NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"For the longest time we’ve wanted to create a game that took the visual language of comic books and brought it to interactive, animated life. With Dustborn, I believe we’ve succeeded."

Dustborn has a visually very striking art style. How did you settle on this look for the game?

Here at Red Thread Games, we’re big comics fans. I’ve personally read comics my whole life, and still do — although there hasn’t been a lot of spare time these past few years.

For the longest time we’ve wanted to create a game that took the visual language of comic books and brought it to interactive, animated life. With Dustborn, I believe we’ve succeeded, largely because of art director Christoffer Grav’s background in illustration and graphic design. His art style and direction has been central to the game’s development.

Not only does Dustborn look like a comic book; we also tell the backstory of the characters through an in-game comic (which also exists in printed form for those who bought a physical copy), and at the end of every chapter you get an illustrated recap of the game’s events — great for reminding players what’s happened, especially if they stop playing for a little while. It’s like those “previously on” segments you see before a new TV episode.

Dustborn was made with the Unity engine, so we had to write our own shaders to accomplish the unique look… and we plan to continue this style with one of our upcoming (and unannounced) games.

The setting of the game sounds incredibly unique. What were your inspirations for the game’s story?

Oh, there are so many influences, it’s hard to name them all — but the story was heavily inspired by real-world events in the past decade. There’s a growing political and societal division between people, not just in North America and Western Europe, but across the globe. Part of this divide is due to social media and the spread of mis- and disinformation. We wanted to tell a story where this theme — the power of words, and how language can be weaponized — was central to both the narrative and the game mechanics.

We were also inspired by games like the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series — which has done such a great job mixing genres and play-styles, and balancing a serious story with lots of silliness in a unique and interesting way — and by Final Fantasy 15, and Life is Strange: True Colors.

On the comic book front, The X-Men is an obvious source of inspiration, along with Preacher and Transmetropolitan — and many others. We obviously dug deep into our collection to see how we could use that visual language in a video game.

But Dustborn was also informed by our love of road trips and the desire to tell a story about a journey across an alternate history North America, visiting different locations and biomes along the road, and spending time with a diverse group of characters inspired by our own personal experiences.

Will players be able to influence the story through their action? We know you can have branching relationships with the other characters, but does that influence the main narrative?

To some degree, yes; each major character in the game receives their own ending, informed by Pax’s words and actions, and some scenes play out differently based on how you decide to solve problems, and on the characters’ current emotional state. The game really isn’t about those major narrative branches — it’s much more about the little things, about how people feel and react, how they respond to your dialogue choices — but you can certainly influence the plot in a variety of ways, and there’s room for replay.

"There are so many influences, it’s hard to name them all — but the story was heavily inspired by real-world events in the past decade."

One of the things Dustborn promises is a lot of varying gameplay mechanics depending on the location and what’s going on in the story. How deep can players expect the different gameplay mechanics to be?

Honestly, Dustborn is more about variety, joy and delight than deep game mechanics. There’s combat, there’s a music rhythm action game, there’s something we call “Echo recording”… along with lots of mini-games. Our goal was to keep players on their toes, constantly, and to mix genres, vibes, tones and moods, and to make the game easy and accessible for narrative players to get through the story — not to make a hard-core game that’s particularly challenging.

That said, there’s depth if you go looking for it and invest the time. The combat system, for example, allows you to upgrade your magnetic flying bat (!) in three different ways, using discarded tech you collect during exploration. You also craft new “Shouts”, which are used in combat, and combined with your crew’s powers unlock new combos. And the music game has different completion levels, based on your performance — and these affect the dialogue in the game.

The central gameplay mechanic – using words to fight and solve all sorts of problems in the game – sounds incredibly intriguing. What can you tell us more about it? How did the idea for it as a gameplay mechanic first come about?

This is the central theme of the game: words have power, and we have to be careful about how we wield and weaponize them. This ties back to how social media has become such a powerful force in our lives, and how information — including mis- and disinformation — affect us all, culturally, politically, spiritually, emotionally. We wanted to make a game where that theme manifested as a game mechanic, and that’s how the idea of Vocals (or “Vox”) came about. Pax and her crew can use their Vox — powerful words — to manipulate people and fight enemies.

It sounds like music plays an important role in this game. Could you elaborate more on what players can expect?

Music does play a large role in Dustborn. Pax and her crew pose as a punk-rock band on their journey across America, and you have to both write new songs and perform them at venues along the road. Your performance affects the story in small ways; you don’t have to be good at it, but there’s room to practice and improve, and to expand your set list.

