Microsoft As Dusk Falls (created by ex-Quantic Dream lead developer, Xbox Consoles/PC/Game Pass) - reviews from OpenCritic posted

[Pikachu]

 

Quote

One town. Two families. Three decades of secrets.

 

As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years. Starting with a robbery-gone-wrong in small town Arizona, the choices you make will have a powerful impact on this epic story of sacrifice, betrayal, and resilience.

 

Play As Dusk Falls day 1 with Xbox Game Pass

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Consider me intrigued 

[Phaseknox]

This looks like it could be really good. I love the music in that trailer.

[Mercury33]

Yawn

[TheLeon]

Conceptually, I'm interested. Maybe this is the kind of game that just isn't made for exciting trailers. 

[Phaseknox]

I’ve been waiting for this game for two years, and it’s finally coming out tomorrow but it’s Xbox exclusive. Since it’s an indie game I just assumed that it was going to be on all platforms, because it’s somewhat uncommon for indie games to be console exclusive. I know that there have been some console exclusive indie games, but they’re usually rare.

[JPDunks4]

17 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

I’ve been waiting for this game for two years, and it’s finally coming out tomorrow but it’s Xbox exclusive. Since it’s an indie game I just assumed that it was going to be on all platforms, because it’s somewhat uncommon for indie games to be console exclusive. I know that there have been some console exclusive indie games, but they’re usually rare.

 

Xbox is Publishing this, so I though it was always understood it'd be exclusive.

 

Seems Xbox likes these types of projects for Game Pass.  They also published Tell Me Why with Dontnod.  Probably because they lend themselves to episodic releases which is good for Game Pass.

[Keyser_Soze]

39 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

I’ve been waiting for this game for two years, and it’s finally coming out tomorrow but it’s Xbox exclusive. Since it’s an indie game I just assumed that it was going to be on all platforms, because it’s somewhat uncommon for indie games to be console exclusive. I know that there have been some console exclusive indie games, but they’re usually rare.

 

Get game pass for a dollar and play it on your phone.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Game Information

Game Title: As Dusk Falls

 

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Jul 19, 2022)
• PC (Jul 19, 2022)
  

 

Developer: INT./NIGHT

Publisher: Xbox Games Studios

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 77 average - 73% recommended

 

Critic Reviews

CGMagazine - 9 / 10

As Dusk Falls is the kind of game that Xbox Game Pass was made for, in the best possible sense of such a compliment; it’s a narrative thriller and adventure that’s easily worth the price of admission, and more importantly, it’s absolutely worthy of your time.

COGconnected - 90 / 100

As Dusk Falls delivers a tense, dramatic and thoughtful story. Its narrative is always engaging and player choices feel impactful. While some moments can feel rushed or resolve too conveniently, many others are surprising, moving, and hard to forget. Thanks to a compelling story and characters, As Dusk Falls is one of the best interactive dramas in recent memory.

GameSkinny - 9 / 10

As Dusk Falls is gripping from start to finish and has a lot to say, becoming one of the few games where your choices actually can upend the story.

GameSpot - 9 / 10

Due to its strong script and pitch-perfect performances, Interior Night's debut stands among the very best games of its kind.

IGN - 9 / 10

As Dusk Falls' interactive crime drama is a masterwork of branching storytelling where decisions matter and repeated playthroughs are rewarded with even more revelations.

INDIANTVCZ - Czech - 9 / 10

As Dusk Falls tells a compelling story and offers an excellent gameplay experience. The game tries to fill a significant market gap because the demand for interactive visual novels is relatively high. But teams capable of creating a good story adventure are scarce. Nevertheless, we are delighted that INT./NIGHT studio has tried to do it. The gameplay brings nothing new to the table, but it still manages to tell a competitive story that you'll be thinking about for days after you finish it.

Screen Rant - 4.5 / 5

As Dusk Falls is going to launch on Game Pass on day one and it feels like the perfect game for the service, and that's meant as a compliment. It's a strange experiment of a game, with an odd aesthetic and concept, that people might have otherwise overlooked. As Dusk Falls is worth checking out, especially with friends who can commit to experiencing the full story, as it's one of the few video games that have captured the feeling of controlling the story of a TV show, so long as everyone is fine with experiencing some HBO levels of dark themes, and the risk of sad endings along the way.

TheSixthAxis - 9 / 10

As Dusk Falls caught me by surprise, taking a genre of game that's become a bit too familiar and injecting it with a tense crime drama and a singular flair. My hat goes off to Interior/Night and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do next.

