Duskfade Review - A Return to 3D Platforming - Nintendo Switch 2
Weird Beluga looks to the golden age of 3D platformers and Kingdom Hearts for a nostalgic, immediate, and fun adventure, blending magic and gears.
Duskfade is a 3D action platformer developed by Weird Beluga and published by Fireshine Games, released on Nintendo Switch 2 alongside PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S versions. The project openly looks to the golden age of 3D platformers, adopting their structure, rhythm, and philosophy.
The first thing that strikes you is its strong nostalgic soul. The gameplay immediately recalls more famous productions from the past, Kingdom Hearts being one of them, especially in how it blends exploration, platforming, and combat.
Duskfade doesn't hide these influences but tries to transform them into a personal adventure, built around an interesting aesthetic of magic, gears, and mechanisms.
Gallery
Zirian, Cuckoo, and the Search for the Missing Sister
We play as Zirian, a young apprentice accompanied by his small mechanical companion Cuckoo. When a mysterious Clock Tower plunges the world into eternal night, Zirian sets out to find his missing sister.
The narrative alternates between lighthearted moments and more melancholic atmospheres, also addressing themes related to loss and time. It's not a story destined to revolutionize the genre, but it manages to give the journey sufficient motivation to proceed without revealing too much of what awaits the player.
Platforming, Combat, and the Kingdom Hearts Comparison
The gameplay is the true beating heart of the experience, as Duskfade combines jumps, dashes, climbs, combat, exploration, and special abilities, creating a structure that is simple to understand but enjoyable to master.
The comparison with Kingdom Hearts often returns, especially for the combat and some design choices. The system works, although it doesn't reach particularly deep levels and can be less convincing in phases against common enemies. The platforming, however, offers the most fun situations, especially when the game begins to combine movement, precision, and exploration.
It is this immediacy that makes Duskfade enjoyable, because it doesn't want to unnecessarily complicate the formula, but aims directly at fun.
Clockpunk Aesthetics and Performance on Switch 2
On Switch 2, Duskfade offers a pleasant visual compartment, supported by a colorful art direction and a world characterized by "clockpunk" aesthetics. Technically, we are not facing a title capable of shouting a miracle, but the result remains absolutely good and consistent with the type of experience offered. The audio compartment also accompanies the adventure well without becoming one of the truly memorable elements of the production. Some technical imperfections and camera uncertainties are noticeable, but they do not compromise the overall experience.
Score
Editorial team
Duskfade Review - A Return to 3D Platforming - Nintendo Switch 2
Duskfade is not a revolutionary game and doesn't pretend to be. Its originality is certainly not its strong suit, nor does its technical department reach particular heights, yet it works.
It's fun, immediate, colorful, and above all, it manages to revive a formula that is no longer offered with the same frequency today. Amidst the enormous quantity of productions flooding the market, Duskfade manages to find its own space, appealing especially to those who still feel the charm of great 3D action platformers.
It won't change the rules of the genre, but it reminds us how enjoyable it can be to simply jump, explore, fight, and let yourself be carried away by a good adventure.
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