What a wonderful video. You are very well spoken, and you did highlight many of the small gripes I had with this otherwise fantastic game. I hope you will get many more subscribers.
I've never played Dusk, never even heard of it before this video, but this was a good watch! I especially appreciate the story being saved for last rather than thrown out of the way at the beginning.
Thanks for watching! Dusk is great fun, well worth a play. Indie devs deserve support and more coverage. Even the most modest shooters who claim they don’t have a story still contain a narrative. Characters, weapons, abilities, systems; they all say something about the world and the beings who inhabit it, whether the developer intends or not. Thankfully, Dusk had a lot to grasp on to.
I think they need to add one difficulty that's harder than cero miedo but easier than duskmare, and that is my one and only complaint with this amazing game. That and the fact that recently equipped weapons don't save when you die or QL, and instead get replaced by the sickles by default.
Your writing around the story and lore section is beautifully crafted and very eloquently delivered. Ever think about writing short stories or a novel? Could even narrate them in audio book form. Or would that be spoiling us 😋
Thank you 😄 A have a confession - I’ve been writing fiction for years. I had been working on a large project before I started this channel. I hope to finish it one day.
Since you mentioned Marathon I'd like to hear your take on those games. I feel like they don't get enough love. Marathon and Pathways Into Darkness are what started my love for FPS games back in the day.
You’re singin’ my song 🎵 I finished Pathways once, leaning heavily on a guide. The puzzles in that game are *beyond* obscure! 100% agree. I cut my teeth on the Marathon trilogy and it still blows me away how little they’re talked about now. The berserk mechanic, interspecies fighting, narrative-driven story, speed-based damage when punching…I’m tipping my hand already, but I love those games.
For me it's level design, atmosphere, sense of exploration, secrets,. it's what made old FPS great that is lost from linear/arena FPS. Most people obsess with run & gun, fast movement, no hit-scanners, etc.. which are also great elements of classics, but many miss the other half of it which made it very appealing to want to explore every corner and find every secret in Doom or Duke 3D, Blood or others. Many modern games despite the modern graphics miss that feeling. Or they badly mimic it. Many indie FPS attempts before Dusk missed it too. Dusk was the first in my taste that finally nailed that one. I don't just want run & gun, fast and arena monster hell, I want that other element. Maybe there are more titles in the recent explosion of indie FPS, I just haven't checked yet. But when I started looking at indie FPS, Dusk was the first that gave me that feeling. Oh and every level is unique theme, with different ideas and clever atmospheric ways to present them.
Well said. I miss this about old-school FPS games too. Unreal is still the king when it comes to meaningful and interesting environments which encourage paths less travelled. You’re right, Dusk nails that aspect of old shooter design. It’s virtually impossible to compare modern shooters with what came before, they’re too streamlined and slick and built to funnel players to the end. Some of us enjoy slowing down, taking the time to drink in an environment and poke into the darkened corners.
"People love this game!" Thats so damn true, i usually suck at shooters and therefore dont like them very much but dusk... oh boi i completed that two times back to back on Ciero mierdo and the difficulty below, and did love every secound of it!
@@HeyBlondieGamer it definatly shows, some one wo realy cared about this retro style of games worked on them, also i am happy he did not do that much bossfights, becaus i hate them too, they always frustrate me and they break pace even if you do not lose a thousand times, as i tend to do. I much prefere huge levels with endless standard enemy variety and carnage!
I would have preferred fight arenas like the Reactor level over boss fights. David Szymanski is involved in many of the projects currently in development by New Blood studios. I’ll be previewing another NB title very soon.
@@HeyBlondieGamer That wuld have been a good thing i think i enjoyed the Arenas in Doom and doom etarnal very much. The new titles culd be intresting, so far i can say that i have faith in them delivering another top product, Dusk was just a masterpiec. Def. staying tuned for that. on another note, what wuld interest me is, are you going to do another video of the other diablo titles 2 and 3 ? Wuld like to hear your opionion on them as detailed as in your Diablo 1 video some time.
Others have asked the same question. I have the next few titles lined up, but beyond that is open waters so we’ll see where it takes us. D2/3 aren’t off the cards.
Your analysis is top notch, now I'm going to buy and play Dusk (on GoG of course). I already heard of the game but now I want it! No hitscan enemies sounds great after I finished Kingpin Life of Crime on the hardest difficulty ;)
Dust seems restrained, like it's not meeting it's full potential. Most levels seem like they end too soon and they should go on to include big wave fights. I always wish they there was a 4th episode update like the ultimate Doom.
It’s pretty clear through the design that David was learning as he went. The ambition of later levels would have been great to see across the whole game. I think I mention it in the video, but I would have preferred wave battles instead of the boss encounters.