Gaming Nexus - 8.8 / 10

As Dusk Falls offers a great new take on the adventure genre, focusing on a story that feels grounded in the real world, made all the more impactful through its stellar artwork. The multiplayer works fine and is fun, but I found myself wanting to play without others. Satisfying narratively regardless of your choices, As Dusk Falls is weighty and serious, surprising with great writing, realistic characters, and plenty of twists. Highly recommended.

Game Informer - 8.8 / 10

As Dusk Falls hides many secrets down the winding paths of its story web, and by its nature, you won’t get the full picture in any single playthrough, encouraging replayability. But you may also be tempted to play through one take on the story and then step away, content that you’ve seen “your” version play out. Either way, this is a weighty and gratifying excursion into interactive drama, confident enough in its writing to not rely on superpowers or fantasy. For players interested in the progress of interactive narrative frameworks, it’s a laudable success. But even for someone who never plays games, it works. That’s because good characters and storytelling make for a universal experience, and this is a project that has both.

Dexerto - 8.5 / 10

As Dusk Falls is a stellar first attempt from Interior Night and a must-play for those who enjoy interactive narrative games like The Quarry, Heavy Rain, and Detroit: Become Human. In many ways, the game feels like a playable season of Fargo and even channels other gritty crime dramas like Breaking Bad at times. Essentially, it's a playable binge drama, but one that can be enjoyed time and time again, with different endings and twists, depending on your choices.

As Dusk Falls will make you hurt, and it will make you cry, but it won't let you down.

ElderPlayers - Arabic - 8.5 / 10

As Dusk Falls is one of the most beautiful and best interactive games, the writing that was presented within its story and events looks wonderful overall, and made the combination of interactive games and TV series produce a beautiful experience for us.

God is a Geek - 8.5 / 10

As Dusk Falls tells a superb story of how two family's lives are changed forever, with great writing that leads to some huge decisions to make.

LevelUp - Spanish - 8.5 / 10

Being practically an interactive movie, it may bore those who are looking for their time with video games to have action. On the other hand, those who enjoy this type of experience, will find an adventure that is worth knowing, especially if we consider that it will arrive on Xbox Game Pass on its opening day.

MondoXbox - Italian - 8.5 / 10

As Dusk Falls is an adult, dramatic adventure with unusual artistic choices, yet functional to an ever engaging narrative. Almost similar to an interactive TV series, it will keep you glued to the screen until the end, eager to discover the fate of the many realistically and often starkly delineated characters, but also to explore the many ramifications of the story. The excellent acting, moreover, succeeds in making the most of such a production. Too bad for a few technical issues lightly impacting the enjoyment of the game, but it is definitely a highly recommended experience for lovers of narrative adventures and TV crime dramas.

Generación Xbox - Spanish - 8.2 / 10

As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama that highlights a structure based on the choices we make and the narrative possibilities of each of them.

Atomix - Spanish - 80 / 100

Despite its mistakes, As Dusk Falls is something that Xbox and PC users cannot miss, thanks to an entertaining story built by our decisions,

But Why Tho? - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is a memorable experience. The generation-spanning story is intriguing with its many twists and turns and too-human characters.

Checkpoint Gaming - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls tells a wonderful story that is not only thought provoking, but willing to discuss difficult subjects that aren’t often talked about. With every decision having an impact and putting the focus on characters, the story themes are effectively communicated and make you interested in seeing what happens next. Experiencing the game with your friends is also enjoyable, fostering discussions of your choices and what kind of decisions you make. While getting 100% completion for the game can be a tough journey, you are rewarded with story details that open up character motivations and keep you thinking about the characters long after you put down the game.

EGM - 4 / 5

As Dusk Falls is exciting,  beautiful, and heavy-handed. Its more streamlined approach to narrative gameplay and its less traditional art style create an immersive experience that engages with the player's imagination. That it can work both as a morally challenging single-player story and a party game for multiple players speaks to the confidence that its developers have. But its second half of the story undercuts some of the tension that its excellent first half builds, and a terrible cliffhanger might leave you feeling betrayed.

GamesHub - 4 / 5

As Dusk Falls tackles intimate themes with intimate storytelling. It spends meaningful time with believable characters and complex personal issues. It attempts to explore answers to those relatable and sometimes unanswerable questions about ourselves. And most importantly, it doesn’t get distracted or lost along the way.

GamesRadar+ - 4 / 5

As Dusk Falls blends Netflix-style prestige drama with Telltale-style game storytelling to great results

IGN Spain - Spanish - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is a perfect video game to play in company regardless of the experience of the people involved in the game, a well-written and remarkably resolved decisional adventure that delivers an interesting story, and will guarantee you a couple of nights of good entertainment.

