'Dustborn' requires patience and an open mind, but if you have neither, what's the point of trying? … (+)
Born from dust is one of the most openly liberal and left-wing games out there. If you’ve spent 20 seconds looking at the comments on YouTube or social media, you probably already know this: hundreds of people have disowned it without even playing it. That’s how it is in 2024, and again, it’s a shame: there’s a lot to love about this strange escapade.
At a fundamental level, Born from dust refined and almost perfected Telltale Games' classic episodic graphic adventure formulaAdmittedly, ten years after reaching the peak of its popularity, it takes time to build momentum, but once you grasp what this cross-country, almost post-apocalyptic tale has to offer, you'll be in it for a long time.
However, even if you are clearly part of their target audience, Born from dustThe game's unsettling beginning, strange mechanics, and bizarre characters elicit strong reactions from the start, and it has a few missteps along the way. On a fundamental level, developer Red Thread Games has created something that's an exercise in patience—not just to get into it, but to enjoy the experience as intended.
Road trip with your three favorite allies
Born from dust The film begins in medias res, as you, Pax, a thirtysomething con man and a light mutant “Anomal” with the ability to use language as a weapon, are nursing a gunshot wound after a half-successful heist. You've recovered an important USB drive in the nation-state of Pacifica in 2030 (this universe's California) and must bring it to Nova Scotia.
Things are different here; it is implied that the timeline diverges from ours at Deeley Plaza in 1963, when Jackie O, rather than JFK, was assassinated. Kennedy takes Marilyn Monroe as his second wife, and together they turn the country into a semi-fascist state filled with law enforcement robots, tearing the Union apart in the process, giving rise to supercharged versions of modern subcultures and groups. Brilliant!
It's almost as if an American politician had developed a cult of personality.
As Pax, one of the original four misfits, you can use your vocal talents to make people feel bad about themselves (“it’s like negging but rougher”). Noam, your former lover, manipulates people into feeling better (“verbal tranquilizer”). Sai, the artistic, self-critical, and openly rude brute of the team, can literally make himself as strong as a rock. And then there’s Theo, a regular guy with no powers, but a very nice guy and potential father figure of the group. Together, you traverse a divided former America masquerading as a punk rock band, combining talking, up-tempo musical sections, and the occasional fight.
From the first moments you drive on the highway, Born from dust is impeccably presented. The cameras are fluid but settle into cleverly arranged fixed positions, allowing you to direct your evolving conversations through excellent angles that regularly adapt, like any classic single-camera sitcom setup. It's just as good –Born from dust delights in chatter, whether you like it or not.
The camera angles are perfectly prepared; they are a Dustborn KSP in their own right.
Finding your voice
The first few conversations seem basic at best: good and bad decisions are too binary, meaning you're either calm and collected or an asshole. However, hold on tight: this is Born from dustThe tutorial explains the mechanics of chat and your own abilities a bit too much. You can time your conversations, choose safe responses, or crush your friends with your angry voice ability whenever you want, but you won't do it because it will make you feel bad.
However, the conversational dynamics unfold at a spectacular pace as you work your way through the first two chapters and begin to trust your judgment. Some conversations add or remove response options over time; elsewhere, some things are best left unsaid, even if Born from dust seems to imply that you should talk. Skipping dialogue isn't an option either, but it does make you realize that it's all about words rather than actions. Sure, some sections may drag, but you feel compelled to make the most of every conversation, even if your approach ends up making things worse.
Your choices influence your compatriots to fall into one of three dominant traits, which you can keep track of—important if you want to know how best to approach them before another big discussion. It's not clear whether you want them to be or what they are, but you'll get a sense of which traits you like as the chapters develop.
Theo seemed to me to be more of a buddy, but you can understand those who might want him as their boss. … (+)
The interactions are surprisingly delicate and carefully crafted, bolstered by absolutely superb voice acting – Dominique Tipper and Safiyya Ingar as Pax and Sai respectively are standouts – but the cast is occasionally let down by some dodgy dialogue. You might immediately want to root for the characters who are unlikable in various ways, although that's kind of the point, as they have their imperfections, but it sometimes feels like Born from dust does not fully trust your intelligence.
