Even with all the narrative-driven adventures out there, something about As Dusk Falls immediately caught my attention. Maybe it was the instantly eye-catching art design? Alright, sure, that was almost definitely what did the trick, but after watching the trailer I could tell that there was something more to the game than just a creative visual design. I got the sense that there was something of depth and substance to be found within its visual novel styled approach to storytelling. Now that it’s finally come around to the PS5, I was able to finally see what As Dusk Falls had to offer.

As Dusk Falls follows two different families whose lives become entangled in an instance of unfortunate happenstance. One family is forced to stay the night at a motel after their car is damaged while driving cross-country, while the other family seeks shelter at that same motel after a robbery-gone-wrong. Morality and motives aren’t always black and white, but one thing is certain: neither of these families will ever be the same.

As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama, but unlike so many others in this category, such as The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story or Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, it’s actually an interactive drama. There are dialogue choices and action decisions to be made frequently. This is one of my favorite aspects of As Dusk Falls. Instead of sitting around watching long cutscenes play out, with the player only being able to make an input at a few key moments, the game constantly demands your attention by making you feel like you’re truly a part of it. You’ll be asked to give your responses during conversations, which can lead to wildly different dialogue between characters later on, or even greatly affect future outcomes of certain events. But that’s the beauty of it; it’s never clear which of these moments will have the biggest affect on the game.

Not only that, but you’ll often have to make decisions on certain actions to take, such as hiding behind a desk or a behind a door. Depending on what you choose, the outcomes of that scene will vary, sometimes in minor ways, but in other instances, the change can be quite dramatic. You’ll also have to perform a QTE for each action section, and whether or not you succeed at these will also have a huge impact on how the rest of the encounter plays out. There’s hardly any idle time in As Dusk Falls, which for an interactive narrative adventure, is one of the highest compliments I can give when it comes to gameplay.

As you can imagine, due to the huge variety of outcomes you can experience depending on the choices you make, As Dusk Falls has a ton of possible endings. Almost no characters are safe from death or serious injuries, much like The Dark Pictures Anthology games like The Devil in Me and Man of Medan. Knowing that any wrong decision or failing of certain QTEs can bring death to any number of the characters, raises the stakes for every encounter. There are options to go back and replay scenes at the end of every completed chapter, so you don’t necessarily have to replay the entire game from the beginning to witness every possible outcome. However, due to the immersive nature of the storytelling, I think it’s a disservice to the experience to try to piecemeal every option this way.

Another fun aspect of As Dusk Falls is its multiplayer function. With so many characters intermingling with each other, the multiplayer can actually be pretty fun. Up to four players can play on the same screen by connecting their controllers, but up to a total of eight can play if an additional four play use their smartphones. In this manner, each player will control the dialogue responses and actions of a specific character, further making the uncertainty of each situation’s outcome even more enthralling.

As I mentioned earlier, As Dusk Falls is visually striking. It features hand-drawn images of still shots taken from a live action format. Because of this, As Dusk Falls truly looks like a realistic graphic novel. Each expression and every motion is easy to read, which further connects us with the game’s central characters.

There’s also a nice variety of locations, thanks to the numerous flashback sequences that provide more insight to the characters. Motion is shown through stilted images, but while some might complain that this makes the game look jerky, I think it fits more inline with graphic novel representations of movement.

The sound design in As Dusk Falls is wonderful. The sound effects and music have a lot of heavy lifting in a graphic novel styled game, and it greatly succeeds in both areas. Arguably more important are the vocal performances, of which there are several stellar examples here, such as Ryan Nolan, Oliver Britten, and Jane Perry, just to name a few. The pure, raw emotion behind their unfair situation rings clear throughout their performances, making your forget at times that these are fictional characters. I haven’t been this invested in ensuring everyone lives since getting the True Ending in Sea of Stars to see my favorite hero one last time.

Interactive narrative games might not be for everyone, but As Dusk Falls is still one that I’ll recommend to just about everyone. It keeps you constantly engaged, with high stakes and choices that actually matter, no matter how seemingly insignificant they might seem. This is one of the first interactive dramas that’s managed no not only hold my attention, but kept me so captivated that I finished my first playthrough in one sitting. Then I went back for more. If you’re on the fence about checking it out, I implore you to not let the curtain fall on As Dusk Falls.

 

Graphics: 9.5 Stunning visuals featuring detailed hand-drawn representations of live action scenes, giving it a realistic graphic novel art style.	Gameplay: 8.5 An interactive, narrative drama with plenty of QTEs and decisions to make at every turn. Player choices will unlock branching paths in the narrative, as does failing QTEs.
Sound: 9.0 Nearly all of the vocal performances are stellar and the soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the tone and energy of each scene.	Fun Factor: 9.0 A remarkable, compelling story that will have you hooked right from the start. Most of the decisions carry serious weight and can great affect the outcome of the story, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
Final Verdict: 9.0

As Dusk Falls is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of As Dusk Falls was provided by the publisher.