Line #68 VideoGame/Dusk


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/header_28.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Welcome to Dusk. Population: [[NumberOfTheBeast x6x66]] and [[OneManArmy slowly decreasing]].]]
3
4	->''SOMETHING BELOW IS CALLING US''
5
6	''DUSK'' is a retro-inspired first-person shooter developed by David Szymanski and published by Creator/NewBloodInteractive, taking direct inspiration from the likes of ''{{Videogame/Doom}}'', ''{{Videogame/Quake}}'', and ''{{VideoGame/Blood}}'', though more on the ''Quake'' and ''Blood'' end of things.
7
8	The plot [[ExcusePlot (what little there is)]] is essentially thus: your FirstPersonGhost player character, a guy nicknamed as the "Dusk Dude", is a treasure hunter by trade. After learning of a "[[SchmuckBait hidden treasure]]" hidden below the quaint, small town of [[TitleDrop Dusk]], he sets out to see what he can find — only to be knocked out and hung up on meat-hooks by the [[HillbillyHorrors insane hillbillies]] that currently reside in the town. After wrenching himself free and fending off his attackers, Dusk Dude slowly learns of a more serious threat — something from [[EldritchAbomination beyond the pale of our reality]] has touched the redneck residents of Dusk, and it is driving them to do horrible things to each other. Armed with an arsenal of old-fashioned guns and magical weapons, a running speed that would put an Olympic runner to shame, and a whole lotta moxie, Dusk Dude sets out to stop the cultists the only way he knows how: with the business end of a shotgun.
9
10	The gameplay is primarily the standard '90s shooter-fare: incredibly fast movement and a wide variety of dangerous guns. What sets the game apart are two features. Much like ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', the game hinges quite a lot on the horror side of things, to the point of actually being somewhat scary. That being said, it still adheres to RuleOfCool, meaning that there are a ton of small little things to discover that you can do such as being able to flip while in the air, with BlackComedy seeping through every crack of the game.
11
12	The game was released from Early Access on December 10, 2018, with the third and final episode. It can be purchased on Platform/{{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/{{Heretic}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}''.
13
14	On October 28th, 2021, the game received a digital Platform/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]].
15
16	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 ''VideoGame/{{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.
17
18	See also ''VideoGame/FaithTheUnholyTrinity'' another game made by Creator/NewBloodInteractive, [[spoiler:and also takes place in the same universe as revealed in Chapter III]].
19
20	No relation to the [[VideoGame/DUSK12 similarly-named Russian FPS]].
21	----
22	!!Press any key to enter the Tropes:
23	* HundredPercentCompletion:
24	** Invoked with the "Completionist" award, granted by killing all enemies and finding every secret in a level.
25	** 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.
26	* AbandonedMine: The Cutty Mines, filled with cultists. [[spoiler:Also filled with the first jump-scares of the game.]]
27	* AdaptationExpansion: While the graphic novel covers only the first two episodes in [[CompressedAdaptation 24 pages]], it features more dialogue from the cult leader, much of it [[CallForward alluding to his final fate]] within the game.
28	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Picking up weapons shows messages on screen with alliterative verbs and subjects (ex. "Snagged a Shotgun" and "Hunted up a Hunting Rifle") similar to ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad''.
29	* AKA47: The weapons bear more of a resemblance to real ones than the game's primary influence, but in the grand classic-FPS tradition they're referred to by generic monikers such as "Shotgun" (a Winchester 1887), "Assault Rifle" (an M60), etc.; the only ones with more specific names are entirely fictional, e.g. the "Riveter" (rocket launcher stand-in).
30	* TheAhnold: Big John, a boss in Episode 2.
31	* AlienGeometries: In full effect in [=E2M5=], The [[Creator/MCEscher Escher]] Labs. And pretty much the entire second half of Episode 3.
32	* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: [=E3M8=], As Above, So Below. The level is a mix of parts of previous levels in the game, warped and twisted to fit the EldritchLocation theme of Episode 3. This extends even to the soundtrack of the map, which is a remix of the music of previous levels.
33	* AmbiguousTimePeriod: Due to prominently taking place in backwoods and military complexes in Dusk, it's hard to place what time the game takes place, but the occasional personal computers that appear suggest that it takes place at least in the late 1980s to 1990s. The achievements support that the story takes place in the 1900s, but conspicuously scrawls off the last two digits of the year, keeping the trope in effect.
34	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler:The protagonist ends up unwillingly becoming Nyarlathotep's new [[TheDragon right-hand man]] at the very end of the game.]]
35	-->[[spoiler:'''Nyarlathotep:''' Who you were before is insignificant. Who you are now is ''inconceivable''.]]
36	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
37	** 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 the "[[EasyModeMockery 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]].
38	** As mentioned below, DUSKMARE is a one-hit kill mode, but self-damage from splash-damage weapons like the mortar will only do normal damage. This means you don't need to worry about gibbing yourself while frantically dodging everything else trying to kill you.
39	** With exception to explosions, the game will not count [[SetAMookToKillAMook enemy infighting]] as the player killing enemies, which makes earning the [[PacifistRun Pacifist]] award a bit easier.
40	** The Y-axis of your camera will be reset after landing a flip if it was beyond the bounds of how far you can look up or down while on the ground, helping to lessen disorientation.
