It is incredibly rare that I purchase a game more than once across multiple systems. As a recent college graduate, I have never had much of a disposable income, so each game I add to my collection needs to be important to me. Occasionally, exceptions must be made to this rule when a game’s creators have gone above and beyond in creating a a phenomenal work of art. Hitbox Team is one such developer.

When I lost access to my Steam account because I didn’t understand two-factor authentication as a child, the first game that I bought more than once was Dustforce, a gorgeous platformer that stole my heart the second I laid eyes upon it. Its concept is equally as adorable as its artstyle. Dust, dirt, and pollution have spread across the world, corrupting everything it touches. Woodland creatures wear coats of fallen leaves, gargoyles have been coated in a thick carpet of dust, and toxic sludge coats every surface imaginable. A group of four janitors have taken it upon themselves to free their homes from the treacherous, evil pollution.

Dustforce released in 2012, and received a free update in 2014 titled Dustforce DX, the definitive version of the game that includes additional, community made levels, a simplified tutorial, and a revamped overworld. The update is without a doubt the definitive version of the game, thanks to the large amount of extra content it added to the base game.

The gameplay is a unique combination of Super Mario Sunshine and Super Meat Boy, requiring players to quickly perform tight jumps while cleaning debris off of the floor, walls, and ceiling of each level. The movement is where this game shines, as should be the case for any good platformer. Every action taken, from attacks to jumps to sliding, adds or reduces a player’s momentum. Managing your speed is vital when it comes to ensuring that you don’t fly past enemies or undershoot gaps. From the start, it was apparent to me that there was a lot more depth to this game past its surface level.

Completing a level is as simple as reaching the final screen and defeating a group of enemies, usually with the help of a special move that wipes the entire screen. The janitor becomes a flurry of speed as they sweep, vacuum, and dust the dirt off of innocent creatures. Upon completion, the game rates players based on two different variables; How fast they completed the level and how much of the area they cleaned. Players are also shown a leader board of how they stack up against others from around the world.

Before I played Dustforce, I had never played a game with a speed-based leaderboard. At the time I was only fourteen years old, and something about seeing a list of incredibly fast times was captivating to me. I would spend an hour slamming my head against a wall, trying to figure out how people could possibly move their fingers across a keyboard so quickly. After days of trial and error, failure upon failure, I decided to stop being so stubborn and do some research on the internet. My time searching for the secret key to running through levels faster led me to the wonderful world of speedrunning.

My first exposure to the art of speedrunning was Summer Games Done Quick, with Calistus’ run of Dustforce DX.  My jaw was on the floor for the entire duration of the forty-two minute run. Watching Calistus expertly run along ceilings while disposing of enemies with ease was an eye opening moment for me that taught me two things:

I was not good at videogames.

I had a lot to learn.

I spent a few weeks trying to learn how to speedrun, but the amount of information that I needed to intake was too great for my young mind to soak in, especially while trying to survive high school. But I never stopped watching speedruns. I never stopped learning about new games and communities. I never stopped being amazed at how talented people can truly be. Without Dustforce, watching and participating in the speedrunning community would not be as important to me as it is today, and for that I am forever grateful.

I’ve tried to pick up speedrunning a few times, Celeste being my most recent failure. I simply don’t have the time to fully commit to any one game. Even so, I still find myself launching Dustforce every so often. It was one of the first games I was ever truly invested in, and eight years later it still holds up. With infinitely replayable levels, thanks to great level design and four characters that each play differently, there is always room for improvement and experimentation.

Dustforce stands out as one of the greatest platformers of all time, and doesn’t get the respect it deserves. The eight-year-old game has less than one thousand reviews on Steam, while some games that released this year have more than ten times as many. If you’re looking for a tough but satisfying platformer, do yourself a favor and spend $10 on the most underappreciated platformer in recent years.

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