Never thought that I'd be even more surprised, but full release blew me away.

A DOOM CLONE?

Ah, it's somewhat refreshing to read in 2019, but while this game is a perfect example of how to make a homage to A LOT of rad games, the amount of soul and character within DUSK is enough to make it stand alongside these legendary games, such as DOOM, Quake, Blood, Half-Life and even a little bit of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Taking inspirations from all over, DUSK manages to still stay DUSK, and that is what a lot of these "classic" imitating games lack.

HUP, HUP, HUP, HUP, HUP, HUP

The first thing that just was thrown at me is the sheer feeling of freedom. Even in a small, cluttered room, locked with enemies, only wielding sickles I felt like a powerhouse. The movement in this game is something special, and the ease of getting around adds to the fun factor.
While easy to perform, at times, flying around at Mach 9 speed, maintaining accuracy and dodging enemy fire from all around gets you into some combat trance. The adrenalin kicks in, and I felt like a totally unstoppable killing machine, blasting faces off with a super shotty, swapping to a mortar to then go on a jumppad and rain death on everything below while also doing a cool flip.

TOOLS OF TRADE

And how can you talk about 90s era shooters while not mentioning the arsenal. Yes, it might seem a little bland, with things being closer to "real life". Pistols, Shotguns, Machineguns, Hunting rifles and so on. While it sounds meh on paper, boy oh boy it's a different story in actuality.
Every weapon has its purpose. Falling back to pistols to save some ammo for what might be a deadly encounter, maintaining movement and precision with dual shotguns, blasting eldritch horrors up close and personal with SSG, controlling the crowd with a trusty Machinegun (also tap firing small targets at long range) and making important shots with Hunting Rifle to create a breathing space for you to maneuver within.

KILL THE INTRUDER

The atmosphere of dread, horror, dark magic, abandoned machinery and mystery. This game has it all. DUSK is not just dripping; it is soaked in atmospheric stuff. Every level feels like it was handcrafted to be something more than a couple of monster closets. The feeling of decaying city, falling deeper into some dark horrors is what keeps you on your toes. The sound design here is just...wow. I can't praise it enough, along with music, which I'll touch on in a minute, but the atmosphere is something that is very, VERY important. Just look at S.T.A.L.K.E.R., while janky, all the things there feel organic, immersing the player into the world of strange mutants, wondrous artefacts, greed, banditry and survival.
So having a top notch gameplay loop AND having the atmosphere that can make you empty your bowels in a moment’s notice is just magical, truly.

EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

The soundtrack. I actually can't even describe how I feel about all of the soundtrack in this game. It's just something else. While a controversial opinion, I hated DOOM 2016 soundtrack. All the work that has gone into making music match the scenery? Cool idea, but at times it really took away from action there, aside from like BFG Division and Rip & Tear, but that's on me.
Here though, I just can't. Every sound was made with purpose. Every song matching the atmosphere to such a degree, that I'd say that this game is as much of a horror as it is an adrenalin fueled shooter. Andrew's work here kept me captivated till the end, and games with memorable soundtracks are a rarity these days. Much love for that.

YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE
I'll be brief - level design here is boss. Going from a scary countryside, to a rusted blood painted metal facilities, to otherworldly realms that defy any logical sense. It's a blast to get through, and having everything filled with secrets to the brim makes it a joy to explore stuff.

YOU. ARE. WORTHY

If you are into fast paced shooters, if you are into atmospheric horror games with subtle storytelling, if you are into well-crafted all around experience that leaves you wanting for more - go for it. It's a steal for a price like that. Also, buy soundtrack. And buy soundtrack for your friends. And make sure they buy it for their friends as well. This game will forever stay in my head as THE best shooter I've ever played and probably will ever play.

Also Big John is still best husbando
Also this is a re-review since my old one was pretty simple and I felt the need to make this one from scratch.