Dusk is probably the coolest shooter I’ve ever played, and it’s just perfect on the Nintendo Switch. The shooting is satisfying, movement is fast and smooth, and the visuals and sound are next level. All this, combined with an inimitable atmosphere makes Dusk the most badass shooter on the Switch.
DUSK (Switch)
Developer: David Szymanski
Price: $20
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed) and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
Cool fact: I was a goody-two shoes little Christian boy, so I didn’t play the vast majority of shooters as a kid. At most, I played the Dreamcast ports of Virtua Cop 2 and House of the Dead 2 and watched my older brother play Counter-Strike: Source– look, the point I’m making is that I have no nostalgia for the “Boomer Shooter” era. I don’t even fully know what that means, but I don’t want to ask because I need to look like I know everything about gaming (don’t tell anyone.) Even without that nostalgia, I can say with certainty that Dusk absolutely rules. Playing Dusk on the Switch not only gave me weird dreams, but made me want to check out older shooters to fully appreciate this sick shooter and all it brings to the table.
In Dusk, you play as a guy that fans fittingly call “DuskDude.” You’re in the scary titular town of Dusk, where you’ve been impaled on a meat hook. Surrounded by chainsaw-wielding baddies and equipped with only a pair of sickles, you’ve got to fight your way out of this pickle. You eventually gain new weapons as you plow through cultists and demons, and uncover unsettling secrets about Dusk and the cult that resides there. All of this is presented through minimal in-game text and the occasional voice line, which means the story never gets in the way of the non-stop action– an admirable trait in this kind of shooter.
Now, the coolest thing about Dusk is its gameplay. Essentially, you can do back-flips and stuff while jumping. Yes, the shooting feels impactful and the lack of reloading combined with the sweet, smooth movement makes the whole game feel insanely fast in the best way possible. But come on, you can do flips and rolls and stuff. That’s the real appeal here, it’s totally sweet.
“Dual-wielding shotguns and flipping them around just to show off is so ridiculously fun that I had to remember to try out other weapons, because more often than not, they were just as fun to mess around with.“
But seriously, shooting cultists and demons until they explode feels damn good. There’s a bit of leeway when it comes to nailing enemies with shots, so you can run around at high speeds while blasting away without missing every shot. Every gun has its own feel, but they all pulverize enemies one way or another. Dual-wielding shotguns and flipping them around just to show off is so ridiculously fun that I had to remember to try out other weapons, because more often than not, they were just as fun to mess around with. And that’s all without going into goofy little things, like killing enemies with soap you find in levels or turning cultists against one another and reaping the rewards.
Dusk feels like it always belonged on the Switch, as the controls are just brilliant. You don’t feel at a disadvantage on a controller because of how smooth the game already is. The various difficulty modes combined with the comfy Switch controls and the ability to play on the go make this a highly accessible title. Plus, I experienced speedy load times and no slowdowns or hang-ups whatsoever. There’s no shortage of polish in this port, and I commend the devs for putting their all into making such a rad port.
“If you can’t jam out while slaughtering evil cultists, when can you?“
Dusk looks incredible, as it emulates the appearance of early 3D games with elegance and ease. Everything is creepier due to the low-poly aesthetic and dreary colors that feel as suffocating as they are pleasant to soak in. Each level is eerier than the last, and covers a ton of locales from swamps and barns to other-dimensional hell worlds. You feel grimy and creeped out at pretty much all times, but the power fantasy side of things pushes you to fly through stages with confidence.
And the soundtrack, composed by Andrew Hulshult, fits these freaky environments to a T. It can go from creepy to head-banging with ease, which makes mowing down enemies feel even more sick. If you can’t jam out while slaughtering evil cultists, when can you?
The Final Word
Dusk is one of the best shooters I’ve ever played. It’s engrossing to look at, and awesome to play. Everything feels quick and satisfying, and there’s a good deal of content to play through on different difficulties. If you’re down to clown with a freaky low-poly-esque shooter, you can’t currently do better than Dusk.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
