How it ends (spoiler)
As you get better in the game your actual house gets dirtier.

Dustforce takes platformers tested by time, such as Megaman and refines the genre to it's maximal potential. Everything is spot on, you are in full control, precise and absolutely magnificent. It takes a while to get used to the gravity, controls and all these essential elements in the game, but even after you got the hang of the basics, there are many more things to master. From combat to advanced techniques, there is always room for improvement.
Dustforce was made for speedrunning, you can clearly see it with the leaderboard and replays of playthroughs of every player's best runs. You can see the best players what exactly they did at every level and learn the routes and have the wonderful experience of speedrunning, where you play the same level for half an hour to get that 0.07 second advantage.

tl;dr -> In Dustforce DX you play as a master warrior-janitor on a never-ending quest to rid the world of all dirt and dirt-spreading creatures while listening to a fantastic electronic soundtrack.

I got this game in a bundle, and was really excited to try it because of all the technical gameplay mechanics - like the complex executions you have to use in order to make your run look as seamless as possible. I had watched a few speedruns on YouTube and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of experience provided by Dustforce DX.

If you like cleaning, artsy and smooth platforming gameplay, a stellar electronic soundtrack, chaining combos, score attacks, and challenging mechanics, then you will really enjoy this game.

The aesthetics are great - the detail in the different levels is very high and well-done. The music and sound effects are awesome, and I will provide a link to the OST here because it is that good; I think the only other game OST I ever linked in my review was NEOTOKYO's.

Dustforce DX OST.

The controls are a bit tricky to learn, but the tutorials are very helpful and will ensure you get a firm grasp on the game's mechanics before you start your janitorial runs. You can try using a controller, but the keyboard bindings work just as well. The learning curve is minimal to moderate - one of the most difficult elements of the game is combining the different actions in order to achieve a smooth run. Combos are also essential for reaching many areas in each level and progressing deeper into the game. For example, you may have to wall run upward, double/wall jump several times, and hit a dustball/enemy at the top in order to reach a higher level (and if you do everything except hitting the object at the top, you will not be able to make the climb). Practising and repeating levels will really hone your skills.

Overall, the gameplay is very quick and technical - chaining the proper actions is critical. Once you can achieve a seamless run, the visual aesthetics are so satisfying and rewarding. The main hub will allow you to access the options and all the levels, however, you must unlock new levels by completing preceding ones. There are a good number of levels available for you to test your skills, and the game offers a lot of time value if you are really into speedruns and 100% completion. During your playthrough, you must complete each level in a set amount of time, while maintaining a smooth (finesse) run. If you can finish the stage within the time limit and maintain a good combo bar, then you will achieve a double S rank (best possible score).

For the achievement junkies, there is only one to collect, and this requires you to complete every level by performing the most perfect possible run. I really, really love this type of achievement system in a game, and not the stupid, meaningless artificial-game-lengthener types found in games like Lucius (which I will be reviewing soon) - where you need 20 and 40 game hours when the game takes ~10 hours to complete. No, in Dustforce DX there's just one, challenging achievement that involves you spending quite a bit of time refining your skills and experience so you can obtain those perfect runs.

The game can get a bit repetitive once you've invested a large amount of time, however, the variety in level layout and different enemy types adds lots of playability. There are also different characters with slightly different attributes, allowing for a unique playstyle depending on who you select (ex: one character has quicker drops and longer jump range).

If you like challenging platformers with an emphasis on finesse and score attacks, then you must give this game a try.

Definitely recommend!

Cheers,
DJSF @DJSF's Rogue Reviews

I can recommend this game only if you are into platformers fetish, like another run for 0.10s better score, otherwise it is better when you will spent some time making yourself a perfect breakfast which will affect your whole day better than an hour torturing yourself when you arent into this kind of gaming. Dustforce is a very good title as a platformer but, well, not for me.

