As Dusk Falls is an (almost) perfect trip | Review
And it is precisely this last trend. which belongs to As Dusk Falls, a beautiful journey as well as the first work of INTERIOR / NIGHT: a studio born recently but which counts, among the founders, several authors already at work in a team that needs no introduction such as Quantic Dream. A factor that, combined with a style strongly aimed at experimentation that has impressed everyone since the announcement, has placed the expectations around the title on a fairly high level: will it be able to satisfy them completely?
Welcome to Two Rock
As Dusk Falls is an adventure that begins in 1998, and immediately puts us in front of two different stories but which will not fail to cross several times over time. On the one hand we find Vince Walker: a family man who, after losing his dream job, is on his way to Missouri to start a new life with his loved ones. With him his wife, father and little daughter Zoe (a character who, as the story progresses, will become more and more central).The other side of the coin is occupied by the three brothers Tyler, Dale and Jay Holt, with the player who will find himself in control of the latter's deeds and actions. The trio is presented to us intent on carrying out a robbery in the house of the sheriff in the town of Two Rock, with things that in a short time will take a turn that is anything but favorable ...| ); }
A series of circumstances will lead Vincent to meet the Holt family on his way, and it is precisely here that the adventure begins. Structured in episodes, with a setting that we have been able to observe several times in recent years, As Dusk Falls can in essence be perceived almost like a TV show: a gripping thriller full of twists, where every choice of the player will go to shaping the thousand facets of history.
Relationships, emotions, life and even death are just some of the aspects that can be influenced with the right (or wrong) decision, for an adventure where on balance it is possible to notice that yes: the choices of the player really matter. Impressive is the amount of paths that can be taken, and that will be shown to us at the end of each chapter: an almost endless tree, which makes As Dusk Falls a widely replayable title net of a duration for a single run of about 7/8 hours .
If a good degree of tension is not lacking, the same can also be said for the identification factor: we will find ourselves having to make increasingly important and personal decisions, coming to cultivate or even destroy entire relationships. All with an atmosphere conceived in the smallest details thanks to a soundtrack which, alternating indie folk songs with even more modern ones, manages to accompany us in a more than pleasant way on the beautiful journey that is As Dusk Falls.
As Dusk Falls… And then?
One of the strengths of the first work of INTERIOR / NIGHT is the Multiplayer mode, here proposed in three different concepts:Local: to experience the adventure for up to 8 players, being able to use the Companion App dedicated as a controller; Online: by inviting friends through a special unique code for each player; Broadcast: letting the people of Twitch choose which path for the player to take. As this is an adventure where the focus is on choices, multiplayer simply means one thing: at each crossroads there will be voting, where everyone can express their preference, eventually arriving at a single decision that will determine the continuation of the story.
For those who were wondering, we can then say that yes, As Dusk Falls is dubbed in Italian with a really well made adaptation: a collage of voices capable of doing justice to the characters , immersing more and more those who play in a journey that at times we would like to never end.
There are clearly some imperfections which, while not affecting the overall quality of the product, it is still good to note for a simple reason: since this is the first project of the study we are sure that, observing these small errors, the next titles will certainly be more refined from many points of view. The narrative works, but in some sections it is fluctuating and slightly confusing: the second act, for example, does not stand up to the comparison with the first, getting lost in filling moments but finding the right way as the adventure progresses.
Another small flaw are some Quick Time Events, clearly fundamental in a title of this type. If in many cases they will be central to making (or not) certain choices, in other situations they will appear useless if not annoying: nothing compromising as mentioned, even net of the fact that it is something that we often and gladly witness in products of the gender.
In conclusion, in any case, we would like to promote As Dusk Falls with few reservations: on balance it is one of the most interesting news of 2022, as well as a nice surprise perfect to spend a few hours during this 'summer. In fact, the game manages to excite, leaving the player to immerse themselves in a unique adventure, and capable of alternating a strong tension with a lightness that makes the final atmosphere a truly exceptional picture.
As Dusk Falls explores the human side and America with a particular gaze, addressing important issues correctly and without being taken for granted: an intimate story that we absolutely recommend you to recover and that , as far as we have been able to see, it is only the beginning of a very long journey to be experienced.