Our composer and audio director Simon Poole was a key person on the creative team, and the game’s score was written alongside the design and development of the rest of the game — we believe that sound and music are crucial to the player experience, and the audio and soundscape are also closely connected to the game’s meta-story, which is about the origins of language itself.

"This is the central theme of the game: words have power, and we have to be careful about how we wield and weaponize them."

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of the game be?

If you rush through the game, you can probably complete the story in 12-15 hours — maybe less, if you’re rude to everyone and cut them off! But if you take your time with every conversation, get to know each character, explore all locations fully, look for collectibles and enjoy the journey, you could easily spend 20 hours or more on this road trip.

Do you have any plans to bring the game to the Switch, or perhaps its upcoming successor?

Not to the original Switch, no, but we’re very interested in Nintendo’s next console, and if Dustborn performs well, I wouldn’t be surprised if we announce something in the first half of 2025!

Force your friend Sai to stop the car when police sirens start blaring or don’t. Decide how you’ll deal with the officer in question. Opt to trigger them. Watch them get flattened by a passing truck. It’s a notable first impression for an adventure, which would have had more impact if it hadn’t been spoiled in the marketing leading up to launch.

"The plot revolves around a mysterious cargo that Pax and her friends – Sai, Noam, and Theo – must deliver to Nova Scotia, an even more mysterious organization, for unknown reasons."

This is only the tip of the alternate history American road trip, however. At first glance, it may seem like a cry of rebellion, a push-back against authority with the power of words and the rhythmic button presses of music. It’s also a journey of friends, family, bonding, and acceptance…when it isn’t teasing a background mystery involving a mysterious tree that pops up in Pax’s dreams, perhaps hinting at the origins of her powers. Maybe this is connected to the Voices that also crop up later on. Maybe not.

Dustborn spins several plates throughout its runtime, devoting significant time to its authoritarian world and diverse cast of characters. There’s success on some fronts, stumbling at others, and a roughness that wouldn’t feel out of place among the motley crew, even if it’s more challenging to embrace at times.

The plot revolves around a mysterious cargo that Pax and her friends – Sai, Noam, and Theo – must deliver to Nova Scotia, an even more mysterious organization, for unknown reasons. This is done under the guise of a punk rock band, touring the American Republic and singing not-so-vague songs against oppression. It’s an intriguing set-up that’s far more endearing than the initial heist-gone-wrong would indicate and provides significant time for bonding with your allies. Of course, there’s more to each person’s motivation than meets the eye.

While there’s the promise of a new start for everyone, Pax seeks to reconnect with her estranged family, including her sister, Ziggy. Noam pines for Hong Kong, her homeland, while Sai seeks to become more self-assured. Theo is a wild card – his motives are uncertain despite the dorky dad energy he exudes. However, perhaps the most intriguing thing about each person’s feelings is how Pax’s decisions can influence the side they show her.

"Regardless, the characters are easily the best part of Dustborn’s experience – they’re imperfect, unpredictable, mired in their tribulations and doubts, and yet incredibly endearing."

For example, Noam could come across as more of an outsider, while Sai becomes better at masking her emotions. Theo, meanwhile, can oscillate between a buddy, father figure, or boss. This approach goes beyond the typical binary of “good vs. evil”, lending more layers to each character and their goals.

While dialogue choices and the like can make some motives more prominent than others, there are also the different Vox that each character (aside from Theo) possesses. For example, Noam can “gaslight” people, calming them and making them more amicable. Sai can turn her skin to stone and also possesses relatively impressive strength.

Aside from Pax’s abilities, which can range from silencing individuals to pushing them back with force, relying on other character’s Vox can affect how your friends view you, for better or worse. Push Sai when she’s emotionally vulnerable, and it may come back to bite you, especially if there are no attempts to smooth things over.

You can’t go against every decision – some situations demand you use Vox. It’s understandable in flashback sequences, especially with some plotlines, but it can feel limiting in certain circumstances. Regardless, the characters are easily the best part of Dustborn’s experience – they’re imperfect, unpredictable, mired in their tribulations and doubts, and yet incredibly endearing, backed by strong voice acting performances.

The systems governing your interactions with them could use some more polish, though. Certain situations will provide new dialogue choices if you wait. If that doesn’t happen, interrupt away, which can sometimes overlap with an ongoing dialogue. It’s especially jarring when you explore the environment and interact with different points of interest, spurring a stream of “so, anyway” among your party as they attempt to continue their trains of thought.