41	** The Climbing Thing power-up will respawn once it runs out, preventing levels that rely on it for mandatory progression from being UnintentionallyUnwinnable.
42	* ApocalypseCult: The cultists are pretty much involved in this.
43	* AttackReflector: Both melee weapons can deflect projectiles back at enemies; well-timed strikes are necessary in order to deflect projectiles wirh the Sickles, while the Sword can them so long as the SecondaryFire button is held and the player has the morale to spare.
44	* AttackSpeedBuff: Fast Fire Totems double player's fire rate. Picking up multiple totems will further stack the effect.
45	* 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 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 strafe 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.
46	** DUSK HD adds [[https://youtu.be/kZ6dZL38f3Y the Claw of the Flesh]] to the arsenal, which can shred most enemies to pieces in a matter of seconds. The downside is that it consumes the player's morale and, once that has run dry, their health instead of traditional ammo.
47	* AxCrazy: Everyone in the town. If the bag headed, chainsaw-wielding Leathernecks who are your first encounter in the game aren't a tipoff, then perhaps the floating, fireball-chucking Wizards will be?
48	* BadassLongcoat: Dusk Dude sports one combined with a wide-brim hat in a style reminiscent of [[VideoGame/{{Blood}} Caleb]].
49	* BadassNormal: As far as the story is concerned, Dusk Dude is a normal human being and treasure hunter, albeit quite acrobatic thanks to his ability to flip mid-air and climb walls efficiently with the right power-up equipment. This doesn't stop him from carving a bloody path singlehandedly through armies of cultists, military and horrors alike.
50	* 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 to earn the "Pacifist" award.]]
51	* BagOfSpilling: In the classic form, where each new chapter takes away all the weapons Dusk Dude accumulated across the previous one, leaving him only with the starting sickles. Enabling 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}}''.
52	* BaitAndSwitch: A memorable set-piece in [=E1M3=] features this. You go to open up a red door… [[spoiler:and the [[JumpScare floor opens up right beneath you,]] sending you straight into a monster arena.]]
53	* BigNo: PlayedForLaughs when you [[spoiler:flush yourself into the Ratacombs secret level]]. Considering that the level is filled to the brim with rats, an enemy that is often hard to fight due to their small hitbox, it borders on FauxHorrific.
54	* BlackoutBasement: There's a few areas that are naturally very dark, and no less horror-filled than the rest of the game. [[spoiler: Also, your flashlight will break a couple of times in Episode 2 and 3, forcing you to make your way through nearly pitch-black areas until you can find a working replacement]].
55	* BloodMagic: [[spoiler:Nyarlathotep]] grants the cult the ability to create energy from mulched human meat.
56	* BodyHorror:
57	** The Experiments. [[https://dusk.gamepedia.com/The_Experiments "What did we create?" indeed]].
58	** Mama and her Cowgirl "daughters" [[https://dusk.gamepedia.com/Mama aren't any less body horrific either]].
59	** The Horrors in Episode 3 look like they came from a sleep terror episode. [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuHBrdLXQAEgUb8.jpg See for yourself]].
60	* BoozeBasedBuff: Drinking beer bottles raises morale by one point up to a max of 100, but drinking several in a row [[ImpairmentShot temporarily messes with the camera, making it much harder to aim]].
61	* BossOnlyLevel:
62	** [[spoiler:[=E2M10=], The Gauntlet, which only has one enemy: the Guardian, who protects the portal to The Nameless City]].
63	** [[spoiler:[=E3M10=], Dusk, only has two setpiece encounters -- Jakob the cult leader and Nyarlathotep. The only section besides their arenas is a quiet opening area where you can stock up on supplies.]]
64	* BubblegloopSwamp: [[spoiler:[[SecretLevel E1MS]], the Dim Slough, takes place in a swamp being polluted by a nearby factory of sorts. And filled with mad cultists.]]
65	* BulletTime:
66	** The [[VideoGame/{{Superhot}} Serum of Blistering Heat]] introduced in Episode 2 causes time to slow to a crawl when you are not moving.
67	** [[spoiler:The janky, but still workable [[Creator/JohnWoo nbwoohoo]] cheat which slows the game down by half.]]
68	* CanonWelding: [[spoiler:Late in Chapter III of ''VideoGame/FaithTheUnholyTrinity'', it's revealed that Faith and DUSK take place in the same universe: The two big bads of each game, Gary and Jakob, have a VillainousFriendship, with Jakob even giving Gary a pet Horror]].
69	* CerebusSyndrome: The first episode is a badass brawl against a town full of madmen, ending in your victory. The second episode takes place in military complexes in a much more intense fight for survival, and the locations get darker and darker over time, such as you descending into a massive [[spoiler:HumanResources harvesting plant called the Thresher]] that leaves you without a flashlight, surrounded by invisible enemies, and later [[spoiler:into the entranceway to an EldritchLocation called "The Nameless City"]].
70	* CharacterOverlap: Big John, from the ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'' remake, shows up as a boss in the second episode, reusing his voice clips from that game.
71	* CompressedAdaptation: The Graphic Novel covers the first two episodes, but cuts certain elements to fit the first two episodes into 24 pages, such as removing "Unseen" in favour of introducing the Wendigos in "The Infernal Machine", and ends at the Erebus Reactor.
