Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.
Presentation: 7/10 You play as a lone character called Dust. There is something special about him but suffering from amnesia, you journey with with him to discover just what that is. You get a fox/fairy companion and a talking sword from the start that give you story feedback and gameplay tips respectively. You'll eventually find yourself in the middle of a conflict that sends you to all corners of the world to kill bad guys and discover the truth. As shallow as is all sounds, it serves it's purpose in spades and I can't dog it too much for doing something so incredibly tried and true, so incredibly well.
Gameplay: 9/10 Easy to pick up and play. A tad more difficult to master. A to jump, X to swing sword, will start you out on the right track. As you progress you gain new abilities and before you know it you'll be whizzing through the air as you climb higher and higher while raining hell fire and death upon your enemies. Sound exciting? That's because it is. Just when the action starts getting old, the game throws a new type of puzzle, platforming challenge, or enemy at you that requires a different approach and with that approach often a new ability you never new you needed but couldn't imagine going without.
Graphics: 9/10 It's hard to believe this was designed by a single person. Different places in the world are so varied and beautiful that you forget your witnessing it all through a 2D perspective. At one point you're in a jungle of boulders and wooden platforms, the next your so deep underground everything looks alien and you begin to wonder if you'll ever find your way out. Every area looks unique and nothing feels recycled. The animation is beautiful and fluid, never feeling unnatural or glitchy. The swish of your sword and gleam of projectiles as they frenzy around the environment are a noteworthy sight to behold.
Sound: 8/10 The soundtrack is a great one but never gets a chance to really shine. You are constantly jumping, talking, or fighting and while all the effects sound clear and powerful, you know there is a high production value soundtrack running behind it all and other than a few platforming areas the effects complement, if not drown out the musical score. That doesn't detract from the overall quality though. As with most elements of this game the sound feels like it belongs in a full priced game and not just a independently made XBLA title.
Value: 7/10 While playing it I can't help but think back to all the 2D adventures my friends and I dropped $50 a piece on in the 90s and how much better Dust is when compared to 90% of those titles. I have to compare because in many ways this is the game those yearning for the next Metroid/Caslevania have been waiting for. Of course with that comparison comes the subjective value of the title. Normally $14.99, I think Dust is worth every penny of that asking price. Any more than that really depends on your taste in games. Dust is a 2D adventure with platforming, beat em up and light RPG elements. If those things interest you, give Dust: An Elysian Tail a shot.
Overall: This game was designed and programmed entirely by one man, Dean Dodrill. Dust: An Elysian Tail is an amazing throwback to the golden age of 2D adventure video games from the mid 90s without ever feeling like a step backwards to a by-gone era. A serviceable story, beautiful graphics, great sound design, and rock solid gameplay may just have you wondering why the most popular genre of the early 90's ever died out.