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LTTP: Dust: an Elysian Tail

I had gotten the PS4 version of Dust when it was on PS+, but only played it for a few minutes and then shrugged it off as something not for me. At that time I was heavily invested in Destiny, so it was very much not the time and a place for a game like Dust. The art style turned me off and the dialogue made it seem like it's something aimed mainly for kids. I quickly deleted it and sort of forgot about it.

Last weekend. I woke up real early Sunday as my wife left for work. After I had taken our dog for a walk and eaten breakfast I ended up with the issue many of us are familiar with: having nothing to play (despite having almost full hard drive of PS4 games and even more uninstalled). I went through my library and for some reason, I stopped to look at Dust: an Elysian Tail.

Knowing the art style, I had a sort of a moment where it clicked. This game is like the morning cartoons I used to love watching as a child (and secretly as a teen too)! And somehow, with this game, the 31 year old me could get into that same feeling. No rush anywhere, no plans, no chores, just a quiet Sunday morning and innocent cartoons with talking animals. So I installed Dust, played it and ended up liking it. I had fun and I was taken back to a simplier time of my life. I forgot about the things I worry about every day. I think I got past two chapters before my wife came back from work and I directed my attention at other things.

Here's the thing. Right now, I don't have any desire to continue the story. It was about those specific circumstances that made Dust good for me. It is not a game for a monday night. Dust will just have to wait for another quiet Sunday morning. I hope there will be one in the not too far future.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
This is one of those few games that I wish there was a no-story mode you could turn on.
 
>in before insecure people start complaining about "furry art"

While this game does have its issues, I'm honestly willing to say Dust is a pretty great game, the combat isn't deep but man it can be one hell of a ride. I guess I'm also of the mindset to better appreciate the narrative, which is at least decent, and honestly don't get complaints about the voice acting or the art, they're not amazing, but I've seen/heard far worse in more 'professional' games. It's especially impressive when you consider this was mostly a one-man effort.
 

Zolbrod

Member
Just finished this myself recently. Liked it enough to get the Platinum Trophy, but I don't like the character design very much.

Not because it's "furry" or anything. It's just that all characters look like a cross between bad attempts at anime, and Disney rejects.

Game was fun though, and that's all that matters.
 

BHK3

Banned
Didn't like the odd difficulty, yes it was mostly easy but you get hit once and you're at like 2 hp from 100 something? Also the game having no real safe fighting, just jump and tornado storm everything while throwing lighnting to create even more chaos. Hated how doing that during fights just shot you 5000 feet into the air too, just wasn't grounded enough.

Didn't really mind the graphics, but since I was raised on the internet the artstyle did kinda make me...uncomfortable sometimes. I got the the end and was maybe a few fights away from 100% the game but never felt like going back.

Was an okay game, kinda wish it wasn't a metroidvania as it all felt like padding, nothing really felt grounded about the game.
 
I couldn't stand the characters. The combat could have been great but it was mediocre because of brain-dead enemies even on hard mode.
 

playXray

Member
Can someone explain to me what all this furry stuff is about? Why's it bad/weird? It just looks like a cartoon to me!
 

Mifec

Member
It was a great game with an AMAZING soundtrack. The fact that outside of the music it was 1 guy effort is just too cool.

I had a lot of fun with it even though at times it was too easy.
 

Robot Pants

Member
I think fury shit is lame as all hell, and I don't even want to mention cause I don't want to turn this into a thread about that, but even with my dislike for it, I LOVED this game. It's really awesome and a ton of fun.
 

sephiroth7x

Member
I really enjoyed Dust. Thought it was a really good game with my only problem being it might have been slightly too long. Its strange as I am not one for complaining about content but with the battle system it possessed it didn't quite hold on to my attention long enough. That said I did finish the game... but couldn't bring myself to find the hidden character things... lol.

Think the guy who made it should be bloody proud of himself though.
 

kyser73

Member
I'm about halfway through because like the OP it gets played when there's nothing else to play.

The art style and game remind me of an updated version of Yojimbo, an old 8-bit game about a Samurai rabbit.
 

PaulloDEC

Member
I played an hour or two on PC and thought it seemed pretty good. Somehow never came back to it on PC, but I've got the PS+ version installed and ready to go next time I get an opening in my gaming schedule.
 