72	* CoolSword: Found only in episode 3 and certain secret areas in episodes 1 and 2, and has a charged attack (available when your health is at 100 or above) that is pretty much a OneHitKO against any non-boss enemy. An update gave it the ability to [[AttackReflector reflect projectiles]] when you have 50 or more morale.
73	* CosmicHorrorStory: While it initially seems to start as a ReligiousHorror story, it slowly morphs into this trope around the midpoint of the second episode. [[spoiler:Ultimately, the protagonist fails to win, and ends up becoming Nyarlathotep's new right hand.]]
74	* CrateExpectations: This game features crates that can be picked up, thrown, and destroyed. Crates also contain various pickups.
75	* CreatorCameo: In [=E1M7=] (Dead of the Night), and again in [=E2M5=] (The Escher Labs), you come across a picture of a young man, interacting with it prompts the message "appears to be a cult leader". This is actually the yearbook photo of Dave Oshry, the founder and CEO of New Blood Interactive, the game's publisher. [[spoiler:The cult leader who speaks to you throughout the game does indeed have a face based on Dave's.]]
76	* CreepyBasement: You begin the first episode trapped in one. In fact, most of [=E1M1=] (Head Cheese) takes place in said basement.
77	* CouldntFindAPen: Throughout the game, essentially used as the only exposition for the game.
78	* DamageSpongeBoss: [[spoiler:The Guardian, the final boss of Episode 2, has ''17,000 hp''. To compare, the two Experiments fought at the end of Episode 1 have 6000 and 4000 hp. Luckily, the stage in which you fight him has a lot of Riveter rivets; you're gonna need them.]]
79	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Implied to be the case for Dusk Dude in [=E3M7=] "Homecoming"; Dusk Dude seems to remember the house if you decide to inspect it, and doesn't want to clarify if you look at pictures.
80	--> "It hurts to remember."
81	* DegradedBoss: A single Cowgirl is a boss in "The Facilities", but becomes a regular enemy one level after.
82	* DevelopersForesight: The crossbow can shoot through walls. Many of the boss encounters are prefaced with a large door you have to open yourself and unleash the boss from behind it. You might get the idea to... yes, the boss is not just spawned into the map, but is there all along, and you can damage it with the crossbow before you can even see the boss' health meter!
83	* DifficultButAwesome:
84	** Despite the sickles being generally weak, they can also deflect bullets, albeit with the drawback of the timing being fairly picky, not being as lenient as it is with the sword's deflective properties. If the player is able to consistently deflect bullets with the sickles, however, it allows them to save ammo and morale for the much more dangerous enemies.
85	** While the Crossbow is very good as a conventional weapon, it also is a ''very'' powerful speedrunning tool when used properly due to its ability to go through walls and trigger switches, which can allow players to [[SequenceBreaking skip]] ''chunks'' of levels, though with the obvious caveat of requiring knowing where the switches are in the level beforehand, which can be fairly picky, along with the low ammo count of the crossbow.
86	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Dusk Dude defeats Jakob, the leader of the cult, only to then face up against the true mastermind behind it all, Nyarlathotep himself, and right as the final blow seems to be struck, it turns out to be both unharmed and impressed, and decides to turn Dusk Dude into a superior replacement for the now-deceased Jakob.]]
87	* DualWielding: This is how Dusk Dude uses the Sickles.
88	* DugTooDeep: The cultists of Dusk dug too far into the earth, and as a result unearthed something not of this world. [[spoiler:It's later implied the military was responsible, or at the least were [[CuriosityIsACrapshoot influenced to dig]] by said cult.]] Several specific levels take you through the tunnels in question, such as "The Cutty Mine" ([=E1M7=]), the ruins in "The Unseen" ([=E2M2=]), and, well, "The Dig" ([=E2M9=]).
89	* EarlyBirdCameo: In "Through The Gate", a level in the first episode "The Foothills", the corpse of a Welder can be found, before they become a recurring enemy in "The Facilities", the second episode. A single scientist also shows up in the last level of the first episode before they become recurring threats in the second.
90	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The E3 Demo (which [[NonIndicativeName probably never made it to E3]]) has some different enemy designs (with the militia members being less blocky and looking more mercenary, and the Wizards being zombified soldiers who shoot green fireballs), flipping some of your weapons won't cause melee damage to enemies (something the Pre-Pre-Pre-Alpha also had in common), and it didn't have narration from the [[BigBad main villain]].
91	* EasterEgg:
92	** If you manage to get out of bounds in some levels, such as Ghost Town, you can come across a message telling you "You're not supposed to be here. Go away.". Ghost Town's was eventually turned into its own Achievement.
93	** 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.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]].
94	** In [=E1M2=], you can find Rachael's secret, while Lavender's secret is in [=E3M8=]. Rachael and Lavender are David Szymanski's wife and daughter, respectively.
95	* EldritchLocation: Many parts of Episode 2 (Escher Labs especially) and ''all'' of Episode 3.
96	* EldritchAbomination: [[spoiler:[[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]], the Crawling Chaos, is the main antagonist of the game.]]
