Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words… words can change you. Literally, in the world of Dustborn, where certain people have emerged as "Anomals", the power of their voice able to twist the world around them. For protagonist Pax, that means a form of coercion: the right word at the right time able to push people to do what she wants. For her best friend Sai, it's more personal, physically altering her own body for strength or defence.
This is no superhero outing, though. Set in a scarily-close 2030, the story sees the US splintered into disparate authoritarian territories, a militarised police abusing its power, and Anomals a persecuted minority. The fact this is an alternate timeline, branching off from JFK's failed assassination attempt, doesn't make it any less discomfiting. Now, in possession of cargo critical to the resistance, Pax, Sai, and an expanding roster of allies are masquerading as a touring rock band, trying to survive a cross-continent road trip in a desperate bid to reach safety in Nova Scotia.
There's something of a Life Is Strange vibe throughout, a youthful energy aided by the visual approach of the game...
While there's some similarity to writer-director Ragnar Tørnquist's earlier outings, such as Dreamfall and Draugen — all cinematic adventures populated with flawed but fascinating figures — Dustborn is more varied. The band aspect in particular gives rise to fun Guitar Hero-style beat-matching sections as the group rehearse and perform their rebellious pop-punk anthems, while combat is perhaps the most involved that developer Red Thread Games has ever delivered. Each encounter offers snappy hack-and-slash attacks that build charge for Pax and Co's super-powered Anomal skills, allowing for neat tricks like forcing enemies to fight for you or run in fear.
Yet Dustborn's core remains the personal dynamics among Pax's crew. Chatting with the team shifts relationships, every interaction and its unpredictable outcome tweaking the flow of the story and each character's ending. There's something of a Life Is Strange vibe throughout, a youthful energy aided by the visual approach of the game, framing everything as a graphic novel. It's similarly progressive too, with a cast of queer characters from diverse backgrounds making, like X-Men, the "superpowers as minority" metaphor unmissable.
The problem with all those ponderous, character and relationship developing sections though, is that it absolutely murders the pacing. On one hand, this is a desperate race across a dystopian America while constantly evading fascist forces. On the other, it's a chill road trip where pals talk about their feelings at length. At times, the juxtaposition jars, but at its best, Dustborn's emotionally and politically charged journey is still a thrill ride.