This is one of those few games that I wish there was a no-story mode you could turn on.

I agree with this. I skip past all the story-related stuff as it just gets in the way. I don't like the characters much either but the gameplay is fun enough to mostly look past the faults.
 

kenji

Member
I had it with PS+ and LOVED it, story was interesting enough, but the combat system was so funny

Great game!
 
Man, I haven't finished the story yet, but I absolutely love this game! The more I played it, the more it impressed me it was done by one guy (wait, he is here? Love your game!)
Also Fidget <3
 

No Love

Banned
I paid full price for this when it released and it was worth it. The thing is, this game is an awe-inspiring work that was done by one brilliant, hard-working guy. It's a gorgeous, well-made game. I liked it a lot.

Now I just wish I had a copy for PC and Vita since I don't have an Xbox 360 anymore.
 

Bold One

Member
Also got it with PS+ currently enjoying it and I agree with the OP, the character desing can be off-putting as it seems designed to a toddler appeal I just can't connect with..

but Fidget is fantastic

remarkable that it was all done by one guy
 

big_z

Member
not a fan of furries but I still bought the game when it was first released. the furry stuff is not really an issue outside of the annoying tit-bat side kick.

im not sure what noogy is up to now but if he decides to make another game ill definitely check it out. dust was very impressive considering it was his first game and he basically learnt everything while developing it.
 
Fun game, the art style is not my kind of thing but the gameplay, animation and decent story was time well spent. Love it when I combo things with Fidget's lightning ability. I'm still amazed one dude made this game.
 

Creaking

He touched the black heart of a mod
This is one of those few games that I wish there was a no-story mode you could turn on.

I'd be plenty happy to play through it with a "no-Fidget" mode on. I didn't mind the rest so much, but that voice, those cutsey humorous lines, that doe-eyed design. I couldn't take it anymore and threw up all over my PS4. The worst part is that I haven't eaten anything since I died two years ago.
 
I got it through PS+ and enjoyed it, though if I could ask for one thing it would be deeper combat. I liked the art style and the story was good enough to keep me interested.

I guess I missed the part where it was made by one guy. That's pretty impressive!
 

DMiz

Member
I was pretty happy with this game, although the ending sequence I felt dragged on too long and didn't emphasize the strengths of the game's combat system so much as a few puzzle-solving elements (which I may not be remembering properly).

Does anybody know if Noogy plans on doing another one?
 

YomommaZ

Member
Well you just got me interested in this game. I dont know why I never got around playing it even though I got it free thanks to PS+ but now I'm looking to change that in the near future.
 

Chinbo37

Member
I got this in a Steam sale and I am really looking forward to playing it. Like the OP I am just waiting for the right time :)
 

Verilligo

Member
Considering the game doesn't even once make reference to sexuality in any sense, much less a vile one, I find it difficult to understand how people take issue with Fidget or the anthropomorphic population in general. Did no one here watch SWAT Kats growing up? Or any of a vast host of other such cartoons?

That ignored, Dust is a fantastic little hack and slasher. It feels a bit short when you're at the end, but given the game design was forced to a slightly simpler nature due to its one-man development, it likely lasts just as long as it should. Though it would have been pleasant to have some unlockable abilities for Dust himself that dealt with the use of the blade, rather than mostly just Fidget.
 

JimmyRustler

Gold Member
With all due respect to noogy but Fidget (and the dialog in general) was unbearable. The game itself is pretty decent though.
 

fester

Banned
Like many others, I dislike furry themes in general, but was able to overlook that after a short time playing the game and enjoyed it quite a bit. Ended up preferring to use a gamepad instead of kbd.
 

Bold One

Member
I loathe furry in general

but the Fidget hate is kind of upsetting...
ibfvyM19Ft0tt6.png
 
I'm about halfway through because like the OP it gets played when there's nothing else to play.

The art style and game remind me of an updated version of Yojimbo, an old 8-bit game about a Samurai rabbit.

Which, much later on, I found out was based on one of the most awesome comics of all time, a timeless Japanese-American classic. But yeah, Samurai Warrior was an amazing game for its time (8-bit micros!). I still have the Spectrum version. EDIT: And it seems there's also a 2013 game, though it seems quite... terribad.