97	* EternalEngine: [=E2M4=], The Infernal Machine, takes place in one [[spoiler:filled with the mulched flesh of the victims of the "Thresher" you got into in the previous level]].
98	* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Literally. Every NPC you encounter will try to kill you.
99	* EvilTowerOfOminousness: [[spoiler:[=E2M8=], Blood and Bone, has a giant tower (surrounded by smaller red lit boxes, as well as obelisks) harvesting unknown energy from an unknown area. It's implied that this energy is used to power the Crossbow bolts as well as the teleporter to the Nameless City.]]
100	* ExplodingBarrels: Red barrels create a damaging explosion when shot at.
101	* {{Fireballs}}: Cultists tend to shoot balls of fire.
102	* FirstPersonGhost: Dusk Dude has no visible features in the first-person view and the held weapons appear to be floating, with no hands to hold them up.
103	* FleshGolem: [[spoiler:The Guardian, the final boss of Episode 2, appears to be a walking pile of abstract gore adhered to some kind of bipedal skeleton.]]
104	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Blood and Bone has the "The Darkness is Spreading" on a wall, as well Crypt of the Flesh features, also on a wall, "The Chaos Crawls to me", and the penultimate level is named "The Dweller in Darkness", [[spoiler:alluding to various identities taken by Nyarlathotep, the main antagonist of the game]].
105	* FourIsDeath: Two of the creepiest levels are the fourth missions of their episodes: specifically "The [[EternalEngine Infernal Machine]] ([=E2M4=]) and the "[[MeatMoss Crypt of the Flesh]]" ([=E3M4=]). Averted with episode 1, where "The Steamworks" ([=E1M4=]) is merely SoOkayItsAverage compared to the other levels.
106	* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Dusk Dude is a treasure hunter, so picking up treasure increases his morale (the game's equivalent of armour).
107	* GasMaskMooks: The Possessed Soldiers, which replace the cultists as the main enemy you'll face in Episode 2.
108	* 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 before about 1998).
109	* TheGhost: The evil voice that mocks you throughout the game, but is never shown. [[spoiler:He turns out to be the leader of Nyarlathotep's cult.]]
110	* GhostTown: The town of Dusk. There are no regular people anymore, just monsters and possessed abominations. It's even the name of the level that takes place in it, [=E1M9=].
111	* GravityScrew: The main gimmick of [=E3M7=], "Homecoming".
112	* GunsAkimbo: Dusk Dude can use dual pistols and dual ''shotguns'' if he can find an extra one of each. Doing so doubles his rate of fire but takes a major hit to his accuracy.
113	* GunTwirling: The "R" key does this instead of reloading, taking various forms for different weapons, from the basic "twirl the gun by the trigger guard" for the pistol, basic shotgun and Riveter, to "flipping the gun on its axis" for stuff like the super shotgun, and in the case of the crossbow, even "spin the bolt itself in a circle over the bow". This also doubles as [[CherryTapping a weaker and shorter-ranged melee attack]] for some of the weapons. This 'attack' can stunlock certain enemies, too.
114	* HailfirePeaks: [=E3M2=], "Fire and Ice", which consists of lava-filled caverns underneath snowy ruins.
115	* HellishHorse: The Experiments are [[BodyHorror grotesque]] horse-like monsters.
116	* HellIsThatNoise: Is the Escher Labs, you get the red key from what appears to be a ship made of viscera and bone, populated by Wendigos and speeding through a [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace black, red-streaked void]]. The background noise is an unceasing combination of [[SensoryAbuse scream and gale-force wind]]. When you teleport back out, the cacophony instantly cuts out, replaced with the dim buzzing of the lab's fluorescent lights.
117	* HeroicMime: Played with. Dusk Dude does talk from time to time, but what he says just appears as text on the screen.
118	* HeroicWillpower: Dusk Dude doesn't collect traditional armour or the like, instead of gaining "Morale" from the treasure and loot of the former occupants of Dusk. So his [[MadeOfIron durability]] against gunshots, explosives, magic, claws, syringes, and potential brushes with death contraptions comes entirely from the satisfaction of pilfering riches. [[NintendoHard He needs it.]]
119	* HillbillyHorrors: Barring the final levels, the first episode is full of this trope. Isolated cabins, farms, [[spoiler:swamps]], abandoned sawmills, derelict mines...
120	* {{Hitscan}}: Zigzagged. Your firearm weapons hitscan, but the enemies' firearms don't, even when they use the same weapons you use.
121	* HopeSpot: Done twice, consecutively. [[spoiler:In the final level, the Dusk Dude kills Jakob and appears to have finally put an end to, or at least wounded, Dusk's cult, and seems to be allowed to exit until they're thrown into darkness as the true mastermind, Nyarlathotep, reveals himself. And then he fights Nyarlathotep, and when he has ''one'' hit point remaining, decides to [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie turn the Dusk Dude into his new second-in-command]], rubbing salt in the wound by saying he has many more forms, basically telling Dusk Dude that he had no chance of winning.]]
122	* HopelessBossFight: [[spoiler:Although it isn't obvious at first, Nyarlathotep is this. In an unusual example of this trope, he's also the final boss, which brings the inevitable DownerEnding.]]
