This review contains spoilers
I'm a big fan of classic shooters, retro shooters, boomer shooters or whatever you call them, so naturally I love the overall style of this game. I definitely agree with the overwhelming majority opinion that it wears its influences proudly on its sleeve but that is of course not a bad thing, the whole game plays like a cheesy 80's horror film or like a fan-made Blood spin-off and (incase you couldn't tell) that's awesome. However, the Wendigos are heart attack inducing nightmare creatures, and I am a coward, so I have not actually made my way through this whole game yet, and there is a strong chance I may never do so purely through being a massive wimp. Maybe one day though, I love everything about it that isn't the huge palpitations certain parts of the game cause me.
I've come back to this one much later, having spent a year vaguely wasting my time and deciding finally to finish Dusk. I'm very glad I did because, despite not being perfect or even my favourite of its kind, I definitely have a slightly higher opinion of the game. Though i'm not really emotionally cut out for horror, the atmosphere is fantastic throughout. Visually it's probably the most stunning retro shooter i've ever played, with some really ambitious areas to set levels in that really stick out in my head, similarly to Blood (a major influence on the game) where that carnival level has stuck with me forever, here you have some phenomenal looking places that really fit the murky cult vibe. I was going to say the most ambitious visual style of the shooters i've played, but then again i've played Cruelty Squad, so that would be lying. Gameplay-wise it's nothing hugely differentiating from the genre, though I do love some of the little touches such as being able to duel wield pistols and shotguns, much like Cruelty Squad (getting another mention)'s door kicking it feels like something that just belongs in the genre. I think it goes a bit over the top towards the end with all the enemies, in a bit of a Doom 64 way near the end (without trying to spoil anything), but it's nothing I couldn't get past so I can't hold it against the game too much. Overall just a really good playing experience, something that I generally look for in any game of this type. A big success and one I will definitely at least try to play again.
I've come back to this one much later, having spent a year vaguely wasting my time and deciding finally to finish Dusk. I'm very glad I did because, despite not being perfect or even my favourite of its kind, I definitely have a slightly higher opinion of the game. Though i'm not really emotionally cut out for horror, the atmosphere is fantastic throughout. Visually it's probably the most stunning retro shooter i've ever played, with some really ambitious areas to set levels in that really stick out in my head, similarly to Blood (a major influence on the game) where that carnival level has stuck with me forever, here you have some phenomenal looking places that really fit the murky cult vibe. I was going to say the most ambitious visual style of the shooters i've played, but then again i've played Cruelty Squad, so that would be lying. Gameplay-wise it's nothing hugely differentiating from the genre, though I do love some of the little touches such as being able to duel wield pistols and shotguns, much like Cruelty Squad (getting another mention)'s door kicking it feels like something that just belongs in the genre. I think it goes a bit over the top towards the end with all the enemies, in a bit of a Doom 64 way near the end (without trying to spoil anything), but it's nothing I couldn't get past so I can't hold it against the game too much. Overall just a really good playing experience, something that I generally look for in any game of this type. A big success and one I will definitely at least try to play again.