We're all aware that independent developer have to be imaginative. If you're dealing with a low-budget to make a game and come out with a profit you better have something good. Battlefield can excuse an on-rail shooter single player if they manage to make gamers reach orgasm by glancing at it. Independent developers need to come up with games like Dust: An Elysian Tail. Don't get me wrong, I think this game is superior to Battlefield when it comes to artistic design, but that's not all it offers.
First thing to notice are the cartoon graphics. Incredibly beautiful to look at, it borrows from that old Japanese RPG style, always a good idea if you aim to make something flashy. It works, working well with what you have at hand is the first step to success. There is a lot going on at the screen but what seems to weigh the most on the PC are the cutscenes.
The characters interact with each other and other NPCs through reaction-based personas on-screen. The voice acting is solid but the writing feels somewhat infantile, with silly humor you probably would grin at if you were 10 years old. I can't really bash it for that, this game is probably made for children anyway, or at least with them in mind as well.
The plot does its job to make you feel like you have a purpose, though veteran players will most probably want to skip all that. Sadly skipping cutscenes in a pain, since they are separated in parts and each has to be skipped by pressing pause and then skip. Also, you have to wait for it to begin, it would be nice to just press a button to do it but that's not a big issue.
There's Dust, the main hero; a talking sword that was sent by God-knows what to guide you through dark times; and a bad-mouthed flying bat named Fidget. Average set of characters with average set of personalities. Dust has somehow lost his memory and he travels to the nearest town to try discover something about his past, and he progresses and completes a few quests for the townsfolk he starts to uncover the truth.
Gameplay-wise this game is incredibly well made. The combo system is amazing, even playing on a keyboard feels natural and pretty responsive. You have regular sword slashes, spin slashes and the Dust Storm combining both the sword and Fidget's special attack. Combining them by spamming the screen, going back and forth changing the attacks is a great experience and with time anyone can master to insane results.
The secrets also keep the game fresh and anew. There's always some backtracking happening to collect a treasure you couldn't yet reach before acquiring some technique or something you simply left behind for being too dangerous at that moment. The secrets aren't exactly popping on your face but they're not too hard to find either, which is good. Any screen you've visited already will tell you if you've completed or not, which makes things a lot easier and much less depressing.
Deciding what genre this game belongs too is pretty much a challenge. It's a mix of action, beat-'em-up, RPG, platformer and maybe a few others. The RPG elements are pretty good and fit well in the whole idea. Also, it helps balance the game if the enemy is too powerful for you at that moment. The sound stands well on the background, never really getting in the middle of the whole action going on. At least there's a lot more to be had than, let's say, Terraria. Though that's not a fair comparison.
Dust: An Elysian Tail is inventive and feels incredibly fresh. As you move through the game a great sense of development is felt. The deep gameplay mechanics might take a while to get in full effect but when you finally do it will be amazingly satisfying. The game is not too long but lasts the right amount of time. A few games are good and make you feel it was just about right. Of course after so many hours playing and replaying you'd kind of wish it was longer, but it's a great game for what it is.