XBLA Dust: An Elysian Tail

toythatkills · August 10, 2012

Release Date: August 15th 2012

Format: Xbox LIVE Arcade

Price: 1,200 MS Points

How many games with “Dust” in the title are there now? 72

Is this the best one? Yes

Is it coming to Steam? “Dust: AET is exclusive to XBLA. There have been no discussions regarding any other platforms, so please don’t ask.”

Is there a Facebook? Yep, here! And if it gets 10,000,000 likes by Wednesday, nothing in particular will happen.

So, like, what the hell is Dust, anyway? Glad you asked…

Think of a genre you like. That’s what Dust is! Okay, to be honest there isn’t much golf in Dust and I don’t think there are any dancing sections, but it’s basically a bunch of genres mashed together to make something entirely awesome.

It’s a Metroidvania. There’s a world map and the game is split up into regions, but in each of them you’ll find areas you can’t access that you’ll need to come back to later with new skills or items. A map means you’ll always know where something hasn’t been discovered.

It’s a 2D platformer. Pretty self-explanatory. One of the moves at your disposal is pressing down and jump to drop through a platform. This is my favourite thing in 2D platformers. You have a ton more moves at your disposal too and your repertoire grows as the game goes on.

It’s a hack-and-slash type affair. X is your basic attack, and you can add Y for various combos. You can juggle enemies like this. B uses Fidget’s skill, and if you hold Y (Dust Storm) in conjunction with that they combine to form something quite special. It’s simple on the surface but add in blocking/parrying and it becomes incredibly deep. One of the achievements is for maintaining a 1,000 hit combo, and that should tell you all you need to know about the potential for awesome that the battle system has. It also has Popcap style rising music as your combo grows, which will make every part of your brain feel nice.

It has item crafting. You’ll find blueprints all over, as well as tons of craftable materials. Want some better equipment? Make it yourself.

There are also RPG elements, like levelling up and random battles. Okay, there are no random battles, but there is levelling up, and you get to increase your skills how you see fit. Want to do massive damage? Go for it! Want 5,000HP while you chip away at enemies a few points at a time? You can do that too. Want to be melee focussed or rely on ranged attacks? The choice is yours.

This might not make sense, but I’m going with it anyway: you might have played games like Dust before, but you’ve never played a game like Dust.

Take control of Dust, a warrior searching for his true purpose, as he joins forces with the mystical Blade of Ahrah and its guardian, Fidget, to save the world of Falana from an army unlike any before it!
Explore an incredible hand-painted world!
Match wits and weapons against challenging monsters!
Take on side-quests from a cast of colorful, fully-voiced characters!
Craft dozens of items and discover Falana's rarest treasures!
Compete against your friends' high scores in ranked Challenge Arenas!

Immerse yourself in a gorgeous hand-painted world on a search for your true identity. As the mysterious warrior, Dust, your action-packed journey will take you from peaceful glades to snowy mountaintops and beyond. At your disposal is the mythical Blade of Ahrah, capable of turning its wielder it into an unstoppable force of nature, and the blade's diminutive guardian, Fidget.
Battle dozens of enemies at once with an easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master combat system, take on a variety of quests from friendly villagers, discover ancient secrets and powerful upgrades hidden throughout the massive, open world, and uncover the story of an ancient civilization on the brink of extinction as you fight to uncover your own past.

These screens are precisely as ace as the game looks when you play it. Only instead, imagine the glorious animation at 60fps. It’s kind of beautiful.

Those things are terrifying.

Friend of Falana 10

Complete 5 Sidequests

Hero of Falana 10

Complete 10 Sidequests

Savior of Falana 10

Complete 20 Sidequests

A Decent Start... 10

Successfully complete a 200+ hit combo

That's More Like It 10

Successfully complete a 1000+ hit combo

Bringer of Death 10

Kill 500 Enemies

Push and Turn 10

Unlock a Treasure Chest

Wait, aren't you...? 10

Unlock a Cage and Rescue a Friend

Baker's Dozen 10

Hang out with Twelve Friends in the Sanctuary

Distant Thunder 10

Use the DUST STORM on Fidget's Projectiles

Well on your Way 10

Pick Up an Ability Orb

With Great Power... 10

Level Up by Assigning Skill Gems

An Impressive Display 10

Earn a Four-Star Rating in any Challenge Arena

The Stuff of Legends 40

Earn a Four-Star Rating in EVERY Challenge Arena

Blue Bomber 10

Simultaneously Kill 6 Enemies with a Single Bomb

Cutting It Close 10

Successfully Parry with less than 10% health remaining

Tinkerer 10

Craft an item from a blueprint

Opposite of Fail 10

Complete all Fale Quests

Above and Beyond the Call 10

Complete the Game on Tough or Hardcore setting

Sad Way to Go 10

Kill an enemy with the slide attack

One Last Wish 10

Fulfill Bopo’s wish for snow

The Blacksmith of Archer's Pass 10

Meet Haley

Secret Achievement 20