I wish there were more games in a more simple looking setting, that are easier on your eyes. Not purposly pixelated and archaic looking, but with less of distracting fluff (dust clouds, all kinds of rubble). Have you seen / tried a demo of Graven? An RPG in the making with simple visuals. Wish it was a bit more dynamic, akin to Dusk though.
I’m keeping a close eye on Graven. I was going to try the demo when it first released until I saw a lot of comments saying that it felt barren. I’m happy to wait a while. I don’t know that Hedon is overly simple looking, but that’s another title with a similar aesthetic which people talk highly of.
Since Dusk is 3 chapters I thought I'd rate them each. CH 1: 8/10 CH 2: 11/10 CH 3: 11/10 And I'm giving the entire package a 10/10. Since chapter 1 isn't as good as 2 and 3, it sets those two chapters up to be extra great. Dusk has some of the best level design out of any game made. I had tons of fun and I played on a Steamdeck. It's even better with a keyboard and mouse. Just an amazing game.
First mainline video for the channel; a very rudimentary understanding of the video production software I was using; virtually no knowledge or even awareness of audio balancing. I also wasn’t aware how different the listening experience would be through different devices.
@@HeyBlondieGamerI'm not sure what they're hearing, but this sounds just fine to me. I can hear things and your voice clearly in my headphones. Going to need to play this before I watch the whole video btw, because just from the intro you gave I can tell this is going to be very cool to not spoil myself.
A hurricane with the eye plucked out? God dang I love your writing skills
Haha, cheers mate 🤘
What a wonderful video. You are very well spoken, and you did highlight many of the small gripes I had with this otherwise fantastic game. I hope you will get many more subscribers.
Thank you 🙏
I've never played Dusk, never even heard of it before this video, but this was a good watch! I especially appreciate the story being saved for last rather than thrown out of the way at the beginning.
Thanks for watching! Dusk is great fun, well worth a play. Indie devs deserve support and more coverage.
Even the most modest shooters who claim they don’t have a story still contain a narrative. Characters, weapons, abilities, systems; they all say something about the world and the beings who inhabit it, whether the developer intends or not. Thankfully, Dusk had a lot to grasp on to.
I think they need to add one difficulty that's harder than cero miedo but easier than duskmare, and that is my one and only complaint with this amazing game. That and the fact that recently equipped weapons don't save when you die or QL, and instead get replaced by the sickles by default.
Yeah, I agree. The leap up in difficulty is extreme.
Criminally underrated video. Same with your dying light and diablo ones. Can't wait for more from you
Cheers, much appreciated. 👍
Oh baby, the soap...
Just found your channel, loved the Diablo video and you really do a great job selling Dusk. Great work :)
I feel like an imposter, Dusk sells itself after 30 minutes of play :)
Thanks for comment, I’m happy that you’re enjoying the content!
Your writing around the story and lore section is beautifully crafted and very eloquently delivered. Ever think about writing short stories or a novel? Could even narrate them in audio book form. Or would that be spoiling us 😋
Thank you 😄
A have a confession - I’ve been writing fiction for years. I had been working on a large project before I started this channel. I hope to finish it one day.
@@HeyBlondieGamer Cool!
omg, i had no idea thrown objects could damage enemies lmao
Hilarious that Szymanski quadrupled down on the soap damage 😂
Since you mentioned Marathon I'd like to hear your take on those games. I feel like they don't get enough love. Marathon and Pathways Into Darkness are what started my love for FPS games back in the day.
You’re singin’ my song 🎵
I finished Pathways once, leaning heavily on a guide. The puzzles in that game are *beyond* obscure!
100% agree. I cut my teeth on the Marathon trilogy and it still blows me away how little they’re talked about now. The berserk mechanic, interspecies fighting, narrative-driven story, speed-based damage when punching…I’m tipping my hand already, but I love those games.
For me it's level design, atmosphere, sense of exploration, secrets,. it's what made old FPS great that is lost from linear/arena FPS.
Most people obsess with run & gun, fast movement, no hit-scanners, etc.. which are also great elements of classics, but many miss the other half of it which made it very appealing to want to explore every corner and find every secret in Doom or Duke 3D, Blood or others. Many modern games despite the modern graphics miss that feeling. Or they badly mimic it. Many indie FPS attempts before Dusk missed it too. Dusk was the first in my taste that finally nailed that one. I don't just want run & gun, fast and arena monster hell, I want that other element. Maybe there are more titles in the recent explosion of indie FPS, I just haven't checked yet. But when I started looking at indie FPS, Dusk was the first that gave me that feeling. Oh and every level is unique theme, with different ideas and clever atmospheric ways to present them.
