As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls is more like an interactive movie than a video game. It is set in 1998, mostly, and features two families that collide during a hostage situation. It is an intense experience and not for kids. Is As Dusk Falls good? Here is our review of the Xbox Series S version!

STORY

As Dusk Falls is set in 1998, mostly, and features a plot about two families who run into each other when one of the families takes the other hostage. Its a really good story and you’ll be sucked into it right away. Its very intense too. As Dusk Falls is rated M and for good reason, the story isn’t for kids though it does feature some kids. And as for the “gameplay”, its not typical at all.

If you’ve ever played a point and click adventure or Telltales games, the Walking Dead or Sam and Max, than you’ll have a good idea of what As Dusk Falls is. Its not a regular game; it is more like an interactive movie or interactive graphic novel.  You choose what characters will do and sometimes what they will say. And there are some quicktime events where you must mash a button or move the analog stick a certain way to make a character move. You do not directly control the movement of any of the characters.

If you don’t like quicktime events, they can be turned off but, in our experience, they added not detracted from the story. The controller’s vibration is something else that’s well implemented. As Dusk Falls story is so well designed.

You can replay whole chapters or you dig into the story tree menu and replay the story from certain decision points. If you just want to see how certain decisions would affect the story, then the story tree is the best option. You must choose your decisions carefully because some of the decisions are life or death. As Dusk Falls doesn’t always end well and the game has a lot of replay value because you’ll find yourself wanting the best ending possible.

Another option is that you can play As Dusk Falls online or locally with others and together you can vote on decisions. We didn’t get to try this feature online or locally but it does sound like a very unique way to play through the story. As Dusk Falls is a very interesting experience to just watch as someone else plays. As Dusks Falls also has excellent graphics and sound which make the story experience even better.

Graphics and Sound

As Dusk Falls looks like a graphic novel brought to life. The characters and the areas that you visit look really nice and at times, you forget its an animated experience. Although, it would’ve been nice if the characters moved normally instead of like an old fashioned flipbook: the halting animation can be off-putting at times.

Then there’s As Dusk Falls sound! The voice acting is excellent. Its too bad the character’s mouths don’t move. Its not always easy to tell who is speaking. That said, the acting is well done and so is the soundtrack which features some great music that fits well.

Overall, As Dusk Falls is a great experience for those looking for a gripping story with lots of replay.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a great story, then you’ve found one. As Dusk Falls is a gripping experience from start to finish and its likely that you won’t get the best ending in your first run at it. The replay value is high on this one. Yes, the animation could’ve been better but otherwise, As Dusk Falls is a high recommendation for mature players who value storytelling over gameplay. If you love Telltale games or even games like Heavy Rain, then you’ll want to check this one out!

As Dusk Falls gets an 8.5 out of 10

A digital code was provided for this review. As Dusks Falls arrives on the Xbox Series S/X and gamepass on July 19^th, 2022.