Dustborn Review Summary

Excellent voice acting and a branching story with unique art make this enjoyable, but clunky combat, a rushed confusing ending, and frequent bugs hold it back.

Voice acting is excellent: Players consistently praise the voice acting, calling it amazing, fantastic, and phenomenal. The cast is described as brilliant and each character's performance is highly regarded.

Story is interesting: The narrative is frequently described as interesting, captivating, and engaging. Players find the story immersive and note that it becomes more engaging as it progresses.

Gameplay is enjoyable: The gameplay is generally praised as nice, great, and entertaining. Players find the game beautiful, well done, and overall a decent or very good experience.

Game is fun: The game is described as colorful, fun, and enjoyable. Players find it attractive and engaging, drawing them into the experience.

Art style is unique: The art style is consistently praised as unique, cool, and great. Players appreciate the distinctive visual presentation.

Combat is clunky and unsatisfying: The combat is frequently criticized as strange, loose, janky, and unresponsive. Many players find it bland, stiff, and buggy, with poor button feedback and overall design.

Ending is rushed and confusing: The final chapters and ending are widely described as rushed, hasty, and confusing. Players report that the conclusion lacks closure, leaves plot points unresolved, and feels anti-climactic.

Characters are insufferable and unlikeable: Players consistently describe the cast as annoying, flat, boring, and toxic. The characters' behavior is confusing and immature, making them difficult to connect with.

Game is boring and slow: Players describe the game as boring, dull, and not engaging, with a slow pace that reduces the desire to finish. The early game is particularly drawn out and difficult to get through.

Story and writing are poor: The writing is called awful, cringy, and poorly explained, with a story that is incompetent and not good. Players find the narrative unengaging and the dialogue consistently awkward.

Rhythm and combat elements: The game incorporates rhythm-based gameplay, including musical sections and a Guitar Hero-like minigame, alongside combat elements. These rhythm segments are a distinctive part of the gameplay.

Choice-driven narrative game: The game is primarily a choice-based narrative experience where player decisions affect the story, dialogues, and character development. It is often described as a Telltale-style or interactive fiction game.

Combat can be skipped: Players have the option to skip combat entirely or lower its difficulty, making the game more accessible for those who prefer the narrative. This feature is frequently mentioned as a positive aspect.

Dialogue-heavy gameplay: The game is heavily focused on conversations and dialogue, with most of the gameplay involving talking to characters and making dialogue choices. It is described as dialogue-first and drama-oriented rather than action-focused.

Story-driven road trip: The game is set around a road trip theme, with players traveling by bus as part of the narrative. It is a story-driven adventure that emphasizes the journey and character interactions.

Game is very buggy: Several reviews mention a high number of bugs, including graphical glitches and game-breaking issues during combat, suggesting overall instability.

Poor optimization and performance: Players report poor optimization, excessive resource usage, and performance issues that make the game run poorly for its visual quality.

Stuttering and frame drops: The game stutters randomly, with FPS dropping from high to low without reason, and has performance issues during combat.

Smooth performance on some systems: A few players report the game runs smoothly and efficiently on most computers and on Steam Deck, suggesting performance varies by hardware.

Frequent black screen bugs: Multiple players report black screens that force a reset, indicating a serious visual bug affecting gameplay.

Not recommended by many: A large cluster of reviewers strongly advise against buying or playing the game, citing it as not worth the time or money, even at a discount or free.

Worth it on sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale or deep discount before purchasing, indicating the game may be worth it at a lower price point.

Recommended for narrative fans: Several reviewers recommend the game to fans of narrative-driven, choice-based, and story-heavy games, comparing it to titles like Life is Strange and Telltale series.

LGBT themes divisive: The game's inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes and diverse characters is a point of contention, with some recommending it for those who appreciate such content and others advising against it for those who do not.

Worth a try: Some reviewers find the game worthwhile and recommend giving it a chance, even if it has flaws, suggesting it offers a valuable experience.

Community fair range: $1.00 - $5.00.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Story completion: 12.0h.

Dustborn opens with a slow, boring stretch that many players endure, but the game becomes more engaging as the plot picks up steam and characters develop. For those who persist past the early chapters, enjoyment improves, though some players never find it engaging.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Friction: Boring and slow start; Repetitive combat; Tedious dialogue and small talk; Weak hook into the main narrative.

Unlock drivers: Plot picks up steam; Character development and empathy; Getting past the first couple chapters.

Story-Driven Narrative Enthusiast: Focuses on dialogue choices, explores character interactions, and skips combat when possible. Motivation: Experiencing a compelling story and character relationships. Stance: buy.

Rhythm Game Aficionado: Focuses on rhythm segments, completes songs, and may ignore other game aspects. Motivation: Enjoying the rhythm gameplay and music. Stance: no buy.

Political Message Critic: Plays through the story but is critical of the political writing. Motivation: Critiquing the game's political themes and messaging. Stance: no buy.

Linux and Proton: The available user feedback shows the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck (Proton/Linux) with no reported compatibility problems. No negative Linux-specific issues were mentioned.

Comparisons to Telltale games: Many reviewers compare the game to Telltale titles, noting similar narrative-driven gameplay and story structure. This comparison is frequent and often positive, appealing to fans of that style.

Comparisons to Quantic Dream: Reviewers compare the game to Quantic Dream titles like Detroit: Become Human, often highlighting similar decision-making and story impact. Some feel the game falls short of these benchmarks.

Comparisons to Life is Strange: The game is frequently compared to Life is Strange, with some noting a sci-fi twist or a failure to match its emotional depth. This comparison is common and shapes expectations.

Political themes are prominent: Reviewers note that the game's political message is obvious and wears its politics loudly. This is a topic of discussion, with some appreciating it and others finding it heavy-handed.

Frequent sales and value: The game is often purchased on sale, and reviewers note it is worth its price point, especially when discounted. This suggests a good value proposition for budget-conscious players.