A game called Born from dust drew our attention to PAX East in March. The promising action-adventure game seemed poised to deliver a politically charged story about a divided America just in time for election season. That, combined with its graphic novel aesthetic, immediately put it on our radar as we waited to see more beyond the 30 minutes we played.
As the August 30 release date approaches, we now have a much better idea of what the full game will look like. During a long demo of more than two hours, I got a complete overview of Born from dust‘s characters, combat system, and political messages. The installment I played signaled an independent adventure punching above its weight class, though it’s sure to be as divisive as its fictional America.
Rather than starting with a big battle, I start with a long narrative section that gives me a clearer picture of my crew and the dystopian world around them. The demo picks up as my buddies and I drive through the desert in a tour bus driven by a robot. This last detail is the first sign that trouble is coming, as Born from dust It looks like he’s going to take a satirical jab at the rise of AI, whether that was his original intention or not. When we stop at a gas station, our brain-dead robot driver drives off without us.
This gave me the opportunity to see how his more narrative and adventurous side works. Without a bus, I would have to find a new route. I would discover that each of my friends had their own special ability that could help me achieve this. I’d call on a friend to open a locked gas station backdoor, and another more mechanically inclined comrade to fix a broken truck inside. Another was using his strength to push the truck out of the garage so we could run away with it without the helpless robot at the counter noticing. It’s a fun little touch that gives each companion a little more character.
There’s a sticking point for me there: I’m not yet entirely sold on the writing or voice acting here. Although every character feels fully formed and the dialogue often grapples with social issues, it relies quite a bit on the kind of pleasant comedy that has become a crutch for so many modern games. It’s disappointing given the attitude he otherwise has, but I hope the full context will convince me of this tone come August.
After this ordeal, I will take a closer look Born from dustThat was the struggle when I started exploring an abandoned school full of rogue robots. There’s basic hacking and slashing, with the added benefit of being able to throw my melee weapon like a boomerang or Kratos’ ax. The most unique system is my special ability, a fierce slash that I can only activate once by pressing the right buttons when they appear on screen. This touch adds a bit more depth to the otherwise basic combat, as does a skill tree that teases more exciting powers (by the end of my demo, I could bounce my thrown weapon between multiple enemies before it come back).
What’s interesting to me is how well developer Red Thread Games packs into what I expected to be a compact indie game. The installment I played teased a surprisingly large adventure game with deep character and world-building, along with its eye-catching style and occasional twists (I would use a power throughout my demo that would let me to unmask invisible objects by following a sound and recording). he). I may have seen a larger slice than what we saw in March, but the final image still looks much larger than that. I can’t wait to see where this road trip ultimately leads.
Born from dust will launch on August 20 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A demo is now available on Steam until June 30.
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