Dust: An Elysian Tale Xbox 360 Demo Review 10/10

    After playing the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo, I’m left with a very positive first impression. The demo introduced me to the world of the game, quickly threw me into spectacular combat, and then politely said it’s goodbyes. It didn’t waste my time. It didn’t repeatedly ask me to stay. It was a simple meet and greet that leaves me walking away with a smile on my face.

    The first thing you’ll notice about the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo is the gorgeous artwork that comes to life on screen. At the end of the demo a bullet point list tells how all the artwork is hand painted. I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it myself. In a world of increasingly realistic experiences it’s nice to have a game like this to come back to. It’s 2D world is full of vibrant sprites that never leave you wanting more even though you’re only moving in the x and y directions. Much of the fun to be had in this game is the visual explosion of colors and characters as the main character, Dust, flies around whirling his magical sword. The demo had some tricks up it’s sleeve as it dimmed the lights in sections accenting specific hues. I can see how the developer could easily treat the player by adding in weather effects like rain or lightning to further the enjoyment to be had in the game.

(Screenshots don’t really do this game justice in the visual department. You’ll have to try it for yourself.)

     The characters remind me of any assortment of animes that you’ve probably already seen but it doesn’t hinder their quality. Dust is some sort of human fox that sprouts angelic wings for short bursts to double jump. He carries a magical sword, Ahrah, that is also a character. They’re both followed by Fidget, a cute and cuddly flying fox that helps you in battle. They’re all fully voiced. Fidget in particular sticks out because she sounds like your stereotypical anime sidekick, but her dialogue is written and delivered very well. Fidget is also very funny. I found myself smiling at some of the silly things she would say.

    In the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo you don’t get enough of the story to see where it’s going, but like many open world games, the environment was tiding me over. They created such a beautiful world that I am excited to learn more about it even though the demo was lacking story beats. In it’s defense, I’m glad they let what the demo does best do the talking.

    The music wasn’t anything special. The soundtrack is mostly background, but listening to your enemies get sliced by your sword was quite satisfying. Again, it’s your normal assortment of hack and slash sounds, but they’re very important nonetheless. While playing the game you’re fighting and juggling many characters so the extra emphasis on sonic feedback never hurts. Well, I guess it hurts the antagonists...

    Besides the graphics, the real fun of the game lies in the combat. It’s easy to initiate combos, launch enemies into the air, and no matter what you do it’s going to look pretty. Your skill comes into play when you find yourself narrowly dodging an enemies attack or juggling multiple combos for maximum damage and experience. It reminds me of Devil May Cry because your main attack is with your sword but you can extend combos by using your ranged attack.

    This demo really showed me a blueprint of what demos should be. They should be short and sweet. I was having fun 19 out of the 20 minutes I played. It only asked me to purchase the game twice; once after receiving an achievement and once after finishing the demo. The end of the demo was quite a treat as well. Instead of just blocking my progress and fading to black, I was met by a specialized demo cutscene, and then it faded to black. It was just a little wink that let me know the developer took the extra time.

    Dust: An Elysian Tale receives my first 10/10. As a demo, I couldn’t have asked for more.

    I will be buying this game, but not at the $15 price point. Maybe I’m just cheap, but with all the sales going on recently, and how long ago this game came out, I’d be more comfortable picking it up for $5. It’s replayability could be high with it’s many difficulty levels, but I only see myself playing through this game once. I will be waiting for the inevitable price drop.

- lvl 99

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch PS3 Demo Review 7/10

 
    I’ve been looking forward to the PS3 dream-team mash-up of LEVEL-5 and Studio Ghibli ever since my heart got ripped out upon hearing the DS version wasn’t going to see US release. Luckily, the Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch demo was the last hope I needed to allow myself to get excited.

    Studio Ghibli is known for it’s gorgeous art and fantastical dialogue, but LEVEL-5 is certainly no slouch in that department. The first thing that the demo does is show it’s best part; it’s trump card. It’s simple, but quite effective. All you need is to see what the game seems to be animating with brilliant brush strokes to realize your time spent in this game is going to be magical. Not only is the narrative based on magic, but the artists have somehow crafted magical art. I never needed to know that I started the demo in a magical forest. I could see it. I could feel it. As you traverse the demo you’re met with bright bursts of contrasting colors that look as though they were delicately hand painted minutes before. None of the world is realistic. Instead, they trade texture for heightened fantasy that screams The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Studio Ghibli is often compared to the golden days of Disney, and after 5 minutes in the world, I got the same feeling I received when first seeing any number of Disney classics as a child.

