If you grew up on PS2-era 3D platformers and have been quietly waiting for a new one that gets the feel right, Duskfade is out today on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Switch 2. It is 29.99 dollars, with a 20 percent discount on console pre-orders.
It comes from Weird Beluga, published by Fireshine Games, and it is openly a love letter to the Jak and Daxter school of platforming: jump, dash, grapple, glide, hit things, repeat. You play Zirian, off to rescue his sister from a Clock Tower that has dropped the whole land into permanent dusk, with a mechanical bird along for company. Cosy premise, expressive movement. You have seen the shape of it before, and that is rather the point.
The demo did the hard part
The Steam demo has been sitting at around 91 percent positive from roughly 570 reviews, which is a genuinely good sign for a small throwback platformer. People liked how it moved, and movement is the whole game in this genre. If the traversal feels good, you forgive a lot.
Worth a note of caution
Full reviews were not up at launch. Metacritic still reads tbd as I write this, so we are going on demo impressions and vibes, not a finished-game verdict. Throwback platformers are a crowded, hit-and-miss corner right now, and a strong first hour does not always hold for ten. But 30 quid for a well-liked demo that clearly nails the moment-to-moment is an easy enough gamble, and there is a free demo if you want to try before you commit. I am cautiously in.
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