Dust isn't simply another grim-faced, sword-wielding badass. It's all handled capably by a very strong voice cast that makes every character affecting in one way or the other. Despite the genuinely funny banter between Dust and his flying companion Fidget, the plot regularly delves into issues such as redemption, morality during times of poverty and war, and the very nature of the soul. This shortcoming is made even more disappointing by the fact that the boss battles are so well incorporated into the story, which bears down with more thematic gravity than the game's visuals would lead you to expect. It seems odd that a game possessed of such great imagination should be so banal in this regard. All of them, including the grueling, overlong final boss can be easily bested by flying back and forth while spamming magic attacks. What you get instead is a collection of villains no larger than your own character, who have but one or two rudimentary ways of attacking you. Given the genre, you'd be forgiven for expecting screen-high bosses with an endless array of powerful attacks for you to dodge. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the boss battles, which seem substandard by comparison. Whether on the ground or in the air, your entire repertoire of attacks, parries, projectiles, and magic spells make for a good time when fighting the varied hordes of enemies you face during your adventure. Short though the move list may be, attacks can be chained into one another in a surprising number of ways, resulting in impressive looking dances of death that feel satisfying every time you pull them off. He seems to dodge, leap, hack, and slash at a thought, making combat feel fluid the moment you jump in. This is due just as much to his silky smooth animations as it is to the sheer responsiveness of the controls. You'll only need to control him in action for a few seconds before feeling connected to him. His tattered sedge hat and shimmering runed blade Ahrah make for an unmistakable silhouette.
We often underestimate the importance of a visually appealing main character, but Dust makes sure we don’t this time. Their outlines are basic, but their exaggerated features and well-designed costumes make each of them stand out, none more so than the titular main character, Dust. The cast is populated by a variety of talking animals, strongly reminiscent of the Don Bluth animated films of the ‘90s. And as memorable as the locales are, the characters that inhabit them are even more so. Dynamic weather effects and subtle use of ambient lighting provide a strong sense of mood in each new environment you visit. Each pops to life with a painterly beauty rarely seen in modern gaming. Your journey begins in a magical glade, and brings you through dimly lit ice caverns, long-dead forests, snowcapped mountain ranges, and more. The first thing you're likely to notice when you start the game up is how it looks.
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