Duskfade Is Perfect For Anyone Waiting For Kingdom Hearts 4
Duskfade Caught My Attention With Its Kingdom Hearts Vibes, But Stole My Heart On Its Own
During my first few hours with Duskfade, I pretty much spent the entire time running around with the Kingdom Hearts-inspired skins for both its Sora-esque protagonist Zirian and his Keyblade-adjacent sword, drinking in its many similarities to my all-time favourite gaming series. After all, Duskfade certainly doesn’t shy away from its PS2 influences, so I was more than happy to take it as the simple throwback action platformer I assumed it would be.
But somewhere around the halfway point, that all changed. Duskfade’s heartfelt themes of loss, gorgeous and unique world design, charming characters, and satisfying exploration won my heart all on their own as I stopped seeing it as a simple melting pot of inspiration. I literally stepped out of Sora’s iconic yellow shoes (or at least Zirian’s version of them) and appreciated Duskfade on its own merits.
Like so many games from the generation it’s so infatuated with, Duskfade isn’t perfect. The story is incredibly easy to predict, the combat can be clumsy, and it can sometimes feel too focused on playing the hits. But those flaws are far outweighed by everything Duskfade does so right, making it one of my biggest surprises of the year so far.
Duskfade's Story Is Predictable, But Incredibly Heartfelt
Duskfade tells the story of Zirian, a young lad who is basically a fusion of Sora and Treasure Planet’s Jim Hawkins, and his clockmaker sister Allira. Following the death of their heroic grandfather, Allira locks herself away to work on a project that eventually causes a mysterious tower to erupt in Tick Town. Cue Zirian setting out on a quest to save Allira with the clock arm sword Minutero and new companion Cuckoo by his side.
Although it takes all of five minutes to figure out what Duskfade clearly thinks will be a big twist, the obvious nature of the story is made up for by just how heartfelt and genuine it is told. Zirian’s growth from clumsy yet courageous to a more mature hero doesn’t break new ground, but is executed with a lot of soul, as is his evolving relationship with Cuckoo that echoes the original Ratchet & Clank in the best way.
The star of the show, though, is Allira, whose struggles with grief, anger, and desperation make her Duskfade’s most interesting character by a mile and a great driving force for the otherwise predictable plot. The events of Duskfade may have never surprised me, but how passionately it delivers its messages about dealing with losing a loved one and the ties that bind us end up giving it the same level of unshakeable heart as its greatest influence.
Boss battles are a standout thanks to how they tie into the story and its poignant themes. One mid-game boss, Guilt, is so creepy that it’s become one of my favourites in recent memory.
Gorgeous Worlds And Solid Platforming Make Duskfade A Joy To Explore
Outside of the high emotional stakes, Zirian’s quest is a fairly straightforward one that has him hunting down and breaking the tower’s chains to open its doors and rescue Allira. Even with only a handful of locations, each area is distinct and fleshed out enough to feel like a comprehensive journey. Duskfade has some stunning locales that consistently make the most out of the clock theme, from the stunning underwater clockmaking academy to the heavenly peaks of what ends up looking like the game’s version of Kingdom Hearts 3’s Olympus.
Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, while it is the jumping-off point for a lot of what Duskfade sets out to do with its themes and gameplay, exploration is actually more in line with other PS2 gems. Jak & Daxter feels like the blueprint for how densely packed with worthwhile collectibles each area is, while Ratchet’s gadget unlocks that let you explore more of the world are replicated in Duskfade as well, with Zirian gaining access to a grappling hook, a heavy attack that clears paths, and even the ability to grind on rails.
Platforming is a core part of Duskfade’s gameplay loop and, while Zirian is somewhat floaty and doesn’t have many unique moves, he still feels great to control and jump around the world with. There’s even a hint of indie game schmoovement present with the long jump, rolling, and stalling in the air with attacks giving you a good amount to mess around with and master. Even if, again, there’s nothing too groundbreaking, I was surprised at how easily Duskfade made me want to explore the whole world and find everything.
Clumsy Combat Lets Duskfade Down A Little
As you probably guessed from Zirian’s massive sword, the other half of Duskfade’s gameplay is combat. Zirian starts with just a few simple sword swipes and a dodge roll to take on the Heartless-esque Inkies, but his arsenal becomes more fleshed out over time with a Pendulum for heavy attacks and combos, some special magic-esque moves, and a handful of upgrades for both Cuckoo and the Minutero.
While the combat is mostly satisfying (especially once you get the weighty Pendulum), it’s overall the weakest part of Duskfade. There are often far too many of the surprisingly tough Inkies to deal with at once, turning most encounters into a clumsy game of tag as Zirian rolls around and tries to get licks in whenever he can without being torn to shreds. If there’s one thing that Duskfade should have lifted from Kingdom Hearts, it’s a dedicated block button, as that would have tightened battles up significantly and added a bit more strategy.
I would have also loved a move similar to Cure, as potions can be pretty hard to come by in the late game.
For every battle that frustrated me or story beat I could see coming from a mile away, Duskfade more than made up for it with an unending amount of heart, worlds I genuinely wanted to explore, and tight, surprisingly challenging platforming. Kingdom Hearts might be what got my foot in the door, but Duskfade ended up being more than the sum of its parts.