Red Thread Games, the studio behind Dreamfall Chapters and Draugen, have introduced a brand new motion journey game, Dustborn, with a shiny trailer.
It’s a highway journey game a couple of sooorta queer-coded group of misfits driving a mysterious cargo throughout America, chased by “fanatical Puritans” and blocked by “the authoritarian Justice”. Also you’re a folk-punk band, and should follow across the campfire for a showdown at Battle of the Bands. No, actually.
You’ll play as Pax, a pregnant ex-con with minor superpowers. Apparently “words have actual power” on this world, and also you’ll get to “use weaponised words (fuelled by disinformation) in combat and conversations, to fight enemies, manipulate strangers, and motivate friends”. Does that imply they’re glorified magic spells? Does it imply it’ll actually study and probe the function of linguistics in society? What occurs when the which means of a phrase modifications over time and finally ends up which means its reverse? I have no idea. The transient flash of precise gameplay we get sees a girl with a baseball bat fus-ro-dah-ing some robotic cops with an accompanying, Adam Westian “MOVE!”, which appears in line with Dustborn’s purported graphic novel inspiration.
The remainder of the band are an enormous deal too, in accordance with press releases. They’ll have magic powers of their very own, conflicting personalities and subplots and tales and that, which you’ll choose via in branching dialogues. One of them is a robotic, and I’ve simply this second observed that one among them has vitiligo, one thing I’ve solely ever seen in one game. I perk up at this as a result of I’ve it, however I’m already absurdly white and it solely actually impacts me as a result of it coincides with a number of different autoimmune issues, however on somebody darker skinned it opens up some potential struggles with racism, healthcare, and self-image. Or, y’know, it would simply be not an enormous deal.
It’s clearly carrying a number of themes on its sleeves, is what I’m getting at, which is thrilling and probably well timed, however not with out its hazards. And hey! It may additionally simply be a cool enjoyable journey about smashing up some jerkass autocops. Is it… how unhappy is it that I actually appreciated the bus seats? It’s fairly unhappy, proper? I spent my vacation on a bus as soon as, throughout a flood. It wasn’t superb.
People who congregate in doorways.
Red Thread have a fairly robust pedigree. They shaped after splitting from Funcom in 2012, later releasing Dreamfall Chapters and Draugen, which Alice B spoke of warmly in her Draugen evaluation. Story-driven games are very a lot their bag, and this one appears prefer it’s making a extra express political assertion. I’m very mildly apprehensive, however largely intrigued to see what form this one takes.
Dustborn is due for a 2021 launch on Steam. See its website for extra.
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