Dustforce, which originally came out on the PC, recently made its way to the PS VITA and PS3. The game was without a doubt, a huge success with its players, who mostly agreed that the game had very good platforming physics that led to some creative, if somewhat frustrating gameplay. Now, finally on the beloved VITA and PS3, will it be good, clean fun like last time?
In Dustforce, players stylishly flow through precarious environments, sweeping up dust, leaves, trash and slime. The cleaners face off against the fourSprites, who are determined to make a mess of the whole world.
Basically, Dustforce is a fast paced platformer, and a challenging one at that too. It takes place in this 2D open world where you can move around freely, and choose which sections to complete first. There are also NPCs littered (see what I did there…no? okay…) everywhere. These NPCs are usually there to fill in the storyline, or give you hints that will be helpful to you during gameplay. Speaking of help, the first time you play the game, you will be prompted to play the tutorial, which I completely recommend, as the game has a bit of a sharp learning curve, so it is very important to know the basics.
The mechanics are very simple. You have these really cleverly designed areas that you need to clean through. You’ve got these areas covered in dust and dirt, on which if you walk over, will either sweep, dust, or vacuum, depending on which character you choose. You’ve also got these enemies, poor innocent people who have been brainwashed by the fourSprites. You have to attack these enemies or obstacles to remove their dirt in order to free them.
However, where the innovation really lays is the physics. If I was to compare it to another game, it would most likely be Super Meat Boy, as similar to that game, you can run on walls, slide on them and even double jump. What’s impressive here is that you’ve actually got a ceiling run moveset, which allows you to run or slide on (you guessed it), ceilings. It is a pretty neat feature that helps you keep your momentum. Speaking of Momentum, the game is all about speed and agility. If you go down a slope, and press down on the movement controls, you’ll slide and build up on momentum. So, if there happens to be a ramp after a slope, you’ll be propelled over it. You even have a rush move, which rushes you forward in a limited space.
The levels are set all over the world and can be completed in any order as far as I understand. Each level you complete will award you a final grade based on your finesse and completion. Basically, depending on how much you clean overall, and how many enemies/objects you exorcise… I mean liberate, you’ll be awarded different ranks. To get a better finesse score, you will need to keep an eye on your combo counter. To build up your combo, you simply need to not only keep your momentum, but continuously clean the dust trail. You can also keep up your combo meter by attacking enemies. You have two attack options, light and heavy, with square and triangle respectively. The light one just harms your enemy, while the heavy one is capable of creating a mess, and ultimately lets you gather more dirt.
Also, attacking not only gives you points, but even propels you forward, especially in mid air. So there will be some challenging scenarios where you will need to time your attacks carefully mid-air, if you want to be able to land safely on the next platform. This action also allows you do a third jump, if timed properly. So with clever/fast-paced level design, combo mechanics and enemies combined, the game will definitely feel like a puzzle at times. One that you must solve by clearing as much dust as possible, in the least time possible. Furthermore, you can also earn a special ability depending on how much dirt you clean up, which allows you to basically clear the screen of enemies. The coolest thing about it is, how it is animated. You basically slash around, looking like something out of a classic slow-motion ninja movie.
Coming back to the level structure; depending on how you do in each level, you can get keys which are required to unlock even more challenging and padlocked levels. Different doors require different numbers of keys, so you will be advised to stock up on them.
Now the only gripes I have with the game are it’s multiplayer modes and control layout. In MP-King Of The Hill mode, each team is tasked with occupying as much screen as possible, either with cleanliness or dirt. Players are balanced on both sides. The other mode is survival, which I honestly didn’t get to try as the game has no one playing online. I was extremely lucky to even get a match of King Of The Hill. Even when I was, the idea felt strong, but lacked in execution. Furthermore, the response and satisfaction you should get from a MP game, is absent.
Concerning the controls; most of them are flawless, but there are a few gripes, especially one in regards to the wall run move. Basically, to wall run, you have to press up on the d-pad or left analogue stick before you hit the wall. This is really tricky to get right, as it is easy to slip on the controls while switching from left/right to up direction. It isn’t comfortable, and it sure isn’t responsive. I would have preferred the developers to have mapped a separate button for wall run, as it would have made more sense. On the other hand, the down key for sliding down slopes works, as it isn’t dependent on accuracy as much as with the wall run action. Also, in my opinion, the characters movements feel too restricted and slow at times, and you won’t get to experience the agility levels of something like Super Meat Boy.
Overall, the game fits extremely well on the PS3 and especially VITA, where it can be easily picked up and played due to its open level structure. Furthermore, the game supports cross-play which means you can switch between the platforms and continue your progress from where you last left off. Too bad that it isn’t cross-buy supported as it really won’t make sense to get the game twice. If games like Guacamelee and Lone Survivor can support that model, I honestly don’t see why this couldn’t. Anyways, do pick it up if you love challenging, and accurate platformers as you’ll be hard pressed to pick a better game.