Well said. I miss this about old-school FPS games too. Unreal is still the king when it comes to meaningful and interesting environments which encourage paths less travelled. You’re right, Dusk nails that aspect of old shooter design. It’s virtually impossible to compare modern shooters with what came before, they’re too streamlined and slick and built to funnel players to the end. Some of us enjoy slowing down, taking the time to drink in an environment and poke into the darkened corners.
i think you’d like ultrakill
I haven’t got around to playing that yet.
I just heard about the game. It looks fun
It’s great. The HD update makes it even better 🤘
"People love this game!" Thats so damn true, i usually suck at shooters and therefore dont like them very much but dusk... oh boi i completed that two times back to back on Ciero mierdo and the difficulty below, and did love every secound of it!
There’s a charm to the simplicity, yet it’s a little more complex than it first appears. And you can tell those environments are lovingly crafted.
@@HeyBlondieGamer it definatly shows, some one wo realy cared about this retro style of games worked on them, also i am happy he did not do that much bossfights, becaus i hate them too, they always frustrate me and they break pace even if you do not lose a thousand times, as i tend to do. I much prefere huge levels with endless standard enemy variety and carnage!
I would have preferred fight arenas like the Reactor level over boss fights. David Szymanski is involved in many of the projects currently in development by New Blood studios. I’ll be previewing another NB title very soon.
@@HeyBlondieGamer That wuld have been a good thing i think i enjoyed the Arenas in Doom and doom etarnal very much.
The new titles culd be intresting, so far i can say that i have faith in them delivering another top product, Dusk was just a masterpiec. Def. staying tuned for that.
on another note, what wuld interest me is, are you going to do another video of the other diablo titles 2 and 3 ? Wuld like to hear your opionion on them as detailed as in your Diablo 1 video some time.
Others have asked the same question. I have the next few titles lined up, but beyond that is open waters so we’ll see where it takes us. D2/3 aren’t off the cards.
Your analysis is top notch, now I'm going to buy and play Dusk (on GoG of course). I already heard of the game but now I want it! No hitscan enemies sounds great after I finished Kingpin Life of Crime on the hardest difficulty ;)
Awesome video. Subscribed. Looking forward to more content.
Dust seems restrained, like it's not meeting it's full potential. Most levels seem like they end too soon and they should go on to include big wave fights. I always wish they there was a 4th episode update like the ultimate Doom.
It’s pretty clear through the design that David was learning as he went. The ambition of later levels would have been great to see across the whole game. I think I mention it in the video, but I would have preferred wave battles instead of the boss encounters.
I wish there were more games in a more simple looking setting, that are easier on your eyes. Not purposly pixelated and archaic looking, but with less of distracting fluff (dust clouds, all kinds of rubble).
Have you seen / tried a demo of Graven? An RPG in the making with simple visuals. Wish it was a bit more dynamic, akin to Dusk though.
I’m keeping a close eye on Graven. I was going to try the demo when it first released until I saw a lot of comments saying that it felt barren. I’m happy to wait a while.
I don’t know that Hedon is overly simple looking, but that’s another title with a similar aesthetic which people talk highly of.
Really good video, I hope more people see it
Cheers 👍
Since Dusk is 3 chapters I thought I'd rate them each.
CH 1: 8/10
CH 2: 11/10
CH 3: 11/10
And I'm giving the entire package a 10/10. Since chapter 1 isn't as good as 2 and 3, it sets those two chapters up to be extra great. Dusk has some of the best level design out of any game made.
I had tons of fun and I played on a Steamdeck. It's even better with a keyboard and mouse.
Just an amazing game.
I love how you can see Szymanski’s growth as a game developer through each of the chapters, they get bigger and more gorgeous as the game progresses.
it was very funny of me to not like dusk because "there is no infinite ammo like in ultrakill"
both games are great tho
I still need to try Ultrakill.
I’ve never seen someone play DUSK this slowly. Did you have always run off?
Pretty sure I did, yeah 😂
Movement felt fast enough that I think I assumed that auto-run was active. I did discover later that it wasn’t the case.
@@HeyBlondieGamer oof
Dude what is up eith the volume on this, did you even listen to it before uploading? Not even headphones help, its like you're whispering.
First mainline video for the channel; a very rudimentary understanding of the video production software I was using; virtually no knowledge or even awareness of audio balancing. I also wasn’t aware how different the listening experience would be through different devices.
@@HeyBlondieGamerI'm not sure what they're hearing, but this sounds just fine to me. I can hear things and your voice clearly in my headphones. Going to need to play this before I watch the whole video btw, because just from the intro you gave I can tell this is going to be very cool to not spoil myself.
It’s definitely worth experiencing on your own first. Some of the level design is sublime.