Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS) Review
Posted by Adam Smith on 02.21.2007
Mystery? The only mystery here is why don't you own this game yet?
It was a grey and dark Sunday morning. I heard a knock at my door and found a rain soaked package sitting by my front door. Probably could have been something like a bomb or something more nefarious, but boredom and the strong smell of gin on my breath had me opening it before I knew it. I smelled a mix of a warm summer breeze and a crisp autumn moron that made the bitter cold of the morning all the more biting. It was a note and a game. The note said “Play me” sprawled in a runny black ink. The game was Hotel Dusk: Room 215. It looked like the game was an old friend. An old friend I’ve never met before, but an old friend none the less. It felt real comfortable, you know?
I stumbled back into my dirty office pushing aside the week old newspapers and the coffee stained napkins. I opened the one clean drawer and pulled out my trusty DS Lite. Must have been a pretty picture seeing that bright white game system sitting in my hands like a flower in a field of weeds. I flicked the switch and got myself acquainted with Mr. Kyle Hyde and his investigation.
Graphics
Dusk looks pretty, real pretty. Not just that sort of pretty that you find in every new dame’s face before she’s been beaten down by the world. This is the sort of pretty you see once in a blue moon. Dusk is that fresh faced kid walking into the room for the first time right before she’s in all the pictures and everyone knows her, back when she still has the decency (or is it kindness) to flash a smile your way after holding a door for her. Dusk is just one of those games that you don’t see too often.
Even if there are prettier looking games out there, this one has a bit more substance to it. Facial movements feel warm and realistic. The look of these people make them feel more like, you know, people. Not characters. Their expressions, looks, and features give them personality. It’s amazing really.
While Dusk doesn’t have as much as some other games backing it (hardware, you know), it has more then enough style to distinguish itself. The 3D engine is strong enough to get through some of the tough times while the style is enough to keep it above practically everything we’ve seen before. It’s got a new look like a Monroe or a Paige. It’s something classic that’ll stay with you. If Dusk were a dame, you’d toss out your wife and kids just for her kiss.
Gameplay
Everyone has a real sob story right? Dusk ain’t much different. It’s got a real attention grabber, you know. Kyle Hyde goes to Dusk to try and find some missing items. Hyde is a traveling salesman with a past. He used to be a cop, but left after his partner disappears. The Dusk has a room he’s staying in, famous joint too if one believes in that sort of thing. Room 315 grants wishes… and I’ve got some beautiful beachfront property in Wisconsin (warm all year too) to sell you if you buy that one. Still, strange things start happening in the Dusk and Hyde thinks he might find his partner. Engaging stuff.
Still, Dusk’s story is only half of what we’re looking at here. At first glance, the controls seem fine, but like I said before, everyone has a sob story, right? So moving around is easy enough, but others parts are a problem. Trying to pick locks and find the little things, clues and what not, still feels iffy. I mean, not natural, like a statue missing its pinky or a dame wearing sun glasses at midnight. Not all that off, but it’s like eating a five star meal and getting a piece of day old pie for desert.
Dusk does a lot more right then it does wrong though. Beyond the story, Hyde brings along a notebook for taking notes. Simple, right? Still you’d think one of those last fantasy games would have thought of this first. Heck, Wright probably should have brought something along like this to court. It may have helped him win a few of those “every day” Johns that said he lost his sparkle after his first few cases. Dusk is almost perfect here.
Sound
It’d be nice to say Dusk sounds as sweet as what its saying, but I’m a Catholic. Still, with Dusk being such a looker and having so much personality, one would expect it to sound a bit easier on the ears. It’s not that Dusk sounds bad. It’s got a few great songs, but they just can’t measure up with the visuals. Dusk’s sound keeps the mood, but it never establishes it. The sound never takes away from the game, but it still isn’t anything exceptional.
Lasting Appeal
Dusk is one of those things that you can finish off in a long weekend, but what a weekend it’ll be. Like a nap on a warm Spring Saturday, it’s over too soon. It’s over too soon, but that’s because Dusk is such a good game. That’s not to say you won’t be able to have some fun with it. Dusk takes double digits to take care of, and put down. Having said that, you might want to pick Hotel Dusk up again a few months down the road just to visit with an old friend. It wouldn’t be the first time I did this with a game, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Fun Factor
Simply put, Dusk is a fun game. It might be a bit too slow for some of these young kids out there, but they have other things to keep them busy. Dusk ain’t the type to hand you a gun and send you here to shoot this and save that. Nah, Dusk is like a good brandy. Sip it slow and savor the taste. If you’ve got a taste for that sort of thing, go right ahead. This sideshow is well worth the ticket price.
The 411
Dusk is worth the scratch. While not everyone will love it, its one of those games so different you should try it anyways. Dusk is easy to like and easier to want to get more of. Still, everyone’s a critic these days and there are some people slinging mud at the Dusk like it spit at a churchyard. Don’t listen to them. Dusk is a fine game, real aspirations for the future. While Wright showed us that we can still have adventures, Dusk showed us that we still want to have adventures.
Graphics
8.5
Not the best looking game ever but certainly one of, if not, the most stylish.
Gameplay
8.5
Besides a few shakey spots, smooth throughout.
Sound
6.0
A solid soundtrack that just can't measure up to the amazing story and visuals.
Lasting Appeal
6.0
Leaves you wanting more, but only a few will go back and replay it.
Fun Factor
8.0
Methodical fun. Certainly too slow for some, but perfectly paced for most.