123	* HumanResources: The portal to the Nameless City is powered by offering sacrifices of "blood and bone" to eldritch concrete altars found in the ruins below Dusk. Put the "thresher" (seen in [=E2M3=] and [=E2M4=]) and the lack of non-cultist inhabitants in Dusk together and the implications are clear.
124	* IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels: With a question mark next to each difficulty level that gives a description of what to expect.
125	** "Accessible": Intended for players of any skill level.
126	** "Go Easy": Easy difficulty. Slow enemies and projectiles with minimal damage.
127	** "I Can Take It": Medium difficulty. Recommended for a first playthrough.
128	** "[[GratuitousSpanish Cero Miedo]]" (Spanish for "Zero Fear"): Hard difficulty. Enemies are fast and deadly and armor is less effective. Recommended for twitch shooter veterans.
129	** "DUSKMARE": [[HarderThanhard For masochists only.]] Enemies are ruthless and their attacks [[OneHitPointWonder kill in one hit.]]
130	* IndustrializedEvil: It doesn't get more industrialized and more evil than building a giant machine to perform human sacrifice en masse.
131	* ImplacableMan: Dusk Dude himself basically transcends {{Determinator}} status, and just all out becomes this in spades. Getting impaled on meathooks, being shot with bullets, magic, and explosives a ''lot'', falling from absolutely comical heights with nothing but a broken flashlight, and the most any of it seems to be capable of doing is slowing him down slightly.
132	* InvisibleMonsters: The Wendigos, introduced in the second episode, start out completely invisible until you hit them once.
133	* KaizoTrap: Usually, defeating a boss lets you use a switch that opens the way forward. Except for the two [[spoiler:(the first Experiment and the Son of Intoxigator)]] that immediately start another boss fight.
134	* TheKlan: The cult takes several cues from the KKK. The members wear robes and pointed hoods, there's an elite mook called the "Grand Wizard", and there are two bosses named the "Duke Brothers" (possibly a reference to David Duke; a real-life Klan leader).
135	* LastStand: Endless arenas are basically this. You face waves of increasingly difficult enemies until you eventually die, your only objective is reaching a new high score.
136	* LethalJokeItem: Every level has a bar of soap in them somewhere. Throwing it at an enemy will kill them instantly, even if it's a boss.
137	* LethalLavaLand: [[spoiler:[[SecretLevel E2MS]], 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.]]
138	* {{Leitmotif}}:
139	** Aside from each level having its own theme, there's the aggressive musical sting when a Wendigo is revealed from invisibility.
140	** A variation — many of the nastier enemies (Cowgirls, Horrors, etc) each have distinct moans, rasps, or other [[Main/VaderBreath Vader Breaths]] that warn the player of their presence... and build paranoia, natch.
141	* LevelOfTediousEnemies: [[spoiler:[[SecretLevel E3MS]], the Ratacombs, fittingly]] contains no other enemies except rats [[spoiler:and one giant rat as a boss.]]
142	* LockedDoor: In order to proceed through some doors, the player will need to collect color-coded keys that match the locked doors. There are red, blue, and yellow keys available.
143	* LudicrousGibs: In pure '90s [=FPS=] fashion, dealing more damage than necessary to kill an enemy will reduce that enemy into a shower of blood and meat chunks. Bosses leave even bigger amounts of gore behind, even the smaller ones.
144	* MeatMoss: Like most horror tropes, it forms part of the decor in several levels, most specifically in the Crypt of Flesh.
145	* MinimalistRun: Invoked with the "Low-Tech" award, earned by completing a level using only melee weapons, throwable objects, the Crossbow and, as of ''DUSK HD'', the Claw of the Flesh in combat.
146	* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:Jakob, the penultimate boss, has the exact same arsenal the player can accumulate, and can also strafe jump exactly like the player.]]
147	* 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, since at least according to the wiki the model in early builds of the game ''was'' an actual 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.
148	* MuzzleFlashlight: A given, and particularly worthwhile given that the game takes away your regular flashlight at a few points. This becomes the main use of the pistols after a point, as they A) have plentiful ammo and B) are only useful for CherryTapping the weakest opponents.
149	* NintendoHard: Difficulties influencing projectile speeds and damages aside, Episode 1 is like the appetizer that introduces you to the game and thus only really gets difficult towards the end. Episode 2, on the other hand, jumps from one to a hundred from the first level onwards as the devs stop holding back and the likelihood of dying significantly increases. Episode 3 increases the difficulty even more.
150	* NoDamageRun: Completing a level doing as such earns you the "Untouchable" award for it.
151	* NothingIsScarier:
152	** The Wendigos are introduced in [=E2M2=] by way of you going through a few minutes of the level with no enemies. At first, they're just not there, but after a little bit of progress you find plenty of them — as corpses that ''something else'' already killed. The only hint as to what happened before your arrival is writing on the wall telling you "DON'T GO IN THE RUINS". Alas, the door to those ruins is locked with the yellow key, so [[TemptingFate you know exactly where you're going...]]
153	** The Horrors get the same treatment in [=E3M4=]. You start the level in near-complete darkness, with no enemies in sight, but with a horrific moaning/wheezing sound coming from the locked door to a nearby basement. Pressing a switch laying around shows a message: "[[OhCrap The basement door opens]]"...
