Dusty Revenge:Co-Op Edition

Developer: PD Design Studio | Publisher: PD Design Studio | Release Date: 2014 | Genre: Action / Indie / Side Scrolling Beat ‘Em Up | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

When Dusty returns home to find his house in flames and his wife Daisy murdered, he immediately seeks revenge. Teaming up with an artillery expert named Rondel and a sharpshooter called McCoy, Dusty sets out to track down whoever is responsible for wronging him. It is also probably worth mentioning that Dusty is a bunny, Rondel a bear and McCoy a hound.

Dusty might be a lagomorph, but don’t let his fluffy appearance and long ears fool you. He is armed to the teeth and not afraid to resort to violence. Dusty Revenge is a side scrolling beat ’em up which throws all manner of anthropomorphic foes at you across ten hand drawn environments. There are some light platforming sprinkled in as well, but levels are fairly linear and the focus is firmly on the combat.

The most striking thing about the game is the visuals. The hand drawn backgrounds look amazing and are packed with detail. The game has a sort of Wild West steam punk flavor that gives it a unique flair. Enemies consist of moles, rats, hippos, cats, frogs, weasels and more, each with their own distinctive look and attack patterns. Some of the enemies like the hippo are huge and there are some pretty large bosses as well.

Dusty can use his fists for a light attack of whip out a giant scythe for slower but heavier attacks. He also packs a pair of pistols for long range attacks and a shotgun for armored foes. The pistols are rather weak, but have a good range while the shotgun is handy for blowing enemies off ledges. When the going gets tough Dusty can call in Rondel or McCoy to provide support. When you activate an ally, Dusty blocks while you take control of the support character. Rondel is armed with a mortar that can be aimed at groups of enemies or obstacles while McCoy has a sniper rifle which provides you with crosshairs for precision shooting. Your allies are not available at all times, and you have to recharge the support bar to make use of them, but they are a pretty nifty addition to the game.

The way Dusty fights immediately reminded us of Devil May Cry and the combat looks pretty spectacular. Beating up enemies provides you with experience, and you automatically unlock new moves when your character levels up. You can get pretty far just by mashing buttons, but taking the time to learn the combos will make you a more effective fighter. Besides fighting, Dusty can perform the standard jumps and double-jumps you would expect as well as use his freakishly long ears to float. A handy roll allows you to evade attacks or dodge some of the environmental hazards. The controls felt pretty solid, but definitely work better with a controller. There are some nice cut-scenes between levels that flesh out the story and the voice acting for these are pretty solid. With his raspy voice, Dusty definitely sounds like the type of rabbit that you would not want to mess with.

As the levels are fairly linear, there isn’t much scope for exploration. You can’t really backtrack although there are some secrets hidden throughout the levels. Rondel can be used to blow up floors that might reveal unlockable artwork or treasure chests used to upgrade your health, support or special meters. At the end of each level you are rated on the time it took you to complete the stage as well as how many secrets and treasure chests you found. The game felt a bit longer than what is average for the genre, and upon completion a boss rush mode is unlocked.

As the name implies, Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition adds a second playable character, Kitsune, to the mix. You can team up with another player to take on the game or choose between Dusty and Kitsune when playing solo. Unfortunately, the co-op mode is local only so if your friends are further away than your coach you are out of luck.

Upon initial release, there were some performance issues with the game, but the version used for the review ran without a hitch. We didn’t’ encounter any crashes or errors and managed to complete the game with no problems. About the only issue worth mentioning is the loading times which felt a bit longer than expected. The game has selectable difficulty settings so anyone should be able to make it to the end. The unlockable artwork and costumes also provide some incentive for replaying levels. The boss rush mode, which pits you against all the bosses in the game in succession, also provides a stiff challenge.

If you can live with the fact that there is no online mode, Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition is a colorful and very entertaining title. The 2D visuals are very detailed and the whole look of the game is quite imaginative. A pair of controllers and a co-op partner is recommended if you want to get the most out of the game, but even solo players will enjoy what is on offer.

* This review is based on Dusty Revenge: Co-Op Edition Release version 2.0.3741