Not to be left in the Dusk
Kyle Hyde is a former NYPD detective. His partner was Brian Bradley. Under circumstances unknown Kyle ended up having to shoot Brian and his body fell into the Hudson River. The body was never recovered, but Kyle still believes that Brian is alive. Three years later, in 1979, Kyle is working as a Private Investigator for those unwilling to go to the police for help. A client has asked him to locate certain items left at the Hotel Dusk. Kyle, of course, accepts. As the mystery unfolds, Kyle begins to learn what really happened to his former partner.
Part of makes Hotel Dusk work is that it is very stylistic. Kyle is a likeable guy, despite that he's stereotyped into being the alcoholic ex-cop. His character really comes alive. And it isn't just his character that comes to life, it's all the characters that you talk to throughout the game. Each and every one of them is unique and distinct. Along those lines the dialog is really crafty and humanistic, to a point where you feel less like you're playing a game, and more like you're reading an engrossing detective novel.
To compliment the game even more, the visual art style is nothing short of fantastic. The character designs are hand-drawn, but they're uniquely done. Each character is drawn in a way that it says something about them. You'll be captivated by it. The environments themselves also look pretty good. The 3D models are pretty good looking. There aren't that many DS games out there that actually have a lot of 3D animation, so any time you get to see some it's a good thing.
The most interesting aspect about the game is the style which it is played in. You hold the DS sideways, as if it were a book. The primary control of the game comes from the stylus. You'll use it to navigate Kyle through the Hotel Dusk, and you'll use it to observe items and talk to people. It's simple, and it feels very much like some PC games of the past where you used the mouse to point and click. You'll find items you need to use all over the place. Of course this brings about one of the games few shortcomings. It's fairly linear, and you'll often find items well before you need to use them. At least most of the puzzles aren't hard, and they're not presented in a "Resident Evil" style fashion. So you won't be asking yourself questions like, "Why do I have to do THIS to get THAT?" The puzzles are completely logical and grounded in reality.
The good news is Hotel Dusk isn't about the puzzle solving and item collecting nearly as much as it's about the characters that play into the overall storyline. This is a very heavily story driven game, much more so than even most mainstream RPGs. You'll meet characters who will lie to you, and those who don't want to tell you things or give you little snippets. When you engage in conversation you'll often be given the chance to ask questions. You are, after all, a PI. Be careful, though. As a PI you need to ask the RIGHT questions. Asking the wrong questions can cause the game to end. So ask the right questions and get the right information.
This brings about another of the games few shortcomings, except this is a rather big one. The game is EXTREMELY dialog heavy. When I say that I'm not kidding. Some conversations can last for very long stretches of time. Not all of them are necessary, and it's even worse when you figure out what's going on, yet you've still got to sit through all the dialog anyway. To put it more simple it's like when a novel drags on for pages upon pages and a lot of what you read is irrelevant to the plot. Hotel Dusk doesn't veer away from the plot often, but it does ramble on and on about basic plot elements quite often. It can be frustrating, especially when you just want to play the game. Likewise, there's not a snippet of voice acting. I'm not saying the entire game has to have it, but it seems like at some points they should have had some.
Another thing that may turn a few people away. The story, while fantastic, is also pretty slow, and as much as I love games like this, you have to admit that those who love fast paced action adventure games will have a hard time getting into this, especially because the "point and click" formula is pretty dated. To a point, those used to fast paced action might be bored through this. If, however, you enjoy reading (as I do) then this is quite a relaxing experience.
Hotel Dusk is a fascinating game. Showing that some old school elements will never die. It's engaging, captivating, and is a well told story, complete with all the elements of a good story. It's a little slow at times, and it can also ramble, but if you're patient and stick with it, you'll be well rewarded in the end.
On the Positive Side:
+Unique storyline that's well told and engaging
+Fantastic character development throughout the entire game
+Simple to play, yet hard to master
+A good soundtrack to get the mood straight
+The Puzzles are not over the top, but instead are pretty simple to grasp
+Crafty dialog makes the game perfect for those who love to read
On the Negative Side:
-It gets off to a slow start
-No voice acting to speak of
-Some of the games moments are very dialog heavy, which can be very frustrating if you figure things out faster than Kyle does, and can be especially frustrating when it rambles