Hit with a brick
If you have underlying messages that you want to convey, you have to trust subtlety – it is very useful – and this is especially true for Born from dust. He's right to be generous, but he still has a habit of mishandling strong allegories by stating them for you, to the point where you can feel a little condescending. Given his obvious audience, he's far from ideal.
Early in the game, after picking up the potentially world-changing Tamagotchi-like “Me-em” that becomes one of the few essential tools in the game, you begin to encounter Echoes. These angry, disembodied voices spew bile about conspiracy theories, mutilation, fears of atypical people, and more. The Echoes are invisible in the landscape, but can be heard by people, influencing their behavior or even taking over their minds to the point of causing mental illness. It’s a spectacular visual metaphor for social media, and it’s communicated with the perfect level of nuance.
That is, until you explain this phenomenon to Sai, who almost shrugs at the idea and immediately says, “Ah, like social media!” Great, thanks, the satisfaction is ruined there. When you suck the echoes into your Me-em—in a move like the Proton Pack of Ghostbusters– we remind you that “it’s like ghost hunting!” OK, we get it, you must be sure we made that connection. It happens more often than you’d hope, and each time, the happiness you glean from interpreting things independently is drained away at the rate of The price is rightloses his horn.
Change things
Despite all the ups and downs of his conversation-rich core experience, Born from dust mixes things up nicely with other elements that add some spice and help refine the episodic adventure format that needs more to sustain itself in the 2020s.
It takes a little while to get used to being a fake band.
First off, the rhythm sections, where your band pretends to be musicians, are enjoyable and responsive, though the oddly placed and angled crosshairs and super move inputs make it hard to follow at first. The original soundtrack is solid, and the songs are consistently integrated into the larger story, providing more exposition as time goes on.
At the end of the first chapter, combat is introduced, arming Pax with a baseball bat as she takes on a group of Horned Riders, introducing a whole The borders The gang element is present in the flow of the game. It's not perfect (my first two combat segments were seriously broken), but these sections incorporate easy-to-understand dodge and attack mechanics with power-ups, voice abilities, team play, timing, and additional narration after each fight. Don't like that? After your first skirmish, you can choose whether you want more or less combat for the rest of the game, which is a great idea.
The combat sections might not be to everyone's taste, but they are pretty fun.
Conversations are also gamified through collected items. You regularly stumble upon trinkets that please the party as you explore, but you can't just make someone happy by giving them something: it's all about the right time and place. If you find the right balance by giving something at the right time to Sai, Theo, or Noam, you unlock new dialogue and a new story. This makes you appreciate the craftsmanship behind the dialogue even more; you can feel condescension in some parts of the storytelling, but you feel fully rewarded when you succeed.
Waiting attitude
Born from dust gets better and more rewarding the more you play it. Its questionable early chapters will give you double the return on your investment, with a story and character development that feels pleasantly progressive, even if so much lore and exposition is left on the table. Maybe Born from dust 2 will help us understand this strange, warlike vision of the United States in 2030 (unless real life does it first, *massive, hopeful satire honk*).
If you have an open mind and are willing to give it time to grow, Born from dust It's a fun ride, even if it sometimes feels like it's trying to be a little too bold for its own good, especially for the kind of people who will immediately buy into its sociopolitical perspective. Of course I know them, it's me.
He doesn't try to be The Walking Dead: a revealing series Or A Lammy jammer Or The devil can cry Or Without beef; Born from dust The game is truly a game in its own right, and the fact that Quantic Dream gives indie developers like Red Thread Games this platform to be exactly what they want to be is absolutely fantastic. Those who refuse to play it on principle don't know what they're missing. Born from dust It may take patience and an open mind, but if you have neither, what's the point in trying something new?