"Unfortunately, Dustborn has bigger issues, especially with performance and optimization. Higher settings resulted in frame drops, even during scenes with very little happening…"

Exploration is otherwise straightforward – objectives are spelt out in large colorful text that fits the overall comic book aesthetic. You can discover items in the environment, some to serve as gifts for your friends and speak to other NPCs for more context on the world. On the punk rock side of things, the rhythm game mechanics are competent – press buttons in time with the beat for a high score and hope your audience is satisfied. However, Pax can also engage in combat, using a bat (an unwitting gift from the Horned Riders.

She can unleash combos, evade, block attacks, and use her Vox to Push foes, with other powers eventually becoming available. You can also taunt an enemy, unleashing a quick damage combo that can wipe out multiple enemies in short order or chunk bosses. Combat is decent, broadly speaking – nothing amazing, really above average, but also more responsive to control than I expected. Following your first battle, options for more or less combat abound, so that’s nice. You can even turn off combat banter (which also suffers from spoken dialogue overriding and conflicting with each other).

Unfortunately, Dustborn has bigger issues, especially with performance and optimization. Higher settings resulted in frame drops, even during scenes with very little happening, including sit-down conversations where you’re casually panning the camera around. Things improved when dialing the quality down, even if performance still felt uneven. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it still occurs enough to impair the experience. There were also cases of background objects disappearing and reappearing.

Fast-forwarding dialogue isn’t possible, which is especially annoying if you decide to start a new playthrough and select different options. The Story So Far feature is good for looking back at the decisions made thus far (and how they compare to other players). However, you can’t view other potential outcomes or hints towards the same in a branching tree a la Quantic Dream’s titles. There’s also no manual saving – quitting out initiates auto save, but certain decisions from a few minutes ago may not have registered, which is more of a nitpick but still worth noting.

"Like any road trip, Dustborn is far from perfect. Nevertheless, it packs enough quirkiness and spontaneity to make it worthwhile while presenting a likeable cast, appealing aesthetic and intriguing premise."

Overall, I enjoy what Dustborn is going for, warts and all. Red Thread Games opts for an impressive scope with the setting and overall gameplay. As compelling as the former can feel, the latter can feel a bit scattered. The rhythm fan in me vibes with the punk rock approach, while the hack-and-slash enthusiast is indifferent to the combat.

Bonding with the characters and watching them open up, watching the little dialogue boxes hint at potential outcomes of choices, and pressing forward even if I can’t predict their responses is engaging. Going from one part of the environment to another for menial tasks like finding characters or picking up toys is less so.

Like any road trip, Dustborn is far from perfect. Nevertheless, it packs enough quirkiness and spontaneity to make it worthwhile while presenting a likeable cast, appealing aesthetic and intriguing premise.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The company revealed an updated roster of titles appearing during the livestreams. August 21st will feature Diablo Immortal, Overwatch 2, Forza Horizon 5, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, and Dustborn. On August 22nd, we can expect to see Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Two Point Museum, The First Berserker: Khazan, Eternal Strands, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and more.

Aside from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, August 23rd will feature  Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Path of Exile 2, The First Descendant, Tails of Iron 2, and Sea of Thieves. Stay tuned for more details when the shows unfold next week.

Star Wars Outlaws

As the first open-world single-player Star Wars title (Star Wars Galaxies – never forget), Star Wars Outlaws launches on August 30th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it follows Kay Vess and her companion, Nix, as they prepare for the biggest heist the Outer Rim has ever seen. Between building – and breaking – loyalties with various syndicates, traversing through different locations, hiring experts, and engaging with space battles, there’s a lot to do, and hopefully enough compelling reasons to do them.

SteamWorld Heist 2

Turn-based side-scrolling real-time aiming strategy returns with SteamWorld Heist 2. As Captain Quincy Leeway, players recruit other Steambots to solve a rampant water crisis, as pirates do. This means breaking into restricted bases and fighting against the oppressive navy, among other threats. Alongside real-time naval combat in the overworld, there’s a new Job system, allowing each Steambot to equip different weapons to change their class and abilities. Level up, and you can mix and match skills for potent combinations. SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8th for PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered

After what seems like forever, Sam and Max are back again, once again, this time in a remaster of Telltale’s 2010 adventure. The adventure sees the Freelance Police dealing with a galaxy-trotting group of villains after Max gains psychic powers that quickly spiral out of control. The latter allows for all kinds of techniques, like mind-reading and clairvoyance, but there’s still the usual range of unorthodox characters and baffling puzzles (now with a new hint system) to experience. With updated lighting, lip-syncing, music and more, the remaster is a great way to visit the duo’s last video game adventure when it launches on August 14th for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Xbox)

Ember Lab’s acclaimed 3D action adventure finally comes to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on August 15th. It includes the Anniversary DLC for new outfits, Spirit Guide Trials, and New Game Plus, which offers more challenging battles. Xbox players also get pirate hats for their Rot (a likely nod to Sea of Thieves), alongside a Golden Rot skin and unique staff. As insignificant as those seem, experiencing Kena’s adventure for $39.99 is a pretty decent deal.

