GamesAdventureDustborn took me on a roadtrip where I fought with words, played Guitar Hero-like rhythm games, and made Telltale-style choicesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAdventureDustborn took me on a roadtrip where I fought with words, played Guitar Hero-like rhythm games, and made Telltale-style choicesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Putting language at the center of a politically charged story feels even more powerful in a world so littered with misinformation and fake news. In Dustborn, its comic book-inspired visuals replace iconic pops of ‘pow’ and ‘wham’ with actions like ‘block’ or ‘push’, with our hero Pax capable of wielding words as both offensive and defensive powers. Against a backdrop of an alt-history dystopian ‘Divided States of America’ where cultists are rife, the authoritarian Justice controls everything, and cops are literal robots, giving words such physical power makes for a very intriguing premise.
What that means in terms of Dustborn’s gameplay offering is that it’s a delightful mix of road-trip banter, Guitar Hero-esque rhythm games as your band takes to the stage, and plenty of exploration and decision-making. Because words are at the heart of the narrative, so much of how the story plays out is down to how to choose to talk to someone or influence them, but also what you decide to do in a particular moment.
Diverting decisions
Like so many other games including Telltale’s offerings, Life is Strange, and anything from Quantic Dream (who appropriately is the publisher of Dustborn), decisions you make that impact the branching narrative will pop up with a warning in the top right corner of your screen. A new comic panel will be added to your ongoing tale, detailing exactly what choice you made and how that compares to other players. Every encounter in my two hours or so spent in the game during this preview felt like it had so many potential outcomes.
That’s partly down to how you can interact with your crew. Of course, you can talk through your thoughts and the situation at hand, but you can also ask them to help or use their own powers and abilities. Theo’s the tech guy, while Sai has super strength. Noam’s an empath and can sense other people who have powers - also known as Anomals in Dustborn - and Ziggy’s capable of pulsing from point A to B, even through walls. How to utilize them is up to you, which suddenly opens a whole host of routes for each situation to take. Even a simple task like lighting a fire seemed like a wonderfully open task, and that only became more apparent the longer I played. Not doing certain things even meant that some crewmembers were missing for an entire mission - something which I’d want to avoid on a second (or third) playthrough.
Words are mightier than
The words developer Red Thread has chosen are interesting too. Push is quite literally an option for pushing enemies away in combat, and Block protects you and your crew. Discord turns enemies against each other, and Hoax can even make them think they’re on fire. Used in conversation, Block could freeze a person in place as a distraction - particularly handy for that chap with the gun.
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Her powers can also be expanded to use new words too. You’ve got a little robot pal in the form of a sort of handheld game console called your ME-EM, which is capable of seeing echoes in the world. Collect enough and you can use them to learn a new word power, expanding Pax’s conversational and combat abilities.
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Dustborn is one of those games that I’ve not stopped thinking about since I finished the preview. It’s mix of gameplay styles and intriguing narrative makes me hungry for more. Thankfully, it’s coming out on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC on August 20.
See what other releases are on the horizon with our roundup ofnew games for 2024and beyond.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”