The power of language can be either divisive or unifying. The adventure game Dustborn explores both facets through its compelling narrative, ultimately celebrating words’ incredible power for good even in light of the damage they can just as readily do. You’re probably well aware of the discourse surrounding this game. I won’t delve into it here because if someone has already decided that Dustborn and its ideologies aren’t for them, a review won’t change their view. Instead, I’m approaching this Dustborn review for those who might be genuinely curious about playing the title and wondering if it’s for them. Keeping that in mind, Dustborn is a solid adventure game with a likable core cast, albeit the combat element could’ve benefited from some fine-tuning. The journey is more than the ultimate destination, however, and this road trip tends to be more memorable than not.
The first thing to note about Dustborn is its dystopian American alternate-history setting. Our plot centers initially around a small crew of four who have just pulled off an incredibly dangerous heist. The group needs to make it safely across the continent with their cargo, with each member having their reasons for wanting to leave their old lives behind: Theo is the group’s analytical boss man/”uncle;” Noam is always readily available to offer their laser-sharp wit; Sai is the nervous yet boisterous artist; and main character Pax is the no-nonsense unofficial leader of the operation. To escape hostile territory, the quartet goes undercover as a punk rock band, picking up various colorful characters to bolster their forces. What lies in wait for them on their travels, and will they succeed in their quest for freedom? Choices the player makes along the way determine the answers to those questions.
I won’t spend too much time delving into the story here, as I’d be remiss to spoil it. The world-building for this alternate-history sci-fi tale is quite interesting, with a superhero angle that would be at home in an independent comic book or even in Marvel’s X-Men. However, when discussing philosophical points, the dialogue comes across as a little over-the-top and stiff in an unrealistic fashion, which is a shame because one of Dustborn’s most significant strengths comes from the believable and natural banter between its central cast when they aren’t waxing philosophical. When everyone is gathered around a campfire and chatting, when you-as-Pax are gaining further insight into who everyone is as individuals, the script truly shines. I love the protagonists in this story, especially seeing how various choices throughout the game affect them. Each character has different personality traits that can become more dominant, impacting their later endings depending on decisions and actions you make, such as two characters choosing to re-acknowledge their romantic feelings for one another or someone else opting to go their way.
The game exists in episodes to divide playing time if needed, and auto-saving happens quite frequently. The level of choice and carryover scenarios between Dustborn‘s episodes is impressive, with previous events brought up in various ways throughout a playthrough. For instance, resolving a tense situation without conflict can potentially have unexpected outcomes. Even gifting items to friends can have unpredictable results depending on the timing or if you really figured out what they’d appreciate, and occasionally, characters even bring up gift choices in later story scenes. While there are countless dialogue and response action prompts, sometimes doing or saying nothing impacts scenes or opens up “hidden” options to further experiment. Seeing how early decisions in a playthrough can come back and haunt you at the endgame stages is fascinating, and there’s a genuine impact your actions have on the overall ending. For those who love impactful, choice-heavy narrative adventures, Dustborn is a fascinating experience.
Beyond the action and dialogue prompts, Dustborn features two relatively significant gameplay elements looping throughout the adventure. One of these, the music/rhythm portion, is significantly more substantial than the other. I genuinely had fun with the timed button presses for these segments, though I spent more hours than I care to admit practicing songs before each new gig for just slightly above-average scores! Unfortunately, combat in Dustborn is more clumsy than entertaining, especially since the combat dialogue isn’t great and gets repetitive. Even with the option for less combat turned on, you still have to deal with swarms of enemies while trying to wrestle with an uncooperative camera angle. It isn’t unplayable, but it isn’t nearly as fun as the rhythm or adventure game components. I would have been okay with combat not being in the game, even with the admittedly fun capability to craft new attack words and bolster Pax’s bat abilities by collecting echoes and upgrading items as you travel.
I played Dustborn on the Steam Deck for this review with no significant issues. I did have two noticeable instances where the game seemed to get “stuck” after reaching specific points, but loading my save file corrected the problem both times. Because there are so many variations in how you react to situations, you may mindlessly stumble at certain points until you come across a particular action that helps you advance the plot, so it would’ve benefited from some helpful guide or in-game hints to spare some player frustration. There is also a moment towards the end of the game where a loading pause occurs as the game reflects and tallies past actions that reaches immersion-breaking levels. Still, those issues were relatively few and far between when compared to how much time you spend on Dustborn’s overall road trip.
Visually, Dustborn is a colorful homage to indie comics in particular, even boasting “comic book” summaries of the episodes you encounter. The character designs are expressive and full of nice little touches, like characters changing clothing during game episodes. I love how the game uses large, bold text to draw the eye to objectives on-screen. Thanks to the crew’s cover story and the rhythm game segments, the soundtrack is full of catchy, punk rock music tracks with mesmerizing vocals. Sound effects tend to be spot-on, whether quieter, like rain splatter on the ground, or more bombastic, such as literal explosions. The voice acting was sometimes hit-or-miss, depending on the character or scene. Still, several actors (this playlist introduces some of the cast) give their all throughout their performances, with particular kudos on the singing.
Dustborn is a game with a lot going for it, especially if you’re a fan of choice-heavy narrative adventures with a core cast of likable characters who develop a genuine and touching found family dynamic as they travel. It isn’t a perfect game, especially with its limiting combat component, but its strengths make it compelling. I came to care about Pax and her merry band the more I played, and that’s reason enough for me to recommend the game to those interested in it. The power of language and words can be frightening, but the tales they sometimes tell can also be wondrous and moving. Admittedly, Dustborn might not be for everyone, but it provides an enjoyable ride for those it does resonate with.
