I had a feeling that As Dusk Falls might put me through the wringer right when I started the download. For a game that is only supposed to have a 7-hour run time, it was massive. 60 GB massive! 8 hours later, I can tell you it was worth it.
As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama that explores the consequences of a robbery gone wrong. Starting in 1988, this story explores the lives of 2 families as they live through the impact of that one event. It’s explosive, raw, ugly, and beautiful. It’s also a brilliant example of how broad the definition of a game can be. Rather than shooting or jumping or solving puzzles, all you do is make decisions to progress a story and watch with horror or awe as every decision, even a seemingly small one, has consequences.
It is a simple game that plays like a point-and-click, where you make choices with a click of the mouse and occasionally engage with quick time events to get through a tight spot. That being said, I think that there is no space for anything more. This game is perfect just as a carrier of an incredibly complex story.
When Every Action Counts
As Dusk Falls doesn’t just have a complex tale; it has an incredible amount of detail. It is an amazing feat of narrative design that INTERIOR/NIGHT was able to create. It is a story that feels natural no matter what direction you pick. This is all thanks to a very adaptive set of dialogues that adjust in minute ways to refer back to events realistically.
Where this gets even more impressive is that this is accomplished despite having a lot of different choices that have an impact in some way. It is executed by changing the situation or the way someone else reacts to the character.
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The story starts on what might easily be the worst day for 2 families. As a result of the situation, every decision already feels fraught with potential. You immediately feel any move could be the wrong one. However, you soon begin to see an alarming number of pop-ups at the edge of the screen telling you that what is currently happening is the ‘outcome’ of a decision you made.
At the end of every level, you get to see the path your decisions took you on and that is where I was incredibly fascinated. Despite the depth, the story is carefully controlled so that while your choices definitely have an impact, there aren’t too many branching elements. At the end of each chapter, you feel like your version was the natural progression of the story.
The game paces itself like a movie, with quick action-packed moments where you might suddenly have to engage with simple quick-time events to get through the situation. Other times, it will be slower, with room to breathe and think.
So even though you are interacting with and driving this story, you still have to do it at the pace of the story. It is a unique decision that gives this game a life of its own although it can be jarring to both have and not have control at the same time. That being said, this game runs very smoothly and is very responsive, so you are always immersed and locked in.
Every single character you engage with is deep and complex. Considering we see them at their worst, they all have their dark moments but are also written to be resilient. Based on your choices, you can play them to match their indicated character, or break the characterization to a version you prefer. They aren’t afraid to tell you their thoughts while still allowing the player to drive them and their decisions.
In a fun little twist, each chapter ends with giving the player some insights into their play style, telling them if they have been moral, kind, or even confrontational. It is all of these details as well as the countless little gems in the narrative that make this game an absolute joy.
A Beautiful, Textured World
This game is also incredibly beautiful. It has a really unique art style where the story is told through a series of still images, rather than clean animations, feeling more like a graphic novel than a movie. The characters are textured illustrations/renders of their voice actors, superimposed on what I think are 3d environments.
Initially, it feels jarring and at times it can be confusing to know for sure which character is talking (thank God for subtitles). However, once you get used to it, it adds to the mood of the game.
The amazing work of each voice actor supports these visuals to great success. The emotion in each voice is stellar, and combined with some beautiful music and sound effects, they bring this world to life.
A story for everyone
It is a world that is easily accessible to everyone and is even great for non-gamers since it is so story-driven. Because there is very little input needed, it isn’t skill-based and has no barrier to entry. Thanks to a ton of accessibility options, you can adjust all the finer details, even changing the quick time events so that anyone can step into this world and craft their own journey along Vince, Jay, and Zoe.
In fact, this game comes with app support, something that may come through for the PlayStation versions too. Instead of playing with the use of a mouse/keyboard or controller, you can instead play through the phone.
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Another way this game sparks curiosity and exploration is by being really easy to replay. If you want to see how the story will change based on your decisions, you can step in at any key decision point and try a different option rather than having to replay the entire chapter.
Although, if you are like me (someone who loves the narrative), you will be more than happy to go back and replay the chapters just to try different things. I can promise you that it is just as engaging even on a third play-through.
Behavior that makes no sense
I just have one complaint with the narrative. This game does everything it can to keep the drama and intensity up. So much so that some of the non-playable characters behave in ways that make no sense. They are weirdly combative in situations where most people would step back.
One of the reasons this really bothers me is that this happens twice in book 1, and both times it is with female characters. Meanwhile every single man behaves consistently.
A Story Worth Experiencing
Based on your inclinations, this is a game that you could hate or love. The pacing and the art can be jarring. If you love a good story, however, this is a highly rewarding game with so much to discover and explore.
It has taken a year and a half for this game to finally become available to the PlayStation community. I did not have the opportunity to play this on my console, so I am curious to see if this game will see any changes or additions. In any case, I have a reason to play it again.
GamesHorizon was provided a review copy of As Dusk Falls for Steam. The game is now available on PlayStation 4 and 5.
As Dusk Falls is a perfect example of choice and consequence where every action the player takes shapes the story.
The Good
- An incredible amount of choices that all have an impact on the world with heavy consequences
- A rich world filled with interesting, morally grey characters
- Incredible writing with natural-sounding dialogue
- Unique art style
- Lots of accessibility options to adjust elements of the game to make it easier to use
The Bad
- Weird characterizations at certain points of the story, just to drive up drama
