Dusk ‘82 is a delightful puzzle game that takes the world of Dusk and makes it into a fun little throwback. It’s not the longest or most complicated title, but it serves as a perfect side-dish to Dusk if you want another taste of its unique world.
DUSK ‘82
Developer: David Szymanski
Price: $7
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed) and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
I reviewed Dusk yesterday and absolutely loved it. I never mentioned that I got Dusk ‘82 as part of the deal, as I planned to review both. So, I’m not quite done with the world of Dusk yet, as it’s time to talk about the Chip‘s Challenge-inspired Dusk ‘82.
Dusk ‘82 is sort of an old-school demake of Dusk, with top-down turn-based puzzle gameplay instead of fast-paced first-person shooting. Stages have you kill enemies and reach the end of each stage. This sometimes means you’ll shoot enemies, or blow them up by shooting barrels or making them step on mines. You move around through a course in what are technically called turns, as your enemies can only move when you do. You can skip turns to make your foes move while you stay still, which can be a strategic move.
There’s actually a fair amount of strategy in Dusk ‘82. It’s not impossible by any means, but I was surprised at how fun it was to figure each stage. This isn’t just some joke game made for a laugh and a quick buck, it’s an actual little game with merits of its own. It’s a really pleasant little complimentary package for Dusk itself, so if you enjoyed Dusk and want more, this is a good option.
There are 30 levels, and it’ll probably only take you a few hours to burn through the stages. For $7, that’s not a bad trade-off, especially if you’re into the music of Dusk. This is because Dusk ‘82 features a wonderful demake version of Dusk’s soundtrack, so you get to hear some of your favorite tracks in all their chiptuney goodness. This soundtrack perfectly suits the very simplistic artwork of Dusk ‘82, which vaguely reminded me of old PC games I would play at school as a little kid. Hopefully that means that our next Dusk demake will be inspired by Math Circus, as that would rule.
The Final Word
Dusk ‘82 isn’t the most complex or longest game, but it’s a neat and fun bite-sized puzzle game that Dusk fans will get a kick out of. Even if you’re just nostalgic about old puzzle games, or want a snazzy new demade version of the Dusk soundtrack, this is a decent option.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
