As Dusk Falls

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 926 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
As Dusk Falls Game Cover
As Dusk Falls exceeds all expectations and is a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience for single and multiplayer alike.
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"As Dusk Falls" is a narrative-driven game that follows the lives of two families over the course of thirty years, beginning in 1998. The game features a unique art style and challenging moral choices that can significantly impact the story. Players will explore themes of survival, family, and morality in this emotional journey.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 926 reviews
story376 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Engaging and well-written story with complex characters that evoke strong emotions.
  • Choices genuinely matter, leading to significant and varied outcomes throughout the game.
  • Unique art style that, while unconventional, enhances the storytelling experience.
  • The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving many plot threads unresolved and feeling incomplete.
  • Some players may find the lack of traditional gameplay elements disappointing, as it feels more like an interactive movie.
  • Technical issues such as frame rate limitations and multiplayer connectivity problems can detract from the overall experience.
  • story841 mentions

    The story of *As Dusk Falls* is a compelling and intricate narrative that intertwines the lives of two families following a robbery gone wrong, showcasing deep character development and impactful choices that significantly affect the outcome. While many players praised its engaging storytelling, emotional depth, and unique art style, some criticized the pacing and felt that certain plot threads remained unresolved, leaving the story feeling incomplete. Overall, it is regarded as a standout in the interactive drama genre, with high replayability due to its branching paths and multiple endings.

    • “Its deep plot captivates you from the beginning to the end, the decisions you make are truly decisive and the characters are charismatic.”
    • “The story is told through multiple perspectives, allowing you to see how different characters perceive the same events and how their decisions affect each other.”
    • “As dusk falls is a masterclass in interactive storytelling, offering a deeply human and emotionally resonant experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional gaming.”
    • “The story is very boring, and the dialogue/choices feel very random and messy.”
    • “The story tension slows down in the second part of the game.”
    • “The story is quite long, but it feels unfinished and leaves many plot threads unresolved.”
  • graphics190 mentions

    The graphics of "As Dusk Falls" feature a unique art style that blends hand-painted visuals with a comic book-like presentation, which some players found unconventional at first but grew to appreciate as they progressed. While the visuals may initially seem jarring or simplistic, many reviewers praised their originality and how they complement the game's narrative, creating a memorable experience. However, some players felt that the graphics could have been more dynamic and criticized the lack of animation, leading to mixed opinions on their overall effectiveness.

    • “The game’s unique art style, which combines hand-painted visuals with motion capture, creates a striking and memorable experience.”
    • “The hand-drawn art style of 'As Dusk Falls' is nothing short of breathtaking.”
    • “A beautiful art style, captivating story, and complex compelling characters makes you not want to put this down almost as soon as you start playing it.”
    • “I see that the art style is a design choice, but frankly it just comes across as lazy and both my partner and I quickly decided it was unplayable.”
    • “It wasn't clear from the trailer that the game used the trailer's janky, non-animated picture book art style.”
    • “If one isn't already bored after getting through random irrelevant scenes, any remaining suspense will be killed by the excruciatingly slow alternation of frames that are part of an art style that couldn't decide if it wanted to be an animation or a picture book and instead opted for awkward almost-animation.”
  • gameplay81 mentions

    The gameplay of "As Dusk Falls" is primarily focused on storytelling, featuring minimal interactive elements and quick-time events (QTEs) that some players find limiting. While the narrative and character development are praised, the lack of traditional gameplay mechanics may not appeal to everyone, making it feel more like an interactive movie than a game. Players who enjoy narrative-driven experiences will appreciate the choices and moral dilemmas, but those seeking rich gameplay may find it lacking.

    • “Great story, cool mechanics, high cliffhangers, and the urge to play another storyline.”
    • “Classic but engaging choose-your-own-adventure gameplay with surprisingly many story arcs and possible paths to explore!”
    • “While 'As Dusk Falls' prioritizes storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics, the interactive elements serve to enhance the narrative experience.”
    • “Choices and mechanics were uninteresting, the story was boring, and the art decisions that seemed like an interesting experiment ended up falling flat.”
    • “So here is a summary: the story of this story-heavy game is poorly paced, with melodramatic background stories and gameplay that only serves as a boring chore interrupting the main story.”
  • music50 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack for its ability to enhance the story's mood and atmosphere. The combination of diverse musical styles, including country and acoustic elements, complements the narrative effectively, while the main menu song is highlighted as particularly memorable. Overall, the music, alongside strong voice acting and engaging storytelling, contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack complements the story perfectly, enhancing the mood and atmosphere throughout the game.”
    • “The acting is phenomenal, the music is gorgeous, and the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat all the way, while simultaneously warming and breaking my heart.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing as well which really shaped how the game turned out to be a hit for me.”
    • “The theme song sucks.”
    • “The music in this game is a pop (do kids still say that nowadays) either way.”
    • “The song that's being played in the main menu is basically what the story and this game is all about.”
  • emotional31 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its intense narrative and character-driven storytelling, which elicits strong feelings from players through well-crafted writing, voice acting, and a haunting score. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to create emotional investment, with moments of heartbreak and tension that resonate deeply, although some felt that character deaths were used to carry emotional weight rather than developing deeper connections. Overall, the game is praised for its compelling emotional journey, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “What unfolds is a tense, emotionally charged narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.”
    • “Set against the backdrop of the American Southwest, this emotionally charged tale unfolds through a unique blend of hand-drawn art, branching narratives, and cinematic storytelling.”
    • “The haunting score and ambient soundscapes complement the mood and tone of each scene, adding depth to the emotional resonance of the narrative.”
  • replayability27 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its branching storylines and multiple character outcomes, allowing players to explore different choices and their consequences. While the initial playthrough lasts around 6-7 hours, many players appreciate the ability to revisit chapters and make alternative decisions, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users noted the absence of features like a skip dialogue button could improve the replay experience.

