The just about parodically melodramatic characters and odd mixture of genres that make up Dustborn result in an eye fixed-rolling first impression, however as my crew of mutated misfits traveled throughout America whacking individuals with an upgraded baseball bat and speaking about our emotions, I noticed that there is much more to it than I first thought. Dustborn is tackling large concepts, and it is doing it with robots in bunny hats, damaged-hearted biker queens, and science-fiction squid issues. This mash-up of comedian books, Telltale-impressed narrative adventures, and rhythm video games is sort of a buffet of kinds, story, and motion, and it really works higher than it has any proper to.
You play as Pax, an aloof conwoman transporting secret cargo to Canada with a gang of fellow superpowered smugglers posing as a punk band. It is set in an intriguing alternate model of America the place JFK was by no means assassinated, Marilyn Monroe is known as Girl Justice, and a blast of concentrated info has gifted some individuals with powers. Not laser eyes or flying – assume extra gaslighting, controlling minds along with your voice, phantasm magic, and extra. Dustborn is primarily about making decisions via dialogue and actions that drive your character towards a particular finish to that highway journey. Will you snuggle up along with your ex? Will you inform the remainder of the crew about your plan? Will you snoop on their calls? (I imply that final one, clearly.)
While you’re not speaking to your allies via cute conversations that sound like they need to include a psychological well being TikTok hashtag, there’s some motion too. Your punk songs at gigs will play out as timed rhythm video games, you’ll seize floating entities known as Echos by dragging them into place with a modded handheld, and you may even battle numerous individuals and robots by swinging round a boomerang baseball bat and utilizing your commanding powers to push, freeze, or confuse enemies. I can by no means resist a little bit of button-mashing music motion, and whereas the fight is simplistic, it seems to be dope. I would have favored extra of those sections to steadiness out all of the speaking, however there is a good probability I am simply impatient and emotionally stunted.
Both approach, the pacing is Dustborn’s largest flaw. This marketing campaign has a gradual begin with sufficient exposition to choke a donkey, main with a seemingly infinite quantity of angsty conversations earlier than you get an opportunity to do something enjoyable with these characters. It is notably straightforward to get irritated when every little thing you are doing appears to contain individuals getting form of mad at you. Finally you be taught extra about every band member and tips on how to navigate your conversations, and there is an emotional payoff to all of the chit-chat, however at first Pax and the individuals she’s coping with simply appear a bit lame. Seems nothing brings individuals collectively like hitting robots with a baseball bat in fight combos or rocking out as a band, and it gained me over too.
These motion sequences aren’t the deepest on their very own, both, so to make Dustborn a worthwhile funding you are going to have to embrace the entire package deal. In case you’re in it for only one mechanic, say the music, you may probably lose persistence ready to your subsequent probability to jam out. Equally, there is not any option to velocity run all of the emotional stuff – even in the event you do not care about being a stone-chilly bitch to your buddies and resolve to chop them off each time attainable, you are still going to wish to investigate these selections to maneuver a chapter ahead. I caught with it as a result of each time I used to be able to bow out some a part of a story thread gently pulled me again in, and I am a sucker for robots and relationship drama.
Whether or not it is within the story setup, the number of its characters, or the way in which its conflicts are approached in conversations, Dustborn has clearly made a aware effort to be as inclusive as attainable. It’s to a level that felt performative at first, and I say that as somebody who’s neither straight nor completely mentally wholesome, however that philosophy ultimately turns into the driving power behind what makes each these characters and your selections regarding them much more difficult and attention-grabbing. That constructive message would not get in the way in which of gameplay, as a result of the gameplay is all about being completely different and discovering a spot in society. X-Males did it within the 80s, and now Dustborn is doing it utilizing the problems and visible language of 2024.
When that story hits its stride and exhibits the boldness to have extra levity in its generally over-critical dialogue or offer you larger chunks of autonomy, I used to be all in. Investigating a sinister, robotic-crammed analysis lab with my bratty little sister; getting an ideal streak throughout a small-city efficiency of a punk monitor; taking a robotic hat purchasing in an deserted mall; utilizing more and more bizarre combos of powers in fight; all of it mixed with the dialogue to present emotional consequence to my decisions, good or unhealthy. I will not be going again for a replay, however I’ll at all times assume fondly of that point I went on a highway journey with a bunch of weirdos and set hearth to a gasoline station.