History VideoGame / Dusk

On December 11th, 2023, the free ''DUSK HD'' update was released for all platforms in celebration of the game's 5th anniversary. Much in the same vein as the ''Franchise/{{Quake}}'' series remasters by Creator/NightdiveStudios, ''DUSK HD'' completely overhauls the game's visuals; weapons, items, enemies and even level geometry have received high-definition textures and updated models with increased polycounts, all of which can be optionally toggled for those who prefer the classic look. The update also includes a new weapon named "The Claw of the Flesh", which can be found in certain secret areas in the campaign.

* MisidentifiedWeapons: The Assault Rifle is based on an M60 machine gun and should actually be called "Machine Gun" instead. As in ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', this was probably done to make the lack of reloading less conspicuous by using a belt-fed weapon instead of a true magazine-fed assault rifle. [[https://twitter.com/DUSKdev/status/1282803626612858880 One of the devs later claimed]] that in the ''DUSK'' universe belt-fed weapons are called assault rifles (and also magazines are called clips) to cover this mistake.

* Invoked with the "Completionist" award, granted by killing all enemies and finding every secret in a level.
* From the level select screen, each level icon will possess a different color based on how many of the four awards - Pacifist, Untouchable, Low-Tech & Completionist - are earned in a given level; no awards grants a rusty icon, progressing through bronze, silver, gold and finally a glowing red for earning all awards.

* BigNo: PlayedForLaughs when you [[spoiler:flush yourself into the Ratacombs secret level]]. Considering that the level is filled to the brims with rats, an enemy that is often hard to fight against due to their small hitboxes, it borders on FauxHorrific.

* BigNo: PlayedForLaughs when you [[spoiler:flush yourself into the Ratacombs secret level]].

The game was released from Early Access on December 10, 2018, with the third and final episode. It can be found on Steam [[http://store.steampowered.com/app/519860/DUSK/ here.]] Compare with ''Videogame/AmidEvil'', another retro-inspired shooter by the same publisher, more in the vein of ''Videogame/{{Hexen}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''.

On October 28, 2021, the game received a digital UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch port, and Switch owners who pre-ordered the game receive ''DUSK '82'' for free. Physical Switch copies of the game will be released in 2022, which include a download code for ''DUSK '82'' and a full-color manual. They can be found [[https://newblood.games/duskonswitch here]].

On December 11th, 2023, the free ''DUSK HD'' update was released in celebration of the game's 5th anniversary. Much in the same vein as the ''Franchise/{{Quake}}'' series remasters by Creator/NightdiveStudios, ''DUSK HD'' completely overhauls the game's visuals; weapons, items, enemies and even level geometry have received high-definition textures and updated models with increased polycounts, all of which can be optionally toggled for those who prefer the classic look. The update also includes a new weapon named "The Claw of the Flesh", which can be found in certain secret areas in the campaign.

*** The multiplayer component of the game is named ''Duskworld'', echoing ''VideoGame/Quake1''[='=]s enhanced-netcode ''Quakeworld'' port.

* HundredPercentCompletion: The color of the level icons shows how many challenges you've completed in a said level. These include "Completionist" that includes killing every enemy and finding every secret in the level.

** The sole secret of "The Dweller in Darkness" allows the player to skip the entire gauntlet of enemies ahead of them if they decide to go any further instead of heading back (although there's graffiti that calls it "[[EasyModeMockery the coward's way out]]"). Said secret also has a Crystal of Madness, which can ''significantly'' lighten your load due to causing any enemies in the vicinity of its mist after being broken to [[SetAMookToKillAMook start infighting]].

** The game, with the exception of explosions, will not count [[SetAMookToKillAMook enemy infighting]] as the player killing enemies, which makes {{Pacifist Run}}s a bit easier.

** The Climbing Thing power-up will respawn once it runs out; preventing secrets and even mandatory progression that relies on it from being missable or UnintentionallyUnwinnable retrospectively.

* AttackReflector: Sickles can deflect fireballs back at enemies, if times correctly.
* AttackSpeedBuff: Fast Fire Totems greatly increase player's fire rate. Picking up multiple ones will further amplify the effect.
* AwesomeButImpractical: Soap. It deals 1,000,000 damage to anything that it's thrown at, more than enough to OneHitKill anything in the game, including the bosses. Its insane damage is balanced by the fact that throwing it, picking it up, and throwing it again is very impractical when fighting a large group of fast moving enemies, some of which actively zig zag to avoid your shots. It doesn't help that the soap is tiny and requires a high degree of precision to pick up while moving.
** DUSK HD adds [[spoiler:the Dark Claw]] to the roster, which can shred most enemies to pieces in a matter of seconds. [[spoiler:The downside is that instead of conventional ammo it uses Moral and, once that has run dry, the players health points.]]

* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: [[spoiler:When Jakob is mortally wounded by Dusk Dude, a group of cult acolytes surround him and attack, accusing him of being "unworthy". While you can finish off Jakob yourself, letting the cultists kill him for you is necessary for a PacifistRun.]]
* BagOfSpilling: In the classic form, where each new chapter takes away all the weapons the Dusk Dude accumulated across the previous one, leaving him only with the starting sickles. Starting the game in Intruder Mode takes it up to eleven and has the Dusk Dude lose his weapons between each individual ''level'', in the vein of pistol starts for classic ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.

** The Horrors in Ep. 3 look like they came from a sleep terror episode. [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuHBrdLXQAEgUb8.jpg See for yourself]].

* NoDamageRun: Managing it for a level gets you the "Untouchable" achievement for it.

* PacifistRun: You can actually make it through many levels without killing any enemies, which the results screen will note.