I really pity people that can't unsee furry when they see anthopomorphized animals. Back then in the 80s and early 90s they were all the rage thanks to the TMNT.
 

Zach

Member
Once I got over my issues with the art style, it turned out to be a really fun game. Glad I gave it a chance.
 

Village

Member
That's precisely the kind of stuff we'd get on cheap VHS tapes in the 80's and early 90's in Finland. It's what brought the nostalgia for me.

It would probably be drawn better and have better character designs, which is my issue with it.

World great
Story great
Gameplay great

Character designs and art style. NOPE.
 
I was late to the party, but played through Dust last year. Overall, I found it to be a very solid downloadable title and a good game overall. It's one of the better downloadable titles out there.

Sure, the story isn't phenomenal and Fidget can get a bit annoying, but it's a lot of fun to play and I like the design.

May play it again
 
Loved it from the start, beautiful illustrations, fun gameplay & appropriate voice acting. Glad you're enjoying it OP, Sunday morning will come again.
 

Noogy

Member
the game is impressive, and only becomes more impressive when you try to make one of these friggin things yourself.



and there's a decent chance he's seeing this. NOOGY I SUMMON YOU

Yep, I see all these threads :) It's weird, a LTTP for Dust seems to pop up at least once every few months on GAF. I don't even mind the visual criticisms anymore... I think people are starting to gain a better appreciation of what it takes to make an indie game since I started in 2009 (back before stuff like Kickstarter or Greenlight was a common thing).

I mean, look at the Mighty No 9 threads these days... $4 million+ and a massive team and no one is happy. For a solo effort with literally no budget, I love that so many years later that people are still finding and generally enjoying Dust, and I couldn't be happier!
 
Dust, has roots that run deep into the old school - Metroid, Simon's Quest etc. Like a crash course of nostalgia, or a history lesson for a new generation. I stopped playing it too somewhere near Mudpot, then continued about a week later.
 

Begaria

Member
Yep, I see all these threads :) It's weird, a LTTP for Dust seems to pop up at least once every few months on GAF. I don't even mind the visual criticisms anymore... I think people are starting to gain a better appreciation of what it takes to make an indie game since I started in 2009 (back before stuff like Kickstarter or Greenlight was a common thing).

I mean, look at the Mighty No 9 threads these days... $4 million+ and a massive team and no one is happy. For a solo effort with literally no budget, I love that so many years later that people are still finding and generally enjoying Dust, and I couldn't be happier!

Loved the game, would kickstart the shit out of a sequel if you need any financial help to make one. Actually, I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on the Kickstarter boom now that you've mentioned it, especially when it comes to how you view funding future projects from yourself.
 

Tybolt

Banned
As one of the resident furries, I just want to pop in and say that I haven't played this game yet because the art is such a turn-off, even moreso even than the Etrian Odyssey 4 lolis. It's not even furry art, it's like... Something you'd see on DeviantArt trying to be furry, that someone drew after their first time looking at one of those heinous "how to draw manga" books.
 

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
>in before insecure people start complaining about "furry art"

Are you sure you are the one who's insecure?

As one of the resident furries, I just want to pop in and say that I haven't played this game yet because the art is such a turn-off, even moreso even than the Etrian Odyssey 4 lolis. It's not even furry art, it's like... Something you'd see on DeviantArt trying to be furry, that someone drew after their first time looking at one of those heinous "how to draw manga" books.

Maybe despite the constant whining that it's furry art, it was never intended to be furry art?

The guy did a shitload of work developing and animating his own artstyle, and whether or not it's to my taste doesn't change how much I respect the effort.
 

Tybolt

Banned
Maybe despite the constant whining that it's furry art, it was never intended to be furry art?

The guy did a shitload of work developing and animating his own artstyle, and whether or not it's to my taste doesn't change how much I respect the effort.

Fooled me, then. Given that all the character designs I've looked up appear to be humanoid animal people that perfectly fit that definition.

I didn't even say I liked or disliked it because of that, I implied I haven't played it because the art looks so amateur it hurts the rest of the game. I don't care how good the game plays, if it looks like DeviantArt Fan Character: The Game, it's going to be a bad time.
 
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