Review: Dustforce (PS3)

Dustforce is the kind of indie game that harkens back to the days of the NES, ColecoVision, and my Commodore '64. The basic game design is one part Ninja Gaiden, one part Miner 2049er, and one part Impossible Mission – you must clean up all surfaces of a level using your character's acrobatics and defeat dust covered enemies in the final room.

Simple character design and visuals run counter to the complex level design which will taunt you to try and beat it with not only a fast run, but a perfect one. Death is a minor concern as you'll always be transported back a bit in your playthrough with a chance to retry before your mistake.

You can control one of 4 different characters to challenge the levels. Each character has the same move-set, but they differ on the height of their jumps, their trajectories, their "floatiness" and how their attacks reach out. While early levels can be beaten without any trouble by any character, you'll quickly find that the only way to get the high score is by using the right person for each level.

For each level you are graded on your ability to clean all the surfaces and the speed in which you complete the level. The cleaning aspect has some of the dirt in plain sight. Some is only accessible by perfectly utilizing all of your acrobatic talents. Early levels are easy to complete, but complicated to master – requiring a perfect unstopping chain of motion through the level in order to attain a perfect score. By getting those perfect scores you earn the opportunity to unlock additional levels. A combination of trial and error as well as watching other people's run-throughs will help you figure out the best method for each challenge.

Having played Dustforce before on PC via Steam – I was happy to get another chance at this title on my PS3 using a dedicated controller but was left decidedly disappointed. The controls lack the responsiveness that you'd come to expect from a game that requires pin-point precision. I spent 10 attempts at a simple double-jump to ceiling run sequence none of which would reproduce the same result with the same commands. It's like learning to play Super Mario Brothers while using oven-mitts… sure you could learn to beat the game with such a pervasive handicap, but why on earth would you?

While I certainly can appreciate the appeal of a super-difficult game that you have to develop the perfect stratagem to defeat… I don't like tying one hand behind my back to do so.

For those who can overlook the controls to appreciate the complicated game design behind the plain wrapper, you will enjoy your find. For everyone else, I'd recommend holding on to your money.

- Tazman

The Good:
- Easy to pick up, nearly impossible to master

The Bad:
- Controls are not as responsive as they should be

Score: 6.5 / 10