* RocketJump: Riveter's explosive ammo can be used to gain extra height at the price of health.

** The cultist mages' chant references ''DUSK''[='=]s video game inspirations, including ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''.
** A few levels have computers with gameplay footage. Pressing the use key on them will display the message "[[VideoGame/DukeNukem3D Don't have time to play with myself"]].
** Another ''Duke 3D'' reference is with the QuickMelee button, which when hit will print the message "Mighty sickles engaged", much like when using the quick-melee button in ''Duke 3D''.

** The Red Syringe powerup incurs the same BulletTime effects as ''VideoGame/{{Superhot}}'', wherein the effect only works when you're not moving - the pickup message is even "Time only moves when you move", one of the game's mottos. To further cement the reference, the item is referred to as the "Serum of Blistering Heat".

** The Crossbow is identical (in form, but not in function) to the Ethereal Crossbow from ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''.
** One of the enemies introduced in Episode 2 is the Cowgirl, an emaciated female cyborg with a rocket-launching Riveter for a right arm, [[VideoGame/QuakeII just like a certain Strogg]].
** One area in [=E1M3=] is a one-by-one recreation of a similar area in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'''s [=E1M2=], where imps fire on you from above, and then to proceed you need to press a switch that opens up two doors to the side.
** One secret area in [=E1M4=] ends with a wall dropping along a ScareChord to reveal [[spoiler:the [[VideoGame/CommanderKeen Dopefish]]. Hitting the Use key on it prints the message "Dopefish Lives!"]].
** The multiplayer component of the game is titled ''Duskworld'', echoing ''Quake''[='=]s enhanced-netcode offshoot ''Quakeworld''.
** Weapon pickups [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal are alliterative]] and there are jump pads, traps, and coins to collect, all in the same vein as ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad''.
** The Mortar works identically to the Grenade Launcher in VideoGame/{{Quake}} 1 and 2, albeit with the ability to manually detonate your grenades with secondary fire. The Hunting Rifle acts like a less-flashy version of a Railgun as well, with a slow-firing, but heavily piercing shot that can multi-kill.
** The first episode ends with you fighting [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} two demon minibosses]] one after the other - aside from being sequential, it's similar to how Doom's first episode ended.
*** There's also the two "Duke Brothers" in [=E1M7=], which somewhat mirror the first encounter with Barons of Hell, being larger and stronger varieties of the common Wizard and, later, paving the way for stronger Grand Wizards.
** The GasMaskMooks in camo are dressed similarly to the HECU grunts of ''VideoGame/HalfLife1''. In addition, the physics puzzles hearken to [[VideoGame/HalfLife2 its sequel]]. The Escher labs interior resembles some sections of the Black Mesa Research Facility from the first ''Half-Life'', there's even a PA system that sounds similar to VOX.
*** In addition, the scientist enemies from this episode are dressed similarly to the ''Half Life'' science team, down to the trademark ridiculous ties.
** According to the devs, the goat demon is called [[Film/TheWitch Black Phillip.]]

** The max [=FoV=] option is called "[[Creator/TheCynicalBrit Cynical]]".
** The BigNo heard when [[spoiler:entering the secret level in episode 3]] is borrowed from ''VideoGame/AmidEvil'', where it plays when falling in a BottomlessPit.

* SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom: A few levels in Episode 2 feature deadly crushers on tight corridors.
* SmokingIsCool: You can equip a cigar that regenerates a single point of health per use. It also has the bonus of having an insanely high zoom.

** DUSK HD adds the Dark Claw to the roster, which can shred most enemies to pieces in a matter of seconds. The downside is that instead of conventional ammo it uses Moral and, once that has run dry, the players health points.

* DaylightHorror: The midpoint of the first episode and the beginning of the second episode.

* BubblegloopSwamp: [[spoiler:[=E1MS=] (That is, the secret level in the first episode), the Dim Slough, takes place in a swamp being polluted by a nearby factory of sorts. And filled with mad cultists.]]

* LethalLavaLand: [[spoiler:[=E2MS=] (The secret level in Episode 2), The Foundry, is the game's strongest candidate, featuring no small amount of the stuff. Unless you have a Thermal Suit, falling in there will kill you in seconds, even if you are at full health.]]

* LevelOfTediousEnemies: [[spoiler:[=E3MS=], the Ratacombs, fittingly]] contains no other enemies except rats [[spoiler:and one giant rat as a boss.]]

See also ''VideoGame/FaithTheUnholyTrinity'', which takes place in the same universe.

** Hidden somewhere in [=E2M9=] is a drawing of the "Wife of Intoxigator". This is a drawing that was sent to the devs by a 6th grader, and they liked it so much they hid it in the game as an achievement. [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pcgamer.com/amp/this-mysterious-concept-art-for-a-dusk-boss-monster-was-drawn-by-a-sixth-grader/ You can read more about the story here]].

* GenreThrowback: To first-person shooters of TheNineties. The fake MS-DOS startup screen even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this by claiming the game is loading from a folder labelled "dmclns" ("''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' clones", what people used to call FPS games [[FromClonesToGenre before about 1998]]).

* SkippableBoss: The player has the option to bypass almost every boss fight in the game through tactics such as waiting for a clear path to the exit or [[SetAMookToKillAMook having enemies in-fight]]. The only exceptions are [[spoiler:Jakob and Nyarlathotep]], the final two, where fighting them is mandatory to proceed.

* CouldntFindAPen: Throughout the game, essentially used as the only exposition for the game.

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Dusk Dude never needs to come up for air. This also comes with GunsFiringUnderwater. In Episode 3 you get into an extended gunfight with the Chomper.