Dust: An Elysian Tail
| Dust: An Elysian Tail | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Humble Hearts |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Studios |
| Designer(s) | Dean Dodrill |
| Writer(s) | Dean Dodrill Alex Kain |
| Composer(s) | HyperDuck SoundWorks Alexander Brandon |
| Engine | XNA |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 (XBLA) Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | XBLA
|
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Distribution | Download |
Dust: An Elysian Tail is an action role-playing video game developed by independent designer Dean Dodrill and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on the Xbox Live Arcade on August 15, 2012[1], and it was subsequently released for Microsoft Windows on Steam on May 24, 2013[2].
Contents
Gameplay[edit source | edit]
Dust takes place in the fictional world of Falana, inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Gameplay is presented on a 2D side-scrolling plane. The player controls the titular main character, Dust (Lucien Dodge), as he tries to remember his past. Dust wields a sentient sword, the Blade of Ahrah (Edward Bosco), as his main weapon. Fidget (Kimlinh Tran), the sword's guardian, acts as a companion for Dust and can use magical attacks. As the player travels the world, they can acquire power-ups that permanently alter gameplay, such as the ability to double jump or climb to previously unreachable areas. Incorporating elements of role-playing games, Dust can gain experience points by defeating enemies, and in turn may level up. These can be used to raise various attributes, such as health, strength, defense or magic. Non-playable characters can be interacted with throughout the game's world to sell items or receive quests.[3]
Plot[edit source | edit]
The game begins with Dust awakening in a forest meadow, approached by a floating, sentient sword.[4] Dust is joined by Fidget, a small flying creature and the sword's guardian, and sets out for a small town in search of answers.[5]
Upon arriving in Aurora, the group find the town overrun with monsters. The mayor of the town asks Dust for his help, and he tracks down the leader of the enemies, Fuse. Just before he dies, Fuse reveals himself to be a Moonblood, creatures who are victims of a genocide perpetrated by a man known as General Gaius. Fuse also tells Dust that he played a role in the war at some point.[6] Mayor Bram instructs Dust to speak to a woman in Aurora named Ginger, who may have more knowledge of the Moonbloods. She is revealed to be part of a group of Moonblood sympathizers, a group that was recently found and killed by General Gaius' soldiers. [7]
After travelling into the northern mountains, Dust and Fidget come across an abandoned village, where Ginger and the leader of the Moonbloods, Elder Gray Eyes, are waiting. Gray Eyes reveals that Dust was created by the Moonbloods from two people who perished at the same time: Jin (Ginger's brother) and Cassius (an assassin employed by Gaius). These two were exact opposites, one purely evil and one completely innocent and good, combined together into what the Moonbloods call "Sen-Mithrarin."[8] The group then heads to the Moonblood base in a volcanic region to the north named Everdawn Basin, where Dust assists the Moonbloods in fighting back Gaius' troops. Reaching the peak of a volcano, Dust fights General Gaius in a lengthy battle. Eventually, Gaius is hanging from an outcrop over a pool of lava, where he tells Dust that Cassius is no longer part of him, then throws himself into the lava. [9] Collapsed from exhaustion, Fidget tries to get Dust back up, but he refuses, and is consumed by the volcano.
After the battle, Elder Gray Eyes gives a speech to the remaining Moonbloods, telling them that because of Dust's sacrifice, they can now rebuild and live at peace with the rest of the world. [10] During his dialogue, Ginger and Fidget witness the Blade of Ahrah rising out of the volcano and flying off, suggesting Dust may still be alive.
