Dusty (2024)

A rather beautiful game, but lacking in the playability polish not afforded by the resources of a student team. A real pity these games are left unfinished almost, but many are playable, but not for anyone who does not enjoy platforming games taken a bit too far. Very good story, has all the elements of a good game, but not quite as playable as it could be. I believe the game is finnish-able if I had more patience, a real pity because it's pretty vast and the puzzles are quite clever, the little hidden areas every so often are all plusses. I sure hope the students got good marks and went on to find jobs to build more like this.

Probably an unfinished game, considering the great qualities and the even greater flaws. The qualities are the graphics and soundtrack, and the flaws are pretty much everything else. The puzzles seem interesting but turned out confusing and slightly janky, while in between them the game insists on giving you weird platforming sections using your pole. They're supposed to be triggered automatically but sometimes don't, so you do a normal jump and fall. The collision detection doesn't help either, but thankfully those sections are easy and not too punitive. I stopped playing because a glitch prevented me from solving a puzzle. It doesn't look worth persevering anyway. 5/10

Dusty is a third-person archaeological puzzle adventure that favors exploration, environmental observation, and mystery over combat or fast-paced action. Developed by El Palo Games and published by U-tad together with El Palo Games, it presents a relatively compact experience with an impressive amount of creative ambition behind it. Its strongest qualities come from its atmosphere and central mystery, inviting players into ancient locations where understanding the environment is considerably more important than fighting enemies. The adventure follows Dusty, an experienced archaeologist whose latest discovery presents a particularly strange problem. He comes across a notebook containing information about a forgotten language, mysterious dates, and the location of an unknown civilization. The unsettling detail is that the writing appears to be his own despite him having no recollection of producing it. This immediately creates a personal dimension to what could otherwise have been a straightforward expedition. Instead of merely searching for historical artifacts, Dusty is effectively investigating his own unexplained relationship with the ruins. Exploration carries much of the expe…

puzel masterrt

There is something beyond whimsy. This game really brought life and light into the thought of is it worth it to do it all again. Not only is the scenery a work of art, but each of the little details give this game its passion and joy. I had a great time playing this, and would love to enjoy again some time.

A nice journey and somewhat philosophical. Can't complain for a free game! 6/10