DUSK

Dusk is one of the best first-person shooter campaigns I've played in recent years. It has a low-poly graphical style which may turn some people off, but I find in this context to look clean and attractive. It's worth saying that the shooter mechanics in this game are very solid, with an arsenal of weapons that feel classic and inspired heavily by games like Quake and Doom. The old-school weapon and enemy design, and the simplistic graphical style might lead some to believe this game is bland from the first few missions. But Dusk doesn't really start showing its hand until at least the end of episode one, if not mid-episode two (specifically the Escher Labs. At first it does not seem like a game with an interesting narrative, but it utilizes environmental storytelling in an effective way. It's an approach that pays off as the levels themselves progress in a thematic and meaningful way. The level design and enemy encounters get increasingly more interesting as the campaign moves along, and some of the latter levels compete with the best of classic Doom or Quake. By the time I got to episode three in Dusk, I was absolutely hooked. Each level is something new and interesting, and they never drag on for too long. The climax of each episode (especially the final one) are awesome. It's an instant classic.