Development[edit source | edit]
Aside from voice acting, soundtrack, and parts of the story, Dust was designed and programmed entirely by Dodrill. A self-taught illustrator and animator, he had previously done artwork and cinematics on Epic Games' Jazz Jackrabbit 2, and was in the process of creating an independent animated film, Elysian Tail.[11] He assumed it would take three months to complete the game; it actually took over three-and-a-half years.[12] He originally envisioned an 8-bit-style platformer for the game, similar to earlier entries in the Castlevania series. Inspirations for the final game came from such titles as Metroid, Golden Axe, and Ys I & II, which Dodrill cites as his favorite games.[13]
The game was originally targeted for the Xbox 360 Indie Games channel,[14] but upon winning the 2009 Microsoft Dream.Build.Play Challenge, it was awarded a contract for an Xbox Live Arcade release.[15] Dust: An Elysian Tail was originally expected to be released in late 2011, but was later delayed until summer 2012.[16][17]
Soundtrack[edit source | edit]
The official soundtrack was released on October 1, 2012. It was created by HyperDuck SoundWorks and contains 37 tracks at a total length of 1.79 hours. Which can be purchased at their Loudr.fm page [18]
Reception and sales[edit source | edit]
Dust: An Elysian Tail garnered mostly positive reviews from critics. Aggregating review websites Metacritic and GameRankings gave the ratings for the Xbox 360 release 83/100[19] and 84.09%[20] respectively. Dust sold over 45,000 copies during the month of August based on leaderboard totals, and finished 2012 with nearly 83,000 sold.[21][22]
The Official Xbox Magazine gave the game 9.5 out of 10, praising the detailed environments and animations and also approving of the combat system.[23]
Vincent Ingenito of IGN gave the game a rating of 8.5 out of 10, saying " The RPG elements could have been stronger, and the boss battles are a bit of a letdown, but if those are the worst things about your game, you're in pretty good shape." He approved of the lively and varied backgrounds, gameplay and the amount of content in comparison to the price.[3]
Tom McShea of GameSpot gave the game 7 out of 10, criticizing the combat, voice acting and story. However, some other aspects such as the diverse and vivid backgrounds, responsive controls and side content were complimented.[24]
References[edit source | edit]
- ^ a b Larry Hryb (June 19, 2012). "Summer of Arcade dates and prices". Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ a b "Dust: An Elysian Tail". Retrieved 2013-05-24.
- ^ a b Vincent Ingenito (August 13, 2012). "Dust: An Elysian Tail Review". IGN. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ Ahrah: I am the Blade of Ahrah. And you, Dust, are my fated sword-bearer. Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2012-08-15)
- ^ Dust: What exactly AM I doing, Ahrah? Ahrah: The answers you seek lie to the east. There is a path through the glade that leads down the mountainside, and from there you will find a village. That is your first step. Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ Fuse: You and your warmblooded kin. We Moonbloods were outcast...scattered to the wind. You and others like you...they came to my village, killed my family.Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ Ginger: I've tried to help where I can, but it's hard. There aren't many Moonbloods left outside of their homeland, and it's only a matter of time before Gaius wipes them out entirely.Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ Dust: So that's why you picked Cassius and Jin. Just like you said...opposites. Elder Gray Eyes: Exactly. Cassius was one of the greatest warriors this world has ever seen, and Jin's purity of heart would help guide our warrior to save our kind. From their fallen souls, you were born. Born to save us. To save this world. Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ General Gaius: You...you're not Cassius... Dust: Yes, I am. General Gaius: Yes...you are. But Cassius is gone... as is the world we once loved. Cherish it.Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ Elder Gray Eyes: Dust's sacrifice will allow the Moonblood race to rise again - to rebuild our glorious civilization and live peacefully among the races of this world. Though it may appear that Dust has fallen here today, a force of good is not so easily extinguished. Humble Hearts. Dust: An Elysian Tail. (Microsoft Studios). Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows. (2011-08-15)
- ^ Samit Sarkar (September 3, 2012). "Humble origins: The solo odyssey behind Dust: An Elysian Tail". Polygon.com. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ Kyle Orland (August 23, 2012). "Dust: An Elysian Tail: One animator's 3.5 year quest to create his dream game". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ "A Conversation: Ken Lobb And Dean Dodrill". Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ Sterling, Jim (2009-08-06). "Dust: An Elysian Tail gets new, incredibly beautiful trailer". Destructoid. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ "Microsoft Announces Dream.Build.Play 2011 For Indies". GameDaily. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Rose, Mike (2011-01-07). "In-Depth: 10 Indie Games To Watch Out For In 2011". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ "Dust: An Elysian Tail". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
- ^ "Dust: An Elysian Tail HyperDuck SoundWorks". Retrieved 2013-05-25.
- ^ "Dust: An Elysian Tail for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ "Dust: An Elysian Tail for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
- ^ Ryan Langley (September 5, 2012). "Gamasutra - News - XBLA's annual 'Summer of Arcade' promotion may be losing its steam". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ Ryan Langley (January 17, 2013). "Xbox Live Arcade sales analysis, December 2012". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
- ^ Reyes, Francesca (August 13, 2012). "Official XBOX Magazine". Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ McShea, Tom (August 14, 2012). "Dust: An Elysian Tail Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
