Dust: An Elysian Tail

An amazing game that continues to hold up even in the year of 2024.
The only bad thing I could ever say about this game was that we never got a sequel for it.
I desperately want a sequel.

It is hard to put into words the impact this game has left. This game is the ultimate answer to the "are video games art?" question. Every single thing about this game is perfection in a game.
The story is one of the most engaging and interesting I have ever come across. I genuinely loved every single second of it from start to finish. Certain moments will hit you like a shotgun slug to the chest and hit the feels button hard. Simply impeccable.
The Gameplay. Simply put, its the greatest gameplay I have ever seen in my entire life. Everything works so well. It is fluid without fail, smooth as butter. In some games, the gameplay will sometimes lose you or cause you to make a mistake and die. Here, however, I have never once had it do something like that. It is an outstanding achievement in how to make a proper combat system.
The voice acting here is world-class work from every single VA. The direction and performances on display to me are the gold standard when it comes to voice acting in any creative medium, not just video games. Many of these VA's have gone on to great success in the industry and for good reason. D-Mac and the crew shine like the sun here.
The art direction. I already said this is the ultimate answer to the "are video games art?" question, but it bears repeating. The art and level design is top notch. Promoting exploration and having no areas where it feels tedious. Every screen, which looks like a masterpiece, gets you hyped up for either a fight or the amazing exploration that comes. It really adds to the immersion of the game. Which leads me to-
The Music. One of the best video game soundtracks of All-time. Chris and Dan of HyperDuck hit every level of excellence possible in a soundtrack. Somber, spooky, awe-inspiring, hype, and happy. Every emotion is on full display here and they are placed perfectly throughout the game. Pure auditory bliss. (I'm a musician myself as well LOL)
To sum it up, This is the Best Video Game Ever Made. I say this with no hyperbole whatsoever. This is what gaming should be. Gold standard doesn't begin to sum it up. This is the DIAMOND standard for gaming. Next to the names Miyamoto, Kojima, and Meier. Dean Dodrill's name will stand tall among them. Thank you, Dean for giving us this Holy Grail of gaming.
TL;DR. Best Game of All-Time. Get it. You will love every second of it!
(Been playing this game for a Decade to this point too lol)

Still the most impressive XBLA-era game. The fact one person, with exception to voice acting and narrative, made this entire game is absolutely incredible especially when it was done at a time indies weren't booming the way they are now.

A fun, metroidvania-like romp with a gorgeous art style and a simple, but satisfying combat loop. I played this in 2012 on my 360 and 100%'d it then, did it again this time round on Steam. My only gripe is in windowed mode, your mouse can sometimes click out of focus, but that's not the end of the world.

Well worth the money, even if like me, you're not necessarily a fan of anthropomorphic characters/furry characters. Now that Microsoft have delisted it, Steam/GoG are your only ways to play this labour of love.

holy freaking crap dude! I used to watch my dad play this when I was very young, like 5 or 6 maybe, and this game made my imagination run fucking wild! I can see why, this game probably blew my tiny 5-year-old mind to bits! I played a bit a few months ago in casual mode, and I got some nostalgia then, and eventually got bored and stopped. I just beat the game, it was in normal mode, and I kinda sorta accidentally beat it all in one sitting. of course, I didn't get everything 100% complete, but I beat the game. my heart was POUNDING when I ran out of good healing items during the final boss. this game had a similar effect to me when I beat Undertale or Salt And Sanctuary, fucking love this game! I will hold this game in my heart, as few have done before it. with a combination of nostalgia and really cool gameplay and awesome story, I would ALWAYS recommend people play this game!

Beautiful and fun. Art, sound design, voice acting, and controls are all top notch.
It really doesn't just look and sound amazing, but the crisp controls make you feel like it's YOU fighting and moving. That makes the challenges fun instead of frustrating. I've seen reviews saying the boss fights are easy, and I think it's because of the quality of the controls, not the difficulty. This guy spent some quality time on them.
At over 11 years old, this game's only sign of age is the lack of micro-transactions.
10 out of 10. Get it.

i had this game when it released many years ago. got it free on xbox live. such a good game i was happy to pay 2nd time around to have it again on pc. its just one those games that is satisfying and fun to play, plus it has everything a good game should have except one thing.. a sequel..
but seriously it has it all. good story nice big colourful sprites good level design pretty graphics fast pace game play action combat etc etc. still worth playing in 2024.

100% Achievement Review: A quick review based on my experience completing all the (available) achievements.
Title: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Summary: Hack n slash metroidvania game
Personal notes: Dust is a fun hack and slash adventure. You are Dust, someone who cannot recall who or what they are. You are awoken by a mysterious sword that leads you on a well produced story along with a handful of interesting side quests. This story takes place in a beautiful hand drawn world with loads of different biomes and characters. I had a blast with the combat and thought learning all the new skills over time(as standard in metroidvanias) was implemented very well with not excessive amounts of backtracking. I played this years ago on xbox 360 as I believe it was free but I never got far so I decided to complete it fully and i'm glad I did. I would also like to point out that this game was made pretty much by a single person which I think is crazy considering how well made it is. Achievement wise, this game isn't too crazy. Most are story related with a few excluding. You do have to complete the game on Tough or Hardcore which can be a bit of a struggle but considering you can grind levels it should be not too challenging. The arenas are also an area I struggled, they are hidden time trial areas but with practice is also attainable. You will also have to find twelve hidden friends from some other Indie games which I thought was a super cool addition. Overall this game is a fun short and beautiful metroidvania....Yes the characters may be furries but don't let that take away from a great game. I would recommend this game full price but It does go on sale often. Sequel when?
Time it took to complete: 18hrs
Most difficult achievement(s):
- Above and Beyond the Call (Complete the Game on Tough or Hardcore setting)
- The Stuff of Legends (Earn a Four-Star Rating in EVERY Challenge Arena)
- Baker's Dozen (Hang out with Twelve Friends in the Sanctuary)
Difficulty rating:
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10
Overall rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10