Dustwind

If you are looking for a tactical strategy title to try out, then Dustwind Studios’ new game, Dustwind, might be worth your time checking out. This post-apocalyptic strategy game can feel a touch generic in some places, but it is an interesting enough title to bring out the tactical genius in most of us. Given the number of games with the same theme and play style, though, there is a natural tedium that comes to playing Dustwind that you should be aware of before you start playing.

A familiar face in a crowded market

Go back a few years, and tactical strategy games were quite rare. While RPG fans had the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, other gamers had items like XCOM. Today, though, tac-strat games – and post-apocalyptically themed ones – are lining the shelves like never before. As such, one thing that immediately helps back Dustwind is the total lack of originality.

If you have played one game trying to make an edgy world feel tactical and slick, you have played most of them. Sadly, Dustwind tends to stick a little too strongly to the old tropes that have been done to absolute death. It’s a pretty standard game of this style, and for most players you will more or less understand the games systems within an hour or two of playing. For that reason, Dustwind is probably a more newbie-friendly option for those who have just arrived to this genre.

Take on the role of a heroine (who has no name) and work your way through the ranks, gaining revenge for being left on the brink of death. To be honest, the plot feels like something that was scrapped from something like Fallout: New Vegas for being too generic. Some will feel comfortable comparing this to the Fallout original games, but it lacks anything like the same written panache or detail in the world-building.

If you have played the original Fallout titles and have sampled the story of Fallout: New Vegas, then Dustwind feels like an own-brand retread of the same plots, themes, and ideas.

By the numbers tactical strategy gaming (6/10)

While some things are done well in Dustwind, there is not enough done exceptionally well to remove your gaze from the fact that this is all so generic. Everything has been done here before; the gasmeplay loop involves building your character, doing quests, getting gear, and finding allies. Combat is simplistic enough but the weird control scheme can make even easy fights more challenging than they have to be.

A rare benefit is that Dustwind can be played with other players, so it can be a bit more enjoyable than the usual fare. It looks nice enough, albeit very generic in regards to the genre, but there is not enough going to differentiate this from a number of other games that follow near-identical themes and ideas.

Pros

• Easy enough to play, with impressive presentation for the budget
• Multiplayer support can help to add some more life to the game overall

Cons

• Poor control scheme that makes gameplay feel tedious
• Lack of fresh ideas leaves Dustwind feeling like a by-the-numbers release
• Nowhere near enough unicity in the gameplay loop as your character progresses