    • “Length-wise, you can complete your first round in 6-7 hours, and it has great replayability if you want to discover different routes or fates from the characters, which are recorded in a timeline chart that you can check any time and replay at different points in each chapter to change decisions.”
    • “And best of all, I get the sense that the replay value is high with the sheer amount of branching events in the story.”
    • “The characters are well built with vivid personalities and complex relationships, the acting performances are great, and the possible outcomes are enough to give it plenty of replay value.”
    • “As someone already said, it could use a skip dialogue button – and/or a manual save button – for better replayability.”
    • “The visual/cinematic is definitely unique, you'll see a lot of reviews complain about the cinematic, the gameplay length, etc. however, just like any visual novel, the replayability comes from wanting to explore all the different outcomes, choices, and seeing how the story changes.”
    • “I've run through the game once and I think that'll be all for me; it would have been nice if there was an option to speed through some of the cut scenes for replayability so a following run won't get dull.”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report a well-optimized experience with no bugs, others face significant issues such as stuttering sound, poor performance, and crashes, particularly when using high texture packs. Advanced hardware requirements have also been noted as a barrier for smooth gameplay, leading to frustration among users. Overall, while the voice acting and character performances are praised, the technical performance leaves much to be desired for many players.

    • “The game is well-optimized, with no bugs encountered during my playthrough.”
    • “The characters are well built with vivid personalities and complex relationships, the acting performances are great and the possible outcomes are enough to give it plenty of replay value.”
    • “Also, voice acting performances are great and feel very natural.”
    • “Can't play this because of a stuttering sound issue.”
    • “The only beef I have for a game like this is the advanced hardware requirements and bad performance; even just moving the mouse cursor is slow.”
    • “Terrible PC optimization; it repeatedly kept crashing once I installed the high texture pack. This issue should have been addressed after release, as I can see plenty of similar complaints from the community.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with a well-complementing soundtrack that enhances the mood and storytelling. Reviewers note the effective voice acting, realistic characters, and a professional presentation free of bugs, contributing to an immersive experience reminiscent of titles like "Detroit: Become Human." The toon effect adds a unique charm, creating a distinct yet engaging atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack complements the story perfectly, enhancing the mood and atmosphere throughout the game.”
    • “Great soundtrack and overall atmosphere.”
    • “Voice acting is amazing; story, characters, atmosphere, choices, and soundtrack all seem great so far.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is notably strong, with characters revealing depth and complexity as the narrative progresses, earning high praise for its well-written storytelling and effective voice acting. However, some players found the character development lacking, citing issues with the script that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some reviewers rating it as excellent while others felt it fell short.

    • “The character development is excellent, with each character revealing different sides as the story unfolds.”
    • “The story is good, the character development and exposition is good, the voice acting is really good, and it's amazing to me how such a good story could be derived from the basis of our boring real world.”
    • “+ exceptionally well-written narrative, both in character development and strategic information deployment across timelines.”
    • “I dig the art style and the voice acting was top-notch, but the underwhelming script and poor character development killed the whole experience for me.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, particularly noting that it detracts from the overall experience, especially during replays where they are forced to sit through lengthy content and unskippable cutscenes. This leads to a sense of frustration, as the initial engaging gameplay is overshadowed by the need for extensive grinding to progress.

    • “It's both sad and ironic that all the previous games that I played: Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain (those two games from the same developer, I believe) had the same problems - decent/good start but then you get to the end it becomes very tedious and horrible.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “This makes replays very tedious since you're going to sit through hours of content you've already seen before.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of "As Dusk Falls" has been criticized for frequent visual glitches, overlapping audio, and significant freezing issues, particularly when starting the game. While the graphics and aesthetic are praised, these technical problems detract from the overall experience.

    • “As Dusk Falls is a PowerPoint presentation that has had visual glitches, overlapping audio, and a co-op mode that should've been called 'lottery'.”
    • “Got into the main menu once, now it freezes every single time upon displaying the Xbox logo.”
    • “Despite some occasional visual glitches, and the use of rather heavy and sensitive themes, the game's captivating story and immersive experience will keep you rooting for the characters and engaged until the very end.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its ability to create funny moments, particularly when players are encouraged to choose the "worst" or riskiest options, leading to unexpected and amusing outcomes.

    • “Definitely had a few funny moments because of letting people choose the worst or riskiest options.”
    • “The humor in this game is spot on and keeps you laughing throughout.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates humor into the gameplay, making every decision feel entertaining.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

87% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
6-11hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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