154	* OminousFloatingCastle: [=E2M7=], Neobabel, takes place in the eponymous labs miles above the Erebus Reactor. The first half of [=E2M8=], Blood and Bone, has you exploring the deeper reaches of the labs before descending back to ground level and finding the entrance to The Dig.
155	* OneHitPointWonder: Zig-zagged when playing on ''DUSKMARE'' difficulty. ''Technically'', you still have the full quotient of hit points, [[AntiFrustrationFeatures so you can still rivet-jump or otherwise hit yourself with splash damage without instantly gibbing yourself]], but all hits from enemies will instantly kill you, making you this trope in spirit.
156	* OneHitPolykill: The Crossbow's speciality, being able to pierce enemies ''and'' walls. The Hunting Rifle's bullets are also able to hit a second enemy behind the first one if the first enemy has been killed by the shot.
157	* OneManArmy: ''Dear God,'' Dusk Dude. When cultists, [[spoiler:soldiers, and [[EldritchAbomination things that basically make no sense]]]] barely stand a chance against him, you ''know'' he qualifies as one of these. [[spoiler:He still [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu can't properly punch out Nyarlathotep]], though.]]
158	* OutOfFocus: The fork maidens and scarecrows don't show up as often in Episode 2. Justified, due to the episode having less of an emphasis on HillbillyHorrors and more on fighting the possessed military, as well as the eventual travel to [[spoiler:another dimension]]. They return in the third episode near the end, [[spoiler:where Dusk Dude is battling through memories of previous levels]].
159	* PacifistRun: Every level can be completed without the player harming a single enemy, fulfilling the "Pacifist" award for each level completed as such.
160	* PuzzleBoss: [[spoiler:Nyarlathotep. He's immune to all your attacks unless you hit the cracks in the wall he creates when trying to crush you to a pulp. This causes sunlight to shine on him, rendering him vulnerable for a short time.]]
161	* RaisingTheSteaks: A common enemy in Episode 1 are the Black Philips; zombified/demonic goats who attack by [[BloodyMurder spitting blood at you]]. There are also undead rats scattered across all episodes.
162	* RealityIsOutToLunch: While Episode 1 is fairly realistic and Episode 2 has quite a few vistas and setpieces that ''conceivably'' might be in Dusk's established world [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief if you squint and don't think about it too hard]], all bets are off once you get to Episode 3 and encounter [[WorldInTheSky floating islands]] [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind made of your character's memories]], [[GravityScrew flip gravity to walk on walls and ceilings]], [[IncredibleShrinkingMan pass through vastly larger or smaller versions of previous levels]], and of course [[spoiler:encounter [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]] himself]].
163	* RecoilBoost: Several weapons will slightly increase your jump height if you fire them downwards while in mid-air.
164	* {{Retraux}}: The art style closely emulates early 3D first-person shooters of the 1990s, especially those that use the ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' engine, complete with a startup screen that emulates running the game through MS-DOS. Options are available for retro purists to turn off texture filtering and enable a low-resolution mode for an authentic '90s look. The developer even complained once that the biggest difficulty in developing the game was undoing every visual improvement the Unity engine received.
165	* RewardingVandalism: Breaking crates, barrels and vases often yields items.
166	* RocketJump: The Riveter's explosive ammo can be used to gain extra height at the price of health.
167	* RuleOfCool: Why else have the ability to flip while you're jumping or the ability to slide?
168	* SackheadSlasher: The Leathernecks, burly men in overalls with potato sacks on their heads, are the first enemy encountered in the game when a group of them try to dice you up in a basement with chainsaws.
169	* ScareChord: Plays whenever you reveal a Wendigo and continues until it's dead. This is also used for comedy when one secret opens up to reveal [[spoiler:a [[VideoGame/CommanderKeen Dopefish]]]].
170	* ScaryScarecrows: A common enemy in Episode 1, and they have shotguns!
171	* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Mostly averted, it is a game after all, but there are a few outliers.
172	** [[spoiler:Apparently, no-one outside Dusk's exclusion zone is aware of a giant BloodMagic generator or a towering laboratory in the sky, considering that it's implied that the structures are ''very'' tall.]]
173	** Despite being classified as a town, Dusk once had a population in the ''five hundred thousands'' [[spoiler:and even has about ''eight skyscrapers'' (according to the level design in ''Erebus Reactor'')]], making it more of a large city than a town.
174	* SecretLevel: One per episode. [[spoiler:The entrance to The Dim Slough is located in [=E1M2=] (Down On The Farm), the entrance to The Foundry is in [=E2M4=] (The Infernal Machine), while the entrance to the Ratacombs is in [=E3M4=] (Crypt of the Flesh)]].
175	* SentryGun: Episode 2 introduces surface-mounted static guns that beep when they spot the player before firing fast-moving bullets.
176	* SetAMookToKillAMook: Enemies that hit each other by accident have a good chance of turning against each other. This is ''very'' useful in large environments with a lot of enemies. This tactic also works on bosses, save for in "The Dweller in the Darkness".
177	* SewerGator: The mutated "[[PunnyName Intoxigator]]" that inhabits the sewers of Dusk. [[spoiler:You later fight ''Son'' of Intoxigator in Episode 2.]]
