Dustforce Demo

Video games can be designed to be more complicated than they appear, especially when it comes to simple 2D platformers that look like they have been pulled from the NES era. Appearances can be deceiving, however, because no matter how simple a game may look, you can still spend more than thirty minutes trying to jump over a pit and coordinate your moves.

Dustforce is a clever platformer designed to provide you with a few long hours of entertainment, as well as quite the challenge when it comes to clearing the levels. You really need to put a lot of work into figuring out how the controls work exactly, otherwise you will never be able to time your actions and figure out how to continue past certain sections along the way.

The background story is not too intricate and it basically says that you are a janitor, with a special love for acrobatics and a passion for dusting. Using a broom, you must clear the levels of dust and fallen leaves, although they are definitely not the main concern. In fact, you can get through entire levels without touching the dust, although the gameplay mechanics sometimes force you do so in order to advance.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, everything is designed to be as fast and responsive as possible, in order to encourage speed runs and dynamic play styles. Running through the levels is recommended and rewarded, but no one stops you from stopping to admire the view every once in a while. However, every high score is saved in an online database, which means that there is constantly a list of all the best scores in the world displayed in the hall of fame, to encourage competition.

Visually, the two-dimensional environments look marvelous, because a lot of work went into designing them. Each location is unique and memorable, especially since you’ll definitely spend a lot of time looking at certain sections, as you try to advance further and further. A brilliant electronic soundtrack plays in the background at all times, which inspires you to give it your best shot every time.

Thanks to the intricate levels and multiple ways to finish them, Dustforce is a master of replayability and it should keep its place on your computer for a pretty long time. Moreover, an additional content pack was released a while ago, which provides you with more levels to enjoy and plenty of other goodies.