When the action platformer Duskfade was first revealed back in April 2025, I had the same reaction as everybody else on seeing the announcement trailer: “That looks like Kingdom Hearts!” This was purposeful, as the Spain-based indie studio behind the game, Weird Beluga, made very clear, touting the Square Enix and Disney collab as one of their main sources of inspiration for their first title. We get plenty of 3D platformers and action-adventure games every year, but none have flown so close to the light of Kingdom Hearts since the series began in 2002. After playing the demo for a few hours, I can say that while there is plenty that KH fans will recognise, Duskfade shifts gears enough to differentiate itself while promising a full release that is flashy, familiar, and a lot of fun.
The demo for Duskfade covers the opening moments of the game up to the first boss you encounter on your adventure. An opening cutscene shows Zirian returning home to his sister, Allira, with some sweet treats for them to enjoy, before she disappears in an explosion that leaves their world in chrono chaos. It’s quick and effective, giving players a preliminary look at the world of Tearfeld and establishing important character relationships and the game’s stakes. Before the explosion, Allira seems obsessed with helping their grandfather, who passed away, and Zirian is worried about her. Characters are fully voice-acted during cutscenes with an energy reminiscent of a Pixar or DreamWorks film. Their performances complement Duskfade’s colourful art style and expressive cast.
Once Zirian has regained consciousness, I am in control, grabbing the conspicuous clock hand stuck in the nearby ground. Called Minutero and once belonging to their grandfather, Zirian wields it like a sword, with each combo made up of wide sweeping strikes flowing from one into the next and even deflecting enemy projectiles with a well-timed swing. Our hero also has great movement, with an acrobatic double jump that can cover quite a distance, especially when adding Zirian’s dodge roll at the end for a little extra.
Using Minutero to unlock a chest (like you would with a giant key!), Zirian gets a potion for healing, with refills found in the world along with the Star Shards you collect from smashing boxes and defeating enemies. Strange, inky creatures have started to appear across Tearfeld, bursting with a satisfying splat after taking a few hits. Combat is fast-paced, with Zirian able to switch between enemies on the fly during combos, leaping across areas to smack his target. Enemies don’t wait around, though, and will quickly surround Zirian, rapidly whittling his health down, so liberal use of jumping and dodging is needed.
Within the first five minutes of gameplay, the similarities with Kingdom Hearts are all too apparent, like Zirian’s attire covered in straps and buckles (Nomura Chic, as I like to call it), the design of Minutero (especially the handle and guard), and the almost identical UI depicting our hero’s curved health bar and portrait. Even Zirian’s running animation, carrying his weapon across his shoulders, is practically the same as Sora’s in KH. While some may find this jarring, I welcome it, relishing the opportunity to enjoy more of this style of gameplay and appreciating how the lack of Final Fantasy and Disney trappings lets the developers’ own creations and imagination shine through the game’s world and narrative.
Being able to recognise what parts of Duskfade were inspired by Kingdom Hearts meant that I was able to see where it differed, with elements of more classic PS2 era action adventure game design, like that of Jak & Daxter, shaping the flow and structure of the game. Zirian doesn’t get any colourful sidekick characters to help him on his adventure; instead, he is accompanied by Cuckoo, a small and sassy clockwork bird who they believe was built by Allira. Their meeting signals the end of the tutorial area, and the duo winds up back in their home of Tick Town, or at least a fractured version of it. Navigating the temporally twisted town, I meet some of the Cloudies, the friendly and fluffy inhabitants, and learn more about how this game is pieced together.
Wreathed in everlasting night, a giant, imposing clock tower has appeared, and our heroes believe that Allira is trapped inside, with huge chains locking down the towering structure. Zirian and Cuckoo will have to travel to four distant locations to shatter these chains and gain entry to the clock tower, with each area designed as a single region as opposed to being broken up into small chunks. This allows each region to feel complete, with the ability to look about and discover the way forward, alternative paths, and even some well-hidden secrets.
Zirian doesn’t gain experience and level up, learning new moves and increasing his stats each time. Instead, you collect Upgrade Gears to spend on skill trees for Minutero, Zirian’s abilities and gadgets, as well as support skills from Cuckoo. Increasing his health is done by collecting three Clock Heart Pieces, while other collectibles, such as Multicoloured Flasks, are likely tied to specific NPC side quests. Void-like echoes reveal interesting worldbuilding and narrative clues, enveloping the duo in a cosmic bubble while active, no doubt a form of time distortion.
Speaking of NPCs and gadgets, on my way to break the first chain in a far-off volcanic region of Tearfeld called Mount Cinder, I met an acquaintance of Zirian’s, a tall, butterfly-like figure called Arpeggio. After explaining their predicament to the musician, Arpeggio hands over a hook-shot that Zirian can use to pull himself to certain hook points in the environment. Zipping between points and chaining together hook-shot points felt great and would no doubt open up other areas and secrets I had missed.
Finally, after traversing a vast cave system filled with crystals and pools of glowing lava, I encounter Wrath, the game’s first boss fight, and the end of the demo. A short cutscene sets the stage before battle commences across a wide arena surrounded by a deep drop into flowing lava below. Wrath is an imposing sight, with large gear segments attached to its arms as blades, and a set of chains protruding from its back. They also look more like one of Kingdom Hearts’ Heartless than any other foe Zirian has encountered so far, which I thought was interesting. Perhaps Duskfade’s bosses will have more defined appearances compared to their minions?
Wrath’s attacks are quick and punishing, with lunges and slamming attacks backed up by ranged projectiles that they fire in a spread or as a short burst. Once I reduced Wrath’s health past certain thresholds they would leap to the centre of the arena, raising it and charging up a powerful attack. During these intervals, I used the hook-shot to traverse platforms around the edge of the arena that led me to Wrath so I could knock them back down, cancelling their attack. After a couple of attempts, I beat Wrath for a satisfying and climactic end to the demo. A short cutscene plays, showing Zirian, Allira, and their grandfather before the events of the game. It alludes to some of the mysteries surrounding their grandfather, as well as establishing Allira’s worries and apparent work to help him. An intriguing shot of their grandfather’s pocketwatch ticking a full hour backwards is the last thing we see.
After a couple of hours with the demo, it’s clear that Duskfade is aiming to be more than just a poor imitation of Kingdom Hearts, but more of a fully fledged love letter to the PS2 era of classic action-adventure platformers. Its blend of stylish, fluid combat and a rich, unique world fills me with hope that this is a game for everyone, not just old-school KH fans who miss the days when the story wasn’t so convoluted. It’s a promising first impression, but to know whether or not Duskfade will step out from the shadow of its inspirations, well, that’s just a matter of time.
Duskfade releases on August 13th across PC, PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a demo available not on PC via Steam.
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