfade a breath of fresh air thanks to its visuals, storytelling, and engaging platforming, despite its otherwise-shallow combat.
Duskfade feels like a throwback to action platformers from the PS2 era, and while it stumbles in some areas, it's a lot of fun.
Duskfade wears its Kingdom Hearts inspiration proudly, blending fast-paced combat with collectathon platforming and a charming time-themed world. While its slow progression and lack of a map can frustrate, it’s still a fun, brisk adventure that does enough to establish an identity of its own.
Duskfade hits the nail on the head in trying to be a new thing, and not just nostalgia-bait. It’s not afraid to make itself open to new and young players.
Duskfade immediately evokes the charm of classic 3D platformers from the very beginning. However, the game doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia to succeed. Its developers have introduced some genuinely interesting ideas, particularly in the platforming, that keep the overall experience fun and engaging while making exploration across its visually stunning worlds a rewarding experience. The combat system, meanwhile, doesn’t quite manage to be as enjoyable or compelling as the platforming. If you’re a fan of platformers, Duskfade is well worth experiencing and a game you’re unlikely to regret playing.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Duskfade delivers virtually everything you'd expect from an excellent 3D action-platformer: fluid movement, rewarding exploration, fun combat, creative bosses, beautiful art direction, and a narrative that successfully balances fantasy, mystery, and emotion. The game also stands out for respecting the player's pace, offering useful collectibles, good skill progression, and a rhythm that keeps everything consistently interesting. The adventure is incredibly captivating and recaptures the spirit of genre classics while building its own identity.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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
Zirian chases his sister Allira into Tick Town, a dimension where time has stopped and the Clock Tower holds her prisoner behind four chains that need breaking one by one, scattered across the macro-areas of Tearvale. Weird Beluga, already behind Clid the Snail, builds a third-person action-platformer around this mission that looks openly to Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Kingdom Hearts, relying on a clockpunk world painted entirely by hand – no AI involved, by the studio’s own declared choice – five lighting setups for every major area, and a mechanical companion, Cuckoo, who joins Zirian in both exploration and combat. Beneath the action-platform surface, the game works through a story of grief and family legacy rooted in the loss of Gramps, one that time travel – literal, through Minutero, the sword he left behind – turns into a question that follows Zirian through the whole adventure. Platforming stays the strongest part of the experience from the earliest hours; combat, shakier at the start, only gains depth halfway through, once combos finally enter the picture.
I found Duskfade to be a very pleasant surprise. Its blend of action, platforming, exploration and collectables works really well, whilst its story gradually builds up to become a far more emotional adventure than it initially appears to be
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Duskfade succeeds because it knows what kind of game it wants to be. It doesn’t try to reinvent 3D platformers or compete with big AAA productions. It takes the most enjoyable parts of the genre and builds a modern adventure around them. It’s not a perfect outcome, but it’s accessible, fun, and packed with the kind of personality that made classic platformers special.