Review: Duskfade (Nintendo Switch 2)

Duskfade is a third-person action-adventure title for the Nintendo Switch 2. It features a pair of unlikely heroes on a mission to save the world from eternal darkness. The result is a clear love letter to PS2-era 3D adventures, which mostly hits the mark.

You play the role of Zirian, a human residing in Tick Town with his sister, Allira. They seem to be among the only humans present, with most residents being Cloudies. These human-shaped cloud people are scattered across the land, offering inane conversations about nothing. They’re cute, though. 

The plot involves a mysterious tower that rises from the ground, looming over the village and engulfing everything in darkness. When Allira is trapped within the tower, Zirian is determined to rescue her. To succeed, he must unlock the four chains that tie the monstrous building to the ground.

This leads Zirian on a quest through four surrounding lands. He’s accompanied by a chatty flying robot named Cuckoo, a creation of his sister that seems to have accidently come into existence during the tower catastrophe. The pair form a tenuous bond as they work together to unleash the tower. 

There’s a decent amount of heart to the game. Zirian and Allira are grieving the death of their grandfather, demostrating themes of despair, love, and loss. The script wavers between heartfelt family flashbacks to somewhat immature banter between Zirian and his bird-like companion. I often found myself disliking Cuckoo’s personality, and I don’t think I was meant to. He was often too angry for me to find cute.

Gameplay follows a fairly specific formula of platforming, exploring, and fighting. Platforming takes center stage, with plenty of cliffs, caves, and forests to maneuver through. There are rotating platforms with lasers, water-based sections with towering columns of waves, and flipping panels to cling to. It creates a fun environment to explore, providing an almost puzzle-like feeling as you work out how to navigate each area.

Speaking of water, Zirian seems to be deathly allergic to this particular combination of hydrogen and oxygen. While he can wade through water that’s as shallow as his kneecaps, landing in anything deeper causes Zirian to respawn where he started, losing health while he’s at it. It’s a little jarring when he can jump in lava and bounce around like Mario with his bottom on fire. What’s with the aversion to aqua?

Each of the four areas is divided into 23 sections. These feature a warp point leading you directly to them, handy for travelling back and forth. There are a lot of collectibles to keep you busy, including music boxes, cogs, kittens, and heart pieces, with a handy checkbox to help completionists keep track.

What doesn’t help is the lack of an in-game map. Although levels are generally linear, it’s easy to get turned around after a battle. A map could show where the next goal is, as well as highlight areas you’ve visited, making backtracking for those collectibles more enticing so it feels less like a chore. The four areas are quite large, taking several hours to work though. Revisiting them in their entirety isn’t exactly enticing.

The combat is fast and fluid, with new abilities and combos unlocked as you progress. Zirian also has access to a simple lock-on system that Link would tip his hat to. On the downside, the minions scattered across the land are a little simple and same-y. 

What these general bad guys lack in variety, the bosses more than make up for. These encounters are more difficult and interesting, with creative phases during each battle. It begins with a straightforward arena-type fight as Zirian attacks while dodging blows from the current big baddie. Suddenly, a ticking sound emanates from somewhere. The boss is no longer vulnerable, protected by a shield. You must quickly navigate a series of moves to activate something outside the arena or survive for a set amount of time before the fight continues. As the ticking intensifies, taking too long causes your health to start depleting. It’s stressful, but in a good way. These fights really step things up a notch.

The visual style of Duskfade is lovely. There are some terrific designs and backdrops that show off the Switch 2’s graphical prowess. Everything is colorful, with rich, vibrant settings. Unfortunately, levels can feel a little hollow. This is partly explained by the tower’s presence, which has caused residents to evacuate. Even enemies spawn randomly and infrequently, making the world feel a little empty at times.

One odd thing I noticed was a quirk when Zirian gets too close to a corner. The camera sometimes jolts unexpectedly into an extreme close up that Wayne and Garth would be proud of (I hope someone gets that reference). 

The audio is another standout. The tracks are often quite dynamic, reminding me of something as beautiful as the Hollow Knight soundtrack. They’re not as long and memorable as the ones in that game, but they’re well orchestrated and often caught me off guard (in a good way) when I noticed them.

This review might sound harsher than intended. Duskfade is an indie title with a clear purpose; relive the days of PS2-era action-adventures like Ratchet & Clank. There are hints of Kingdom Hearts and even the Legend of Zelda, and it pays homage to these classics very well. I found myself interested in the story and wanting to find as many items as I could on my way to unlocking each chain. The simple combat didn’t bother me because I was more invested in the platforming. And the boss fights were a definite highlight.

I’d still like to see a map included, though. Perhaps in any potential sequel.