Press Start - 8 / 10

As it ran its course, I realised I quite adored As Dusk Falls. As a decades-spanning crime thriller throughout America's western plains, it's well acted and admirably realised. Although the cliffhanger beckons another chapter, my journey through As Dusk Falls felt whole, though I can't wait to explore all of the possibilities on offer.

SECTOR.sk - Slovak - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama that tells a compelling story with diverse paths and real impact of your decisions. The art style can be a bit distracting.

Seasoned Gaming - 8 / 10

I truly enjoyed my time with As Dusk Falls. As a form of interactive entertainment, it is well-written, well-produced, and engaging.

Shacknews - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is an impressive debut from INTERIOR/NIGHT. It tells an emotionally impactful story with some solid vocal performances. The branching storyline is cleverly implemented and the multiplayer features offer a convenient way to play with friends. As Dusk Falls is a clear indicator that the future is bright for INTERIOR/NIGHT.

Sirus Gaming - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is a tense and exciting drama about crime and the families who get involved in it. If you love crime-drama TV shows, then you'll feel right at home with this game. This storytelling video game feels intense and interesting at every turn. However, you should be aware of its shortcomings and limitations before purchasing.

Spaziogames - Italian - 8 / 10

As Dusk Falls is undoubtedly a better written game than all the others created by Quantic Dream. with beautiful and complex characters and a compelling and mature story.

TrueAchievements - 8 / 10

For the most part, As Dusk Falls excels as an 'interactive drama.' With wonderfully crafted and relatable characters, superb voice acting, and unique art direction and animation style that lends itself to the story. The first few chapters alone are excellent, and they’ll have you gripping onto your controller when things are tense and utterly deflated when you’re forced into making a tough decision. The game is only let down by a weaker second act and a rushed final chapter, but overall, it’s still a great narrative adventure filled with dramatic moments, tension, and tough choices.

WellPlayed - 8 / 10

This interactive crime drama packs a unique visual style and some gripping moments dealing with mature themes. The choices you make are crucial to the fates of two families, but the impact is more keenly felt in the first act than the second.

Xbox Achievements - 80%

Normally, with a choice-driven adventure, I'm once and done, ready for a post-game water-cooler discussion. As Dusk Falls' warrants more than one playthrough, if only to see how differently things can pan out. If that open ending is any indication, there's more to come.

IGN Italy - Italian - 7.8 / 10

As Dusk Falls works as an intense first season of TV show who just you can't stop binge watch. Interior/Night cinematic adventure works great when tries to depict how three destinies are entwined after a dramatic moment lived together, while sometimes fails to build drama in believable way. Anyway, the strange mix between thriller, teen drama and family story delivers an empathetic narration and compelling gameplay, with some minor flaws here and there.

Lords Of Gaming - 7.7 / 10

As Dusk Falls delivered an enthralling narrative with solid characters to follow. The game’s original graphics and art direction were off-putting at first but grew on me over time. The soundtrack and voice acting were both excellent. Multiplayer was well realized and added a whole new dimension to the gameplay. Though the game’s ending was a huge letdown and felt cheap overall. Despite this, As Dusk Falls is a solid experience and is worthy of your time.

XboxEra - 7.5 / 10

As a big fan of cinema and storytelling, I enjoyed the attempt at a mostly well told, if somewhat predictable yarn, full of plot twists and surprises, particularly with friends in tow.

For those of us out there that like a little more traditional gameplay in our games, you may find yourselves wanting, but as it releases straight on to Xbox Game Pass at launch, I expect As Dusk Falls to surprise and delight more than few naysayers out there – myself included.

The Games Machine - Italian - 7.2 / 10

As Dusk Falls is a mixed bag. The story, while certainly not out of this world, provides good characters and a fair amount of drama, but the peculiar art style doesn't always succeed in conveying the right emotion. The voice-over, and especially the Italian dubbing, also occasionally suffers from the same issue. The multiplayer mode does make the game more engaging, but it's still an experience with very little interaction. Enjoyment might vary wildly depending on your tastes.

Digital Trends - 3.5 / 5

As Dusk Falls is an atypical narrative adventure game with a compelling story about family.

GameByte - 7 / 10

So overall, is As Dusk Falls worth it? It has a captivating story with more than a few rocky moments, but is as close to feeling “genre” as it can get. It also has a lot of shortcomings that might only be saved by the interesting multiplayer features. It’s the perfect game to pull out for any digital or physical get-togethers, but is otherwise a reminder of wasted potential.

