This Kingdom Hearts-Inspired Platformer Is Out Now On Xbox, And Reviews Are Looking Great

In a recent indie game feature, we highlighted a bunch of August titles we fully expected to fly under your radar, one of which was called Duskfade.

It’s an action platformer that harkens back to the early 2000s, drawing comparisons to PS2-era classics like Kingdom Hearts and Jak and Daxter.

The game is described as a “coming-of-age journey” shaped into a vibrant 3D platformer, that follows protagonist Zirian as he takes up an inspired clockwork sword when the world is plunged into an eternal night. Here’s what developer Weird Beluga has to say about its game:

Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers. Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night.

As the final word on Duskfade starts trickling in, the game currently sits at a 78 on Metacritic. When you compare that to the original Kingdom Hearts’ 85, that’s actually pretty good going for a game so heavily rooted in its inspiration. We’ve had our eye on this one for some time now, so we’re glad to see it reviewing well out the gate.

Here’s what the critics have to say about Duskfade:

Gamer Social Club (9/10)

“Duskfade isn’t simply a love letter to the action platformers of the ’90s and early ’00s; it’s an ode to them, bringing their influences together so effortlessly that the result feels like something you’ve played before and something new and exciting at the same time.”

Insider Gaming (9/10)

“Duskfade is an impressive indie platformer that pays homage to the genre’s classics with precise controls, varied mechanics, and a surprisingly mature narrative. Despite these strengths, the experience is hindered by combat that lacks more weapon types and the tedious backtracking that will frustrate anyone aiming to collect every item.”

Noisy Pixel (8/10)

“Duskfade is an imaginative 3D platforming adventure with a strange, memorable world and satisfying exploration. Its lengthy pacing, shallow progression, and underwhelming rewards hold it back, but strong platforming and a surprising amount of heart make the journey worthwhile.”

CGMagazine (8/10)

“Duskfade feels like a throwback to action platformers from the PS2 era, and while it stumbles in some areas, it’s a lot of fun.”

DayOne (7/10)

“It is a dated and beautiful game, for worse, and often for better. Can I recommend it to a player without a strong cultural memory of games of the era this was inspired by? That’s a tough one. But for anyone who remembers Jak, Ratchet, iNinja, Sphinx and Tak among others, with Duskfade, Weird Beluga have bottled that nostalgia, warts and all, and it’s not overused or repeated. In short – they don’t make them like this anymore.”

But Why Tho? (7/10)

“For a game about time and its march forward, Duskfade looks backward often. It’s impossible not to for a game like this. But even though the Weird Beluga team shows a strong understanding of why these PS2 era games are so beloved, they haven’t done much iteration upon it.”

So, what do you think? Is Duskfade officially on your radar now? If you fancy picking it up for yourself, it’ll cost you £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, and is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere support too.

Will you be playing Duskfade? Let us know in the poll below, as well as sharing your thoughts with us in the comments section below.