In the midst of a heat wave, the Xbox Game Pass today welcomes a very unique new narrative game that could make the heyday of Twitch and evenings with friends: As Dusk Falls.
A title that immediately recalls Detroit Become Human and the other productions of Quantic Dream in its foundations and there is nothing surprising about it. The young INTERIOR/NIGHT studio is led by Caroline Marchal, a former veteran who spent 11 years in the French company before striking out on her own. And if the shape is similar, the coating is clearly different with an original and marked artistic direction. As Dusk Falls is more in line with interactive novels than traditional narrative games. Is this enough to renew the genre? Here’s our take on the latest Microsoft exclusive, available on Xbox Game Pass.
Country roads, take me home
Ah the famous Route 66! Its desert expanses as far as the eye can see, its straight roads lined with dilapidated motels, its breathtaking landscapes… A dream for some, which will turn into a nightmare for the Walkers, a nice little American model family with its little annoyances made up of the father , his wife, their daughter and grandfather. As they hit the road to change their lives after a few professional disappointments, their fate will tragically change when they find themselves in a quiet motel in Arizona. There they will meet the fateful Holt brothers, the small local strikers pursued by the Sheriff and his clique after a burglary that went wrong. Their genius idea to get out of it: take this place of rest and all its occupants hostage to try to find an escape route. But nothing will go as planned.
A classic story therefore, punctuated by somewhat clichéd characters. The troubled family, the kind, benevolent family man, the single mother who runs the motel, the slightly lost but not mean ex-veteran, and of course the slightly sleazy Sheriff. Never mind, As Dusk Falls immediately promises repercussions over several years with an opening of the game which focuses on little Zoe who has grown up and is traumatized by past events. We then expect the consequences of such a trauma over several years and an extensive sub-scenario on this theme. Especially since the presentations of the game promised a story of intertwined destinies over several decades. And it is unfortunately very easy to remain unsatisfied since this oversold plot is ultimately based on very discreet clues scattered in the different narrative branches and on certain specific consequences. It is very easy to miss. As Dusk Falls would have deserved a third Book (each composed of three chapters) rather than such an open end, which gives the impression of stopping abruptly in view of the promises.
The destination may disappoint, but the journey, on the other hand, will keep you spellbound like a series that you can’t put down. It must be said that in its composition, As Dusk Falls is very similar to a program divided into six episodes of about an hour each. The London studio has also not hesitated to draw inspiration from tenors of the genre including True Detective to ensure that there are all the ingredients for it. We then find endearing and well-written characters, the more intimate relationships between the different actors and personalities are ready to explode at any time in the event of a bad choice. Death can be around the bend, and in its entire first half As Dusk Falls leaves us no respite, despite a few flashbacks that bring the pressure down. Some even weigh down the plot and are sometimes uninteresting, especially in the clearly less exciting and much slower second half. The contrast with the beginnings stings a little too much and this uneven pace is disappointing as can be.
A nugget of narrative games?
Narrative game requires, As Dusk Falls will make us embody several characters in turn, mainly the nice father Vince and Jay, the youngest of the turbulent family disconnected from the rest of his entourage. Points of view and links that will intertwine and evolve according to our decisions, as we are used to. However, the title opts for a structure quite different from the tenors of the genre. You should probably visualize something close to Telltale’s The Walking Dead or Life is Strange, but it is not. The first game of INTERIOR/NIGHT has decided to be completely an interactive series. You don’t control the characters, they don’t move, and there is no exploration phase.
The genre rarely shines with its gameplay, and this is clearly not the strong point of As Dusk Falls, which only boils down to very accessible choices and QTEs, especially for more casual players. No need to know where such a button on the controller is hidden, it can be any. One of the little quirks is that a new choice of dialogue can be revealed if the character keeps a cool head and waits a few seconds before answering. And the air of nothing it adds a lot of dynamism to the whole. The gameplay is therefore reduced to a minimum, which is not so bad, because the title only focuses on the essentials: the story, the narration and the characters. As a result, As Dusk Falls has a faster pace than other similar productions, at least in the first part. It is impossible to get out of the closed doors of the first chapters as they are breathtaking and reach a level of tension quite rare in a narrative game. We are not bored for a single second. Everything is supported by truly difficult choices, with sometimes fatal and unexpected consequences. It is also on this point that he was expected at the turn and he did not disappoint.
Despite some clumsiness, the title offers a lot of direct or indirect repercussions, both in terms of dialogues and missed QTEs. The branches are numerous and if the game always manages to bring you where it wants, it always respects your decisions so that you see nothing but fire during your first game. It is often difficult to know where all these choices will take us and that is the strength of the story. Far from the usual Manichaeism, it is often difficult to fully identify a character from the outset and to predict his reactions. A small dose of additional stress well felt in certain scenes. Like Detroit: Become Human, As Dusk Falls makes it possible to check the branches taken at the end of each chapter via a very clean and clear narrative tree that shows what other paths could have been taken. Moreover, it is accompanied by an assessment of your personality based on the decisions made (values, character traits, playing styles).
A remarkable artistic direction
After redoing a few parts and replaying certain specific scenes several times, we can assure you that the variations are engaging enough to make you want to relaunch some of them. However, regardless of the path, the structure of the game sticks out from Book 2, far too weak and boring compared to the gripping beginnings. Especially if we manage to save the important characters. The stakes do not manage to reach those of the first chapters, the themes presented are touched upon and the narration less striking and poignant. This glaring inequality between the two parties is enough to leave you speechless. Especially since it’s easy to get away with it without losing a single character. Finally As Dusk Falls is not as emotionally impactful as other productions, despite some poignant scenes, but it is easy to miss.
What may disturb the majority, however, is the visual style of As Dusk Falls. A true UFO in its artistic direction, the game has chosen to have no animation or lip sync. Closer to an interactive visual novel, the title is then composed of successions of more or less still images which fade into each other. A nice mix of hand-painted illustrations in 2D and 3D that puts the emphasis above all on expressions and emotions. A process which disturbs the first minutes but which is forgotten very quickly as the work of the actors is exceptional in VO. And for once, the VF has nothing to be ashamed of! Without body language, without facial animations, the performers manage to bring their character to life and convey their emotions. This artistic direction is a great success and gives a unique atmosphere to the game. However, it is clear that it will divide, especially with an audience accustomed to another type of presentation. Everything is accompanied by some well-felt music that adds a small dose of dynamism in certain key scenes.
The icing on the cake, As Dusk Falls gives pride of place to multiplayer like the latest productions from Supermassive Games or Hidden Agenda in its time. Up to 8 people can meet on the same screen via a local mobile application or simply online to play together. Here, the dialogue choices and actions are the same as in single player, but a vote must be taken to make a decision knowing that each player has a special veto to use at any time if they do not agree with the rest of the group. Perfect for interactive movie nights with friends. Bonus for streamers, the title includes a mode designed for Twitch which allows the chat to participate in the choices.