2019-05-01_Linux_Format

24 LXF249May 2019 2224May 019ngem4t9g

Reviews First person shooter

Minimum:

OS:Ubuntu

12.0464-bit

CPU:2.4GHz

dualcore

MEM:2GB

GPU:GeForce

9800GTor

equivalent

HDD:2GB

Recommended:

CPU:2.4GHz

quad-core

Mem:4GB

GPU:Geforce

GTX 460 or

equivalent

Notes:Don’t

gointheruins

SPECS

ofshooty monsters and bullets is to move, to run circles

aroundthe bad guys, kite them into big groups or toward

explosive barrels, and shoot as fast as you can.

Speed is the first but not the only tool. Starting with

apairofsharp sickles and moving up through the

traditional FPS loadout closet, you shoot demons and

badguys with pistols, lever-action rifles, double-barrelled

supershotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles and grenade

launchers. The most unexpected weapon found so far

wastheRiveter, a bulky steel box that launches hot

construction-grade welding rivets that, for some reason,

explodespectacularly. We’re not sure why a rivet driver

mightact this way – it seems counterproductive for

construction work – but it is extremely fun.

Theblocky graphics in Dusk are the most obvious

throwback reference to the era of games it idolises, but

dangifthey don’t look great anyway. The sharp polygons

ofenemy bodies might be two decades out of date, but

modernlighting and particle effects did a lot to make us

feelinterested in exploring, and blowing up, the world

aroundus. The limited polygon count and low-res

textureshave a jagged, unreal quality that makes corn

mazeslook creepy and country churches look properly

cursedby evil magicks.

Thesingle-player portion of Dusk consists of three

campaigns. Starting from that first moment in a weirdo’s

murder-dungeon, you fight your way through farms,

industrial zones and apartment buildings until you’ve

completely wiped out the cultist and/or demon

population of Dusk, Pennsylvania. We’d honestly

expected Dusk to be a straightforward recreation of

’90s shooters, including a generic or non-existent story.

Instead, the biggest surprise for us was discovering a

genuinely interesting, gripping little horror story on offer.

This is where Dusk becomes more than a parody or

homage to a once-ubiquitous genre and starts kicking ass

on its own terms. The bare, pixelated corridors of yore

have been replaced by low-poly but recognisable and

memorable level and environment designs. DOOM, with

its limitations, offered a bare set of hallways, but in Dusk

herewewere,justabouthip-

deepincorpsesandspent

shotgunsshells,

whenwereadthewritingonthewall.

Scrawledinblood,amessage:“Don’t

gointheruins”.Araspynoiseechoed

behindus.Itwasn’tquiteananimal

sound,butitwasn’thuman,either.

Turning,wefoundsomethingmuch

worsethanabadguy:acloseddoor

markedRuinsAccess.Theraspy

breathingcameagainfromjust

behindit.Anactualchillrandown

ourcollectiveback.

Duskisanhomageto’90sfirst-

personshooterssuchasDOOM,

QuakeandHalf-Life.It’salsoalovelettertoweirdcultist

horrorgenrefilmslikeTheHillsHaveEyesandTheTexas

ChainSawMassacre.Moreimportantly,it’sgreat.Duskis

<expletivedeleted>great.

AtthebeginningofDusk,you’remeat-hooked(atleast

thethird-worstwaytowakeup)andtrappedinahostile

world,mostlyunarmed.Likethe’90sshootersitdraws

inspirationfrom,thefirsttoolDuskgivesplayersisspeed.

ThisisagamewherepressingtheForwardbuttonzips

youalongtheground,and,charmingly,bunnyhopping

addsmomentumjustlikeitusedtoinyeoldendays.

WithaheavyW-fingerandalotofjumping,exploringthe

creepyfarmhousesandindustrialbuildingsofDusk’sfirst

chapterfeltliketouringaretrovideogameartmuseumon

amotorcycle.

It’snotspeedforspeed’ssake;you’removingfast

becauseit’stheonlywaytosurvive.Therearealotof

differentenemiesinDusk,frompossessedscarecrowsto

hoodedKlansmenthrowingdarkmagic,butalmostallof

themchargestraightaheadwithmeleeattacksorshoot

swarmsofprojectilesatyou.Thevarietyofenemies,

somebig,somesmall,shootingbulletsthatmoveat

differentspeeds,makeseveryfightaconstantlychanging

obstaclecourse.Theonlywaytonavigateacrowdedfield

Dusk

Management are nervous again, as Ian Birnbaum appears to

be ignoring their memo not to go in the ruins...

T

Heed the chilling cry of “Get

orrrrf ov moi laaaaand!”

So little time,

so much to kill.