GameSpew - 7 / 10

We have a lot of gripes about As Dusk Falls, but we’ve still very much enjoyed our time with it. Its story will keep you hooked from start to finish, but some of its narrative gaps will leave you with questions. Should that keep you from playing? No – ultimately, this is a very well-executed narrative drama complete with excellent voice acting and a unique art style. Yes, it could have been better in many ways, but it’s still worthy of your time.

Metro GameCentral - 7 / 10

A tense and dramatic interactive movie with superbly realised characters, a breathless plot, and a still-frame animation style that's likely to prove extremely divisive.

Post Arcade (National Post) - 7 / 10

Xbox Game Studios' branching crime drama is best enjoyed in a group, with friends arguing over decisions and taking the blame for fatal outcomes

Stevivor - 7 / 10

As Dusk Falls is the non-game narrative adventure for your non-gaming family and housemates. It’s the most engaged I’ve ever seen my lapsed casual gamer partner in a videogame and that’s because it has the familiar story pacing of a six-part TV series and almost no gameplay, which means minimal barrier to entry.

GamesBeat - 3 / 5

As Dusk Falls is a valiant attempt to tell a good crime drama where actions have consequences. The story went on a lot longer than I expected, as the tense moments at the motel spawned a lot of different threads — both flash forwards and flashbacks — that I didn’t expect. But ultimately the tale failed to move me in the way that I had hoped for.

Hardcore Gamer - 3 / 5

Without digging too deeply into the real reasons behind Interior Night's choice of aesthetic and presentation, As Dusk Falls is one of those cases of a solid foundation let down one too many times by its execution.

Twinfinite - 3 / 5

I’d gone in hoping for a groundbreaking style of narrative-driven experience, one that operated on a sprawling web of branching paths over the course of 30 years of events, and was left underwhelmed by a fairly by-the-numbers entry in the genre that only dips its toe into its three decades-of family history and character entanglement. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll probably have some fun with this, but it’s hardly the revelation that the decision-based, narrative-driven genre feels like it so desperately needs.

Game Rant - 2 / 5

Interactive drama game As Dusk Falls has a strong start, but it's quickly bogged down by pacing issues and an uninteresting second half.

VGC - 2 / 5

Good characters, strong performances and well-engineered dual timeline storytelling are let down by pacing that’s utterly arhythmic and gameplay that’s fighting you at every step.

Eurogamer - Recommended

An interactive movie that tells a memorable story of human choices.

Polygon - Unscored

With its ability to constantly pull the rug out from under you, As Dusk Falls doesn’t fade into a forgettable narrative experience we’ve seen a thousand times. Instead, it leaves its mark, with a long shadow cast by its sad but understandable characters’ hardships drawn across threads seemingly made of jagged wire. What will haunt you is whether the thread you chose really was the best one at the time. As in life, the answer will likely be: probably not.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama that places you at the centre of an incredibly tense robbery gone wrong. Aside from some rare wooden dialogue, it's a touching tale of loss, betrayal, fear, and love that I hoped wouldn't end.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[Phaseknox]

3 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Xbox is Publishing this, so I though it was always understood it'd be exclusive.

I didn’t know that. Oh well, I guess that I won’t ever play it because I plan on getting a PS5 not an Xbox Series X.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Updated the OpenCritic reviews post.

[XxEvil AshxX]

On 7/18/2022 at 9:46 AM, Phaseknox said:

I didn’t know that. Oh well, I guess that I won’t ever play it because I plan on getting a PS5 not an Xbox Series X.

 

If only there were a way to play it without actually owning an Xbox.... 

[stepee]

This is actually one game that would probably be 100% fine over the cloud!

[Keyser_Soze]

6 minutes ago, stepee said:

This is actually one game that would probably be 100% fine over the cloud!

 

I mean it's literally got a mode where you can play it on an app on your phone so yeah.

[Phaseknox]

7 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

If only there were a way to play it without actually owning an Xbox.... 

6 hours ago, stepee said:

This is actually one game that would probably be 100% fine over the cloud!

6 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

I mean it's literally got a mode where you can play it on an app on your phone so yeah.

I only play games on game consoles, not on personal computers or phones.

[JPDunks4]

1 hour ago, Phaseknox said:

I only play games on game consoles, not on personal computers or phones.

 

Could play on a Tablet, or TV

[Phaseknox]

4 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Could play on a Tablet, or TV

I don’t have a Tablet, but even if I did I wouldn’t want to play games on it. And I’m not interested in cloud gaming on my TV.

 

I appreciate you and others making suggestions on how I could play this game without having an Xbox Series X, but I only like to play games on dedicated game consoles.

[Phaseknox]

This is coming out Thursday for PS4 and PS5.