This has to be my favorite platformer on steam at the moment. I've put in 35+ hours as of writing this review, and I'll put in plenty more trying to SS every level. The difficulty ramps up quite a bit as you make your way through each level, and the seemingly simple controls open up to some fantastic speed tech once you learn a few tricks. With a replay system that allows you to watch anyone's play through of a level, you'll want to go back and improve your time trying new techniques you see other players use. It can get quite competitive between you and people on your friends list as you try to one up each other. The music is absolutely glorious. The OST itself is a great buy, definitely have that on rotation in my playlist. The art style is simple and clean, the animations are smooth and the game looks and feels better and better the faster you go. If you enjoy difficult precision platformers, or love games with mechanics that allow you to go fast, this is a purchase you won't regret.

A criminally underrated platformer with slick visuals, tight controls, and a terrific soundtrack. Despite (or perhaps because of) the crushing difficulty, getting a perfect score on a tough level is extremely satisfying. If you like tough platformers, definitely check this out.

You clean bears.

Good game!

Dustforce is perhaps the best platformer of its kind that I've ever played. It's slick, beautiful, and most importantly the movement feels perfect.

The gameplay is what you expect it to be - you progress from level to level, attempting to complete it as fast as possible (with global leaderboards on time). Additional depth is added by the inclusion of your broom, used to sweep 'dust' as you run and hit 'enemies' with, building up a combo which you are rated on along with the time. Although initially the game may seem laggy or unresponsive, within a few hours you become accustomed to how the momentum and motion works in the game and begin to understand that the opposite actually holds. The game gives you perfect control, and punishes the tiniest of your mistakes.

That's really where the beauty lies. The skill ceiling is incredibly high, obvious to see if you watch a speedrun of this game. The game encourages you towards this perfection, and indeed the only achievement in this game is one of completing it - a feat few people (myself not included) have achieved. There's no RNG in the game, it's just you and how you play. This is certainly not for everyone, but for those few who don't like grinding and obtaining perfect muscle memory, the game hits all the right buttons

It is also worth mentioning the soundtrack. Some games have terrible music. Some games have good music for the game. Some have soundtracks that are amazing standalone, and this is one of them. It's (largely) calm, electronic stuff that's perfect for relaxing or concentrating too. Look it up on youtube - Fastfall by Lifeformed is the album.

For me, it's one of my favourite games ever, and I haven't even put that much time into it.

This is quite the unique platformer. Instead of simply jumping from any ordinary platform to the next, it takes some sort of pseudo-Sonic approach of fast paced, all-surfaces high-octane super-platforming.

Let me be frank: this game is hard. Sure, it does a good job of easing you into it, but this isn't just some casual romp. Be prepared to put all your effort into getting constant SS ranks if you want to explore all the game's content.

The visuals are pleasing and colorful, just a nice view for the eyes. The music is likewise calm and soothing techno, which is just as well to ease you from the rage that will transpire.

The game controls butter smooth, and has a lot of depth from a rather simple means of traversing the maps. I did have one complaint about the controls, namely the lack of complete controller support. Most basic buttons are there, except the menu button. I can't even count how many times I've had to restart, and I have to do it all from going to the keyboard to press escape. Is an extra respec option too much to ask for?

Another complaint I have, though not with the game, is the lack of community attention. When exploring the nexus, it is entirely up to me to find the one bronze door that I still have a key for, and it still eludes me because no one has a nexus map uploaded.

All said, it's crazily addictive to the right people, namely: twitch-reflex, practice-based skill games that never stop the action.

In this unique and challenging platformer you play as an acrobatic janitor, it is very HARD as some levels requires perfection to complete but I never thought that cleaning up leaves could be that funny. The soundtrack is great and the well polished animations makes the game always entertaining.
The only downside is that you need to configure your controller (xbox360) manually.

Excellent art, fantastic soundtrack, and high-difficulty platforming define Dustforce DX. This game is not easy, but it is very fun to explore and discover as you try to master its expertly crafted challenges.

