As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls is gripping from start to finish and has a lot to say, becoming one of the few games where your choices actually can upend the story.

Due to its strong script and pitch-perfect performances, Interior Night's debut stands among the very best games of its kind.

As Dusk Falls is a cracking crime thriller and feels like the exact thing we should be seeing on a regular basis from Xbox Game Studios on Game Pass. Its 6-8 hour length feels just right for a game of this nature, and that also makes it feel right at home on Xbox's subscription service. Oh, and the fantastic storyline that never let us wriggle free of its grip? Yeah, that's not a bad reason to play it on Game Pass either.

A page-turner without pages.

“As Dusk Falls is an atypical narrative adventure game with a compelling story about family.”

We have a lot of gripes about As Dusk Falls, but we’ve still very much enjoyed our time with it. Its story will keep you hooked from start to finish, but some of its narrative gaps will leave you with questions. Should that keep you from playing? No – ultimately, this is a very well-executed narrative drama complete with excellent voice acting and a unique art style. Yes, it could have been better in many ways, but it’s still worthy of your time.

As Dusk Falls is a mixed bag. I really admire it for trying to tackle difficult subject matter head-on, and in fleeting moments it does this excellently. It has a fantastic voice cast that help bring the characters to life, but then it undoes all of its work with clichéd narrative beats and awkward, unrealistic moment-to-moment action. I'd gone in hoping for a groundbreaking style of narrative-driven experience, one that operated on a sprawling web of branching paths over the course of thirty years of events, and was left underwhelmed by a fairly by-the-numbers entry in the genre that only dip...

An interactive movie that tells a memorable story of human choices.

As Dusk Falls is an interactive drama that places you at the centre of an incredibly tense robbery gone wrong. Aside from some rare wooden dialogue, it's a touching tale of loss, betrayal, fear, and love that I hoped wouldn't end.

As Dusk Falls has the bones of a really great interactive narrative, especially when it comes to being able to review your web of decisions. Sadly, the bland writing, uninspired performances, and lack of any meaningful payoff keep it from reaching the heights of the classics it was inspired by. As Dusk Falls is available for $29.99 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S and is available via Game Pass.

A tense and dramatic interactive movie with superbly realised characters, a breathless plot, and a still-frame animation style that’s likely to prove extremely divisive.

As Dusk Falls has a strong start and players will find the game hard to put down for the first two chapters, like a great binge-worthy TV show. Unfortunately, its pacing issues become apparent by the end of Book 1, and it never recovers in Book 2. Those wanting to check it out for themselves should note that As Dusk Falls is a day one Xbox Game Pass game, and so anyone still curious can try it out without making a financial commitment beyond what they already pay for their subscription.