" Summer of Arcade 2012 has featured a stacked lineup of titles that have all managed to bring something special to Xbox LIVE Arcade and leave a lasting impression on the BioGamer Girl staff. It's sad to have to see the promotion come to an end, but it seems Microsoft was saving their best for last with Dust: An Elysian Tail. Dust: An Elysian Tail combines side-scrolling action RPG gameplay that anyone familiar with the Castlevania series will instantly recognize with one of the best looking art styles to hit the downloadable marketplace for any system. The game is well worth your money, so hopefully, you haven't completely exhausted your Microsoft Points account on the month's other Summer of Arcade titles." -BioGamer Girl 10/10
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It's always nice to see a game made by a single person, but I think it's clouding the way top gamer sites like "pixelatedsausage.com& ;quo t;, "BioGRRRRRRLGamer.com& ;quo t;, "leadexample.net" are judging this game with their 9s and 10s....
And look at all the sad fanboys disagreeing with people for being excited about an XBLA exclusive. Grow up.
The state of "indie" games is atrocious. You could give some of these 'journalists' a BAD game and they would love it, granted you tell them that it's an "indie game"
This game has particularly unimpressive combat that tries to be impressive by simply making the player fast.
You talked about Jurney as well, and while I can agree that it wasn't super-challenging - it wasn't the purpose of the game to be challenging in the first place - it was a game about exploration.
But if you read the Dust reviews in Metacritic (haven't played it myself), they all claim the exact opposite of what you say (even the sole negative review there): Dust's biggest strength is the exremely tight and deep combat system - one that can be as challenging as the top hack&slashers in the market (one review even mentions DMC and Bayonetta).
Here's what they have to say about the combat:
"There is no element of Dust: An Elysian Tail that has a negative, from the jaw dropping visuals, to the excellent writing, through to the seamless combat and action."
"On harder difficulties, Save Points don’t heal you as much, or at all, which means that you have to conserve your items and food to be able to survive"
"it all just feels ridiculously fun and responsive"
"this XBLA downloadable’s combat, depth, and atmosphere are all in the same league of quality as Bastion and Shadow Complex"
" This gratifying combat is blended masterfully into a Metroidvania-style world, where exploration is rewarded with hidden items and new abilities."
"Dust is as challenging as you want it to be: On Normal, you can see most of the content (with some treasure-hunting backtracking) in around 12 hours, while on Hardcore, every single encounter becomes a desperate fight for survival"
"It's impressive how the fighting manages to be so fast yet never feels like it's overloading the player's brain, but even more remarkable is how tight the gameplay feels."
"making combat feel fluid the moment you jump in"
"a combat engine as developed as modern-day brawlers like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. The relatively simple three button combo system hides depth, integrating parries, throws, and magical attacks. Rather than a basic attack-dodge-attack rotation, Dust encourages fluidity and consistency, rewarding lengthy, uninterrupted combos with bonus experience."
"Stabbing, slicing, and electrocuting is Dust’s bread and butter. The game is never better than when you have a fully powered-up protagonist taking on legions of sword fodder. "
So there you go, it seems to me you can rest your claim. In a year where the XBLA service spews out some of the most hardcore and challenging games this generation (Spelunky, Trials Revolution, Virtua Fighter, Sine Mora) - Dust proves to be right up there with a very solid combat system.
You tell us your experience with the game is limited to what you've seen...yet go on to state what the developer 'could' improve upon, as if already playing it?
Edit:
"This game has particularly unimpressive combat that tries to be impressive by simply making the player fast."
And now we've assumed the role of reviewing the entire game before it's even been released. Well done.
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GT: A fat lazy cat
If you ever get the chance to play Dust, don't expect Journey. Dust is a fantastic title, but it's not a full-on experience like Journey.