178	* ShortRangeShotgun: Averted with the lever-action shotgun, which is decent at medium range (so long as you don't [[GunsAkimbo pair it up]] to increase the fire rate), but played completely straight with the double-barrel Super Shotgun, which utterly annihilates enemies at point-blank range but can't hit the broad side of a barn at a few feet.
179	* ShoutOut:
180	** A few of the Wizards' alert sounds have them directly name-drop ''DUSK''[='=]s video game inspirations, including ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''.
181	** To ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'':
182	*** A few levels have computers with still images of ''DUSK'' gameplay footage. Interacting with them displays the message "Don't have time to play with myself".
183	*** Hitting the QuickMelee button displays when the message "Mighty sickles engaged", much like the "Mighty foot engaged" message displayed when hitting the quick-melee button in ''Duke 3D''.
184	** The chainsaw-wielding Leathernecks, with burlap sacks over their heads, heavily resemble the Chainsaw Ganados from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''.
185	** One of the available powerups is a white syringe filled with a red liquid named the "Serum of [[VideoGame/{{Superhot}} Blistering Heat]]", which incurs a BulletTime effect that only works when you're not moving. Acquiring the power-up for the first time is even accompanied by the message "Time only moves when you move".
186	** Under no circumstances should twin sorcerers [[DualBoss The Duke Brothers]] be confused with [[Film/TradingPlaces Randolph and Mortimer]]. [[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard Or Bo and Luke]].
187	** The very first level is named "Head Cheese", which is the original name given to ''Film/TheTexasChainSawMassacre1974''. The level itself is reminiscent of the movie, being an isolated house full of HillbillyHorrors. To drive the point home, interacting with the chainsaw laying on the kitchen counter will prompt a message: "What a massacre!".
188	** Upon picking up the Shotgun for the first time, a message appears on screen: "[[Film/EvilDead2 Groovy]]".
189	** The Crossbow is identical (in form, though not in function) to the Ethereal Crossbow from ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''.
190	** To ''Franchise/Quake'':
191	*** The Mortar works identically to the series' Grenade Launchers, albeit with the ability to manually detonate your grenades with secondary fire.
192	*** The Hunting Rifle is effectively a low-tech Railgun, being a slow-firing, high-damage hitscan sniping weapon that can overpenetrate enemies for multi-kills.
193	*** The multiplayer component of the game is named ''Duskworld'', echoing ''VideoGame/QuakeI''[='=]s enhanced-netcode ''Quakeworld'' port.
194	*** One of the enemies introduced in Episode 2 is the Cowgirl, an emaciated female cyborg with a rocket-launching Riveter for a right arm, reminicient of ''VideoGame/QuakeII'''s Iron Maiden.
195	** To ''Franchise/{{Doom}}''
196	*** One area in [=E1M3=] is a 1:1 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.
197	*** The boss fight with the Duke Brothers in [=E1M7=] mirrors the boss fight with the Barons of Hell in VideoGame/{{Doom}}'s [=E1M8=]; both a larger and stronger varieties of a common enemy (Wizards and Imps respectively) before returning as {{Degraded Boss}}es (the former in the form of the Grand Wizards).
198	** 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 displays the message "Dopefish Lives!"]].
199	** Weapon pickup messages have AddedAlliterativeAppeal and there are jump pads, traps, and coins to collect, all in the same vein as ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad''.
200	** To ''VideoGame/HalfLife'':
201	*** Possessed Soldiers bear a strong resemblance to HECU Marines, both being GasMaskMooks clad in camo fatigues and armoured vests.
202	*** Scientists could very well pass for members of the Black Mesa Science Team, down to the trademark ridiculous ties. They even wield syringes, though as melee weapons rather than a means to heal the player.
203	*** The Escher Labs' interior sections resemble those of the Black Mesa Research Facility, complete with a PA system that sounds similar to the BMRF's VOX.
204	*** The game's physics-based interactions hearken back to those of ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''; Dusk Dude may as well have a Gravity Gun for an arm, given his ability to throw objects with enough force to be lethal to most enemies.
205	** The possessed black goats a called [[Film/TheWitch Black Phillips]].
206	** It's implied that the name of [=E2M8=], "Blood and Bone", [[spoiler:as well as the architecture of two areas in [=E2M10=]]], are nods to a line muttered by Jack Lupino in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''.
207	--->''[[spoiler: I have seen beyond the world of skin, the architecture of ''blood and bone'' marrow]].''
208	** [=E2M5=], The Escher Labs, besides the work of M. C. Escher, also references Constantine's Mansion in ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}''. In fact, finding the secret Sword in said level will display a message: "Thanks, Constantine".
209	** The maximum [=FOV=] option is called "[[Creator/TheCynicalBrit Cynical]]".
210	** The BigNo heard when [[spoiler:entering the secret level in episode 3]] is borrowed from ''VideoGame/AmidEvil'', which plays when falling in a BottomlessPit.
211	** In [=E1M7=] "Dead of the Night" there's a room with a [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs well and a bottle of lotion.]] Mousing over it has the game prompt "Rub lotion on skin", doing so will have Dusk Dude say "No hose for me."
