Dustborn is a single-player action-adventure game developed by Red Thread Games and published by Quantic Dream under its Spotlight label. The game was released on August 20, 2024 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and Xbox. Its macOS version was released on July 8, 2025.
Gameplay[]
Dustborn is a third-person action-adventure game that emphasizes dialogue and exploration as a means of story development. Its combat also plays a significant role, however, the combat encounters can be skipped or avoided. The performances of the in-game band fronted by the player character Pax are played as a rhythm game. One level is presented as a side-scrolling turn-based arcade game.
Event interaction[]
The most basic element of gameplay is the ability to move Pax and have her interact with nearby events and objects. Many of these events will simply result in examination and information, but can also result in story progress or item acquisition. Of note are events known as "reflections", where Pax will go through a list of one or more topics to ponder about alone, revealing a side of her that normally will not be shown to other characters.
Dialogue choices[]
During dialogue, the player can choose between up to four dialogue options using four buttons. Dialogue progresses in real time and choices may appear or disappear if enough time passes. Additionally, some choices appear only if the player zooms the camera in. To aid the player with decision-making, dialogue choices are confirmed only after holding the corresponding button long enough, while tapping the button reveals the protagonist's thoughts on the selected choice. Dialogue choices that involve the special vocal powers, Vox, are typically presented as dark red balloons with yellow text, while regular dialogue choices appear as white balloons with black text. Choices where Pax relies on her companions will instead show their face icons.
Many dialogue choices will increase and decrease the Coda values of Pax's companions. Although the game usually displays Coda value changes after a choice is made, any changes to Pax's Coda values are invisible to the player on a first playthrough. The Coda with the highest value will influence a character's actions and dialogue, and some scenes will pause and display a "Coda Moment" frame before continuing. The crew's current active Coda can be examined by going into the dedicated crew profile menu, but Pax's current Coda and the exact value of all Codas are hidden.
Combat[]
The game features brawler-style combat with a branching upgrade system for the weapon of its protagonist, Pax. Progressing through the game also unlocks new special abilities that can be used in combat.
- Melee
- Pax can perform a basic four-hit melee combo, which can be extended to a fifth hit via the baseball bat upgrade system. To prevent infinite combos, the final hit of the combo deals more damage than usual while knocking the enemy back. The animations of this combo change depending on Pax's movements, and some situations cause her to weave a kick into the combo.
- Taunt
- Pax can perform a Taunt action, which requires the player to quickly follow several input prompts. If these inputs are successful, Pax will rush to the currently targeted enemy's location to deliver a powerful bat attack that results in a knockdown. Although Pax cannot flinch during a Taunt attack, she can still take damage. The Taunt gauge refills over time, even if Pax is not actively attacking enemies.
- Guard
- Holding the guard button causes Pax to stand still and guard melee attacks, but only if she is facing them. However, projectiles and certain heavy attacks cannot be guarded and must be evaded. With certain bat upgrades, Pax can counterattack if a melee attack lands on her during the first few frames of a guard animation.
- Dodge
- Pax can perform a dodge roll that gives her invincibility frames, but these frames are not back-to-back if she dodges repeatedly. Dodging may cancel normal attacks and counterattacks, making it important for the player to consider whether to allow an attack to go through or to play it safe with a dodge.
- Shout
- As Pax lands hits with her normal attack, her Shout gauge fills. Once the gauge is full, Pax can activate a Vocal, and time will pause so that Pax can aim the area-of-effect of the Vocal. Depending on who is in the combat party, the player can press the Taunt button after a Vocal to order an ally to perform a follow-up action.
- Throw
- After gaining an upgraded bat, Pax can throw it at targeted enemies, with the bat returning to her afterwards, albeit with a small cooldown to prevent excessive use. Certain upgrades in Pax's skill tree allow the bat to hit multiple enemies or inflict an electric damage-over-time effect.
Musical performance[]
During band performances, the player is presented with four lines extending orthogonally from a center circle, where inputs will flow to the center. To help the player keep track of the next input, the corresponding line will be colored just before the input is required. In order to maintain the combo, the player must press the input buttons right when they reach their slot on the center circle's edge, with Okay, Good, and Perfect hits being considered valid. The player also has to pay attention to long inputs indicated by a button with a thick line behind it, which requires them to hold the button until the thick line expires. Although it is possible to let go early in the hold input without losing the combo, correctly performing the hold will result in more points. To temporarily increase point gain, the player can activate Rock Power when the Rock Level gauge is full, but this will also turn all lines blue, preventing their color indicators from being seen by the player. The Rock Level gauge fills whenever the player hits or holds a note, but will deplete over time while Rock Power is active.
The game features up to four songs that can be played at the performances. Three of them are unlocked by interacting with an in-game acoustic guitar and performing simplified rhythm inputs. These songs can be practiced at campsites and in the Bad Lands Bar waiting room by interacting with the guitar.
ME-EM console[]
- Main article: ME-EM
Once the player obtains the ME-EM device, they can use it to scan and capture Echoes, consume Echoes to craft new Vocals for Pax, and play minigames.
Plot[]
- Main article: Story
The story of the game follows the player character Pax and her crew as they embark on a journey across the American Republic to deliver a package to Nova Scotia.
Music[]
The game composer, Simon Poole, produced over five hours of music over the course of three years.[2] The Dustborn (Original Game Soundtrack) album containing 25 tracks was released alongside the game via multiple platforms.
Gallery[]
Pre-launch screenshots[]
Promotional screenshots from the game announcement in 2020.
Screenshots[]
References[]
- ↑ Dustborn game box opening - ASMR version. TikTok.
- ↑ How Simon Poole Shaped The Sound Of Dustborn. Quantic Dream (August 20, 2024).