This game is absolutely worth the money. The amazing music, the atmosphere, the satisfying and challenging gameplay... Everything about Dustforce makes it a masterpiece. I purchased it on a Humble Bundle a while back, but then bought it full price on my PS Vita to show my support (and so I could play it when I'm out!). Even if you missed the two or three Humble Bundles this game has been in, I assure you it will be worth the money.

It's a charming blend between soothing and infuriating.

Tough-as-nails platformer. But god damn if it doesn't feel incredible to flow up ceilings, walls, and over spiky spiky pits once you get good at it. It's pretty much got all the bells-and-whistles move mechanics, including wall and celing runs, double jumps, 4-way dashes, and screen-clearing special moves. The mechanics are tuned to the point where there are 4 characters that ostensibly are amost identical, but those with a trained game-feel can tell they are worlds apart.

Plus the music is incredible. It will get you laid at parties.

Worth every penny. 10/10

Game's core features:
Dusting/Sweeping
Different Playable Characters
Platforming
Parkour
Special Gague
Level Evaluation/Grading System (S, A, B, C, D)
Easy Controls
Semi-Open environment

Dusting/Sweeping: If you couldn't tell already the main idea behind this game is dusting levels with a tool that varies depending on what character you play as.

Different Playable Characters: There are four playable characters, each have different tools they use to clean up the dust with: A kitchen Broom, a Push Broom, Feather Dusters and a Vacuum, each of these somehow seem to complete the characters personality, even though so far there hasn't been any dialogue. Each character has a different "Style" of moving about, not really sure how to describe it, but there is a slightly different feeling between each of the characters.

Platforming: Not much to say here, you jump from platform to platform, however i will say the platforming isn't very repetitive and just feels right.

Parkour: Not Minecraft-Style "parkour", we're talking runing up a wall to jump to the next wall, then jump off of that wall to reach a platform, dash to get speed jump and RUN ON THE CIELING of the next platform to procede to the next section of the level, it's incredible and you feel like a champ for pulling off these stunts.

Special Gague: As you progress through each level and clean up dust, a gague at the bottom of the screen will slowly start filling up, once this gague fills completely, you can use a special move. This move is incredibly useful and does not change depending on which character you are (in one way I am glad that that's how it works, however in another way I am slightly dissapointed...) when you activate your special move your character will flash across the screen cleaning up all the dust within a certain radius of the character. It looks very much like a scene from a typical fighting anime show, but it's funny cause it's just them cleaning up dust.

Level Evaluation System: You are graded on two criteria after completing a level: How much of the dust you clean up in a level (Completion), and how many times your combo meter gets set back to 0 (Finese). S is the highest grade you can reach and D is the lowest (at least I think, it's the lowest I've gotten...). Once completing a level you will be awarded points towards different keys whih will allow you to complete other levels in the game.

Easy Controls: At the begining of the game you are bombarded with lots of information that seems a bit overwhelming at first, however the levels in each area ease you into learning the controls and before you know it, it's like second nature to you and you're pulling off nice fluid parkour tricks.

Semi Open-Environment: Each actual level is actually not connected to another, however, you don't choose the level from the menu, instead you're navigating your character to the next doorway wich will take you to the level. It would be like the old Mega Man X games met Super Metroid. Even the game menu is navigated this way.

Other Features: Hand painted graphics and a really nice "chill out" styled soundtrack. Reminescent of an old Sega Genesis or SNES game.

Probably the only time I enjoy cleaning !

Great game! Hours of nonstop fun! If you enjoyed playing Electronic Super Joy, I recommend you play this game. Money worth it!

very hard, very funny.

Dusting has never been this fun.
Solid platformer, creative mechanic with the dust. Some unneeded frustration with Clocktower, Backup Shift and a few others, but over all fantastic levels. Fun to play, great for speedrunning.
9.5/10 - Almost perfect