 

    The music and voice over in the demo adds to the whimsical setting the art cascades. During the demo, the music stays light and pretty in the background while occasionally taking the forefront for a second or two. It made my soul bounce to it’s beautiful cadence as if I was singing along using the controller as my voice. The voiced dialogue makes the world jump out of the story book setting by further informing you as to who these characters really are. The protagonist, Oliver, looks and feels as if he doesn’t quite understand what is going on, but all the same is pushing forward to save his mother. This was confirmed by his voice. The actor spoke with naivety and wonderment, but also with purpose. I was happy I could read him. His confidante, Drippy, with his childlike nickname, looks harmless and innocent. This proved to be opposite as his dialogue was blunt and comical while the actor’s voice had a pirate-like quality. I was pleasantly surprised that I read this character completely wrong.

    Sadly, as soon as they win you over, they simultaneously push you away. After picking between two different points in the game, they drop you in, and then launch a timer. A dreadful timer that’s thirty minutes for the first part, and three minutes for the second. Granted the second part of the demo was timed thematically, but the first was arbitrarily thrown in there to make you speed through. I have never played a demo where a timer is fun, and this one proved not only stressful, but also unnecessary. Once you get to a certain point in the demo it leads you back to the title screen anyway, and it just so happened that by then, I still had 2 minutes left. This part of the demo let you roam the world map, so I understand what they were thinking when implementing the timer, but it’s so counter to what the strengths of this demo were. I wanted to stop and look at the wonderful imagery they’ve afforded me, but I simply couldn’t because I felt rushed.

    It didn’t help that there was no tutorial in the game. Well, let me correct myself. There was a large book that was filled with tips and tricks for the game, but since I was on a countdown, I didn’t feel as though I had time to read them. This led me to dying horribly against the first boss, which also happened to be the first monster you fight. I was greeted by a game over screen that left me feeling inadequate within the first five minutes. On attempt number two I managed to withstand the monster until my character retrieved a “one-shot” orb. This left me wondering how in-depth the battles in Ni no Kuni would be.

Battles happen in real-time, only pausing to switch characters.

    Later on, during the second part of the demo, I got a better sense of how battles played out. I saw many more delightful creatures and noticed that there is a weakness/resistance mechanic in the game. I never understood it well enough to really take advantage, but it seemed fun and simple. The controls of the Ni no Kuni Demo were quite bizarre though, as I couldn’t figure out how to call out attacks most effectively. It always felt like I was one step behind, and I found myself accidentally switching to the wrong characters.

    Throughout both parts of the demo you’re given hints at the overarching plot. The Ni no Kuni Demo does introduce you to the driving force of the game by telling you that Oliver’s mother died and now he’s trying to save her. You’re also introduced to the main baddie, but other than that, the demo leaves you feeling that the full game may deal with a heavier plot than the visuals would portray.

    The Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch demo started off strong, offering it’s beautiful painting for you to jump into. But just as quickly, it proves too good to be true. When the timer magically appears in the corner, you realize there is dark magic in this game. I’d rather have my eyes solely on the life of the world, then split time with a clock that’s counting down. But just as everyone would undoubtedly agree, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

    One thing that deserves mentioning is that this game is still more than a month out. It doesn’t release until January 22. This concerns me because by that time, the demo won’t be as relevant. Normally, I like to play a demo two weeks or less before release. Definitely no more than a month before release. By the time January 22, 2013 rolls around, I’ll have forgotten about this demo and I fear many people who played and liked the demo will forget about this game. Timing isn’t everything, but the way this demo implements it certainly isn’t helping.

 
    The Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Demo receives a 7/10. It’s a beautiful mix of great and good parts, but very much tainted by the stress the clock lays on. It is still worth your time, and I suggest you download it.

    I will buy this game for the full $60. I think it’s worth it as a sum of it’s parts, but for me it would also be worth it for just the way it makes me feel; like a kid again.

-lvl 99