I hadnāt really heard of Dustborn, one of the games set to be published by Spotlight by Quantic Dreams, the oddly named publishing arm of the developers of Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. Which is strange because, while itās not dead center of the target of things I like to play, itās near enough.
It’s a road trip across an alternate reality United States with a traveling band of diverse misfits. It includes a narrative focus with spots of combat to break things up. Thereās also a social aspect that simulates what I imagine itās like to have friends.
But while I played through the lengthy preview, I kept thinking to myself, āI hope this slice isnāt a good representation of the full game.ā
You play as Pax, who is easily the least colorful member of the band. The group is headed across the American Republic, and now that I think about it, Iām not sure why. The information on the games says theyāre smuggling a package, but I donāt recall it ever being shown or mentioned. One of the earliest moments in the game sees the tour bus getting stolen, but I donāt remember anyone saying, āOh no, the package is on board.ā
Dustborn seems to be set up where each stop on the road is its own chapter. In the preview, you can look back at the previous chapter and try to absorb what had happened in the brief time that itās available. Thereās also an introduction comic, which I definitely read, and I still didnāt really know what was going on. The lack of context is something that dogged me throughout.
For example, it really seems to be built on the idea that you care about the characters. Thereās one in particular, Paxās sister, who is belligerent, and without really knowing why she’s so hostile, itās hard to tolerate. Itās probably explained in the previous chapter, but in the demo, Iām only treated to hostility. Some of the backstory gets revealed over time, but if thereās a real emotional center to the relationship, it probably happened off-screen. Probably.
Iām not sure Iām convinced. You meet another character, Eli, during this chapter. A former desert raider who is looking for the friend he lost after the weird, experimental underground school he attended was shut down. Heās apparently a former desert raider, but later on, it sounds like it was maybe for a week. He doesnāt have much to go on in terms of finding his lost friend, which I guess means weāre waiting for serendipity or deus ex machina. I’m simplifying it, but what I’m saying is: Itās not a very good character introduction.
It also makes the constant banter difficult to listen to. Unless youāre sliding up right beside a character to have a deep, eye-contact-y discussion, the exchanges are light remarks about what is going on. It seems like theyāre trying to be realistic to how actual people would interact. If thatās the case, all these characters are severely deficient in charm.
The banter extends to combat, and thatās where itās most vexing. Theyāll be talking about something, but all the while, characters will call out their moves and taunts. Every time they do, it interrupts whatever the main conversation is, and it will start the last part of the dialogue over. So not only are the characters talking over each other, but portions of dialogue are being repeated. The cacophony is so grating while trying to focus on the combat. Itās like trying to play some flow-state concentration-dependent fighting game while your spouse yells from the other room, asking where they left their belt.
The combat itself doesnāt feel terrible, but it does feel token. Enemies will often just group up on you so you can swat them back with Paxās bat. There are āVOXā powers, which is what makes the central cast different from normal people. The VOX powers do a variety of poorly explained things, and it can be difficult to really see their effect. Itās hard to see if theyāre even worthwhile in the chaos of a fight.
The fights themselves lack any real danger, since Dustborn constantly undermines them by making the antagonists (of this chapter) as goofy as possible. Theyāre typical Mad Max motorized raiders, but theyāre really nice once you get to know them. Oh, they definitely still rob people, but you should definitely put on a concert for them after you beat them up.
The demo ended with all the characters around a campfire, and while they bantered about something, I realized I just didnāt care what they were saying. I wondered what the point was, as they made jokes bereft of amusement. When the mouths stopped, I figured out how to get to my feet, walked onto the bus, and watched as the nearly three hours I spent playing Dustborn got summed up on two comic pages.
If thereās one thing that Dustborn seems to do well, it is during the more investigative scenes, where you look around and decide how to proceed. Certain problems can be solved in different ways and involve different characters. Whether this has any sort of major impact on the narrative has yet to be seen, but on a scene-by-scene basis, itās appreciable.
Aside from that, it depends on how optimistic you are. Itās entirely and completely possible that the demo removes too much context to be effective. If the characters are introduced with enough emotional depth, the problems with their interactions wonāt be so pronounced. Maybe when you get into fighting the gameās main antagonists, the combat will be more meaningful. Maybe songs that you gain later in the game are easier to listen to. Itās all possible.
However, what Iāve seen so far isnāt encouraging. A remaining possibility is that Dustborn isnāt for me. Some may click better with the gameās misfits and enjoy the social interactions more. I canāt really speak to that. For me, I found it borderline aggravating. I was barely able to convince myself to finish the demo. I donāt think Iāll attend this concert when it launches in August on PC and consoles.
Published: Jul 8, 2024 11:05 am