DUSK (Switch) Review
An Anticipated, Masterful Port
This review has the potential to be one of the shortest I have ever written because I have been obsessed with DUSK (and by extension everything to come out of New Blood Interactive) ever since the first episode was released on PC. For anyone new to this game, DUSK is a game built on the bones of QUAKE and other classic FPS games but surpasses being derivative through brilliant level design and pacing. It’s one of my favorite games ever and I find myself playing all the way through every now and again. Now, that experience is on Switch and it performs exceptionally well. This is the type of port that puts others to shame. The game is stellar and I cannot recommend it enough for shooter enthusiasts or those fascinated by retro-inspired design. Praise aside, let me once again try to write something substantial about DUSK.
For years, comments and feedback on social media always brought up a Switch port for DUSK to the point that it was constantly mocked by New Blood Interactive, the game’s publishers. Asking for a Switch port is still popular and many indie games often look to the Switch for their first console ports. Rather than just get it working and releasing it though, New Blood went above and beyond expectation, creating a version of DUSK that expertly captures what made the PC game so good. Fast, frenetic action at a blistering pace. This Switch port features a ton of options including gyro aiming. The only thing really missing is the PC game’s multiplayer mode, which is a cool distraction but not really important for the core experience.
Industry experts at Digital Foundry highlighted the impressive porting work in a video. It’s a fascinating dive into how it works and why it looks so good.
This endless map looks familiar…
With a successful release of DUSK on Switch, one would hope that New Blood can now successfully port other games in their library. Although, it feels weird to expect as much since it appears that an immense amount of work went into this version. Today’s world is all about finding something cool, experiencing it as fast as possible, making a social post, and then scrounging for the next trending thing. DUSK is timeless, spitting in the face of pop culture patterns and embracing dark, often campy tropes to make a memorable tour of violence, deep voices, monstrous cults, and ancient power. If we ever get a DUSK 2, I expect it to be one of the most celebrated indie releases in the FPS genre. DUSK helped to spark a whole movement of Boomer Shooters, a genre swollen with excellent games crafted by scrappy, talented developers and small teams.
I missed out on the golden age of PC shooters so this movement is something that I thoroughly enjoy exploring. Because of games like DUSK, we’ve gotten officially sanctioned expansions to 90s PC classics, enhanced ports with features like ray-tracing, a slew of brilliant content creators, enthusiast magazine E1M1, and a seemingly endless list of games that I’m excited to play.
Having one of my favorites of this movement on the go as a Switch game is surreal.
Play DUSK. Either on PC or Switch but just take the time to play this modern classic. It truly is that special.
SCORES
GAMEPLAY - 10/10
VISUALS - 10/10
SOUND - 10/10
CONTROLS - 10/10
REPLAY VALUE - 10/10
OVERALL - 10/10
More information about DUSK can be found on the official website. A digital Switch copy was provided for review. Screenshots captured through native Switch features.
For more DUSK content, check out my general praise through a featured post. Or the quick video we released around the same time.
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