212	The "Mamma Mia Gore Palace" Endless Mode map that debuted with the Nintendo Switch port is a replica of Peach's Castle from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64,'' except it's made entirely of MeatMoss. [[https://youtu.be/GJ2ZtyH0cDQ The video showcasing the map]] drives the point home by having the Dusk Dude enter the map through the portrait [[spoiler:of Jakob]], he and all the enemies use voice clips and sound effects from the game[[note]] A disclaimer in the video reads "MARIO MUSIC AND SOUNDS NOT INCLUDED, SORRY**"[[/note]], and the Slider theme plays before transitioning to "Murder Machine Inc."
213	* SickeningSlaughterhouse: The Thresher, a machine designed for the mass slaughtering and mulching of Human Resources. [[spoiler:And then it's exaggerated with "The Infernal Machine", where we see a ''sea'' of mulched human meat flowing through the interior of the massive, mechanical hell.]]
214	* SinisterDeerSkull: The {{Wendigo}}s are represented in their modern depiction, zombies with a deer skull as a head.
215	* 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.
216	* SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom: A few levels in Episode 2 feature deadly crushers in tight corridors.
217	* SmokingIsCool: You can equip a cigar that regenerates a single point of health per use. It uses the "Cool S" for crosshairs and also has the bonus of an insanely high zoom.
218	* SpecialGuest: Stephan Weyte, famous for voicing Caleb in ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', is in the game as [[spoiler:Nyarlathotep]].
219	* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: The game features jump pads that launch the player up in the air. The height varies per jump pad.
220	* StandardFPSGuns: Played straight at first and later subverted. Of the 10 weapons Dusk Dude can use, a few serve shared purposes but separate roles. For example, the Hunting Rifle and the Crossbow both serve as a high-damage long-range option. However, the crossbow fires faster, can pierce targets and holds more ammo, while the Rifle has a longer-ranged zoom and does more damage with {{hitscan}} bullets.
221	* SuspiciouslyCrackedWall: If you spot one, hitting it with anything explosive will reveal a secret.
222	* 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.
223	* {{Telefrag}}: Part of how teleporters work in this game, though the enemies and level design rarely make it useful. In one instance you can use it to instantly kill a boss, which requires deliberate maneuvering and probably several attempts.
224	* TeleportingKeycardSquad: From enemies that suddenly appear when you're backtracking to ones that just blatantly teleport into the same room. It is a throwback game, after all.
225	* TitleDrop: The final level in the game is titled, "Dusk."
226	* ToiletTeleportation: [[spoiler:Flushing yourself down the toilet in [=E3M4=] is how you unlock [[SecretLevel The Ratacombs]].]]
227	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:After Jakob reaches only 500 health, several Wizards he inducted into his cult will come into the room to kill him as he is "unworthy", as he screams that they were ''his'' disciples, completely losing the calm demeanor he had prior.]]
228	* ViolationOfCommonSense: To end [=E3M8=], "As Above, So Below," you have to [[spoiler:impale yourself on the meathooks you escaped at the start of the game]]. Seeing as the rest of the level is a deeply surreal combination of PlanetHeck and a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind, it's clear [[RealityIsOutToLunch "Common Sense" died a while back]].
229	* WallCrawl: The Climbing Thing introduced in episode 2 allows you to climb up walls and jump off them.
230	* TheWarSequence:
231	** [=E2M6=], The Erebus Reactor, pits you against dozens of enemies in a huge-ass reactor room. [[spoiler:And after that, there's the Big John boss fight.]]
232	** [[spoiler:[=E3M9=], The Dweller In Darkness, consists of a gauntlet of waves upon waves of increasingly difficult enemies.]]
233	* {{Wendigo}}: One of the enemies in the game, which are invisible up until you hit them.
234	* WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises: [[spoiler:Jakob's facial expression.]]
235	* WhamLine: In the final level, [[spoiler:the player finally defeats Jakob, and makes their way through a tunnel of light... Only for it to become suddenly dark, and some''one'' to start speaking]].
236	-->[[spoiler:"He was worthy, you know. And he accomplished so much. But then... You came along. You, who were stronger. You, who were faster. You... I like ''better''. Who did you expect at the end of all this? {{God}}? [[{{Satan}} The Devil]], perhaps? No... It's just... ''me''."]]
237	* WreakingHavok: The sole "modern" gameplay mechanic is that items like boulders, human bones, sawblades, barrels, and boxes have physics applied to them, allowing you to pick them up and push them around. They can occasionally be used to circumvent some low walls to get into secrets, but they're really not made for stacking on top of each other, and they can be used to shield yourself from enemy attacks, but they won't last long before breaking, so the best use for them is tossing them at enemies — which, depending on the size and distance you throw them from, is generally an instant kill. Smaller and lighter objects are generally the best because the Dusk Dude will throw them faster, thus needing less space between him and a target to get the best results; sawblades are about as effective as you'd expect, moving fast and bouncing off walls to hit people if you miss with the initial toss, but the truly deadliest physics object is [[spoiler:the humble [[LethalJokeItem bar of soap]], at least one of which is available in every level. There's even one hidden in secret areas in the finales of the first and second Episodes — and if you toss it at either the Experiments or the Guardian, it'll instantly kill ''them'' the same as it will anything else]].
238	----
239	->''We traded God for demons...''

Context VideoGame / Dusk