Madden NFL 25

After College Football 25 launched and captured the hearts of millions, what does Madden NFL 25 bring to the table when it launches on August 16th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC? Besides new broadcast teams and a revamped Franchise mode, there’s BOOM Tech for dynamic, physics-based tackling. Carrier balance and recovery have also received some retooling, allowing you to take some hits and still push through. It sounds decent, but will it be enough to compete with College Football? We’ll find out soon.

Black Myth: Wukong

Four years after its initial announcement, Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong will launch on August 20th for PS5 and PC. Inspired by Journey to the West, you control the Destined One, wielding an extendable staff and engaging in battles with over 100 different enemies across about 15 hours of gameplay. Between the fast-paced melee combat, dodging, and magic, it boasts some truly spectacular visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 5.

Dustborn

From Red Thread Games, the developer of Dreamfall Chapters, Dustborn is an odd adventure game where you road-trip as Pax across a dystopian republic to deliver a package. The twist is that she’s an Anomal, who can use words to force others to obey her will. When you’re not bashing robots or navigating conversations with an eclectic cast, you’re making decisions with supposedly major ramifications on the story. Dustborn arrives on August 20th and will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Concord

The Freerunner crew of Firewalk Studios’ upcoming hero shooter didn’t receive the most enthusiastic response following the open beta. Nevertheless, Concord promises 12 maps and six modes at launch with the same roster while offering hundreds of earnable customization items, several unique Variants per character, and no Battle Pass. Will it warrant a better response, especially for $39.99? Time will tell, but Concord is out on August 23rd for PS5 and PC.

World of Warcraft: The War Within

Following Dragonflight, World of Warcraft is embarking on a brand new trilogy, with The War Within as the first part. Set in Khaz Algar, with four unique zones, eight new dungeons and a brand new zone await. There are also new activities like Delves (which can be completed solo or co-op) alongside new Hero Talents, talents and abilities to go with the increased level cap. World of Warcraft: The War Within arrives on August 22nd for PC.

Core Keeper

While the year has seen several compelling sandbox titles, Pugstorm’s Core Keeper has racked up some respectable numbers (91 percent positive reviews, over 2 million players) since its early access launch in 2022. The premise is simple: Venture into a cavern with up to eight players and mine your way to the Core. Collect resources, craft better tools and weapons, automate processes, fish, explore, and battle powerful Titans across multiple biomes. With 1.0 launching on August 27th for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, we can’t wait to see what else it offers.

Gundam Breaker 4

Gundam Evolution may be dead, but Bandai Namco Entertainment has a good substitute – the next Gundam Breaker. Launching on August 29th for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, the action RPG allows extensive customization using more than 250 kits. You can then take your creation into battle, breaking off more parts and further augmenting your creation. With optional online modes and a Diorama function for admiring your units, Gundam Breaker 4 promises to be an enthusiast’s dream come true (and at a far more affordable price).

Monster Jam Showdown

The month is surprisingly slim on racing titles, but Milestone’s Monster Jam Showdown may fix that when it launches on August 29th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As with previous titles, you’ll control various monster trucks in off-road locations, whether it’s in the non-linear Showdown Tour or optimizing tricks in Extreme Freestyle mode. With over 40 trucks and ten modes, it’s a different racing experience that may be worth dabbling with.

Squirrel with a Gun

At first, Squirrel with a Gun appears to be just that. However, Dee Dee Creations’ title is also a sandbox shooter with some puzzling and platforming. You could spend time disposing of the strange Agents out to get you with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, six-shooters, and whatnot, or ride around the neighborhood, helping or harassing its citizens. It’s out on August 29th for PC, and Xbox Series X/S and PC this Fall.

Deathbound

If you’re seeking a more traditional Souls-like experience, there’s Deathbound, set in a medieval world at odds with its sci-fi roots. The main hook is channeling fallen warriors and using their abilities in combat. Synergizing spirits and building up the sync meter for a powerful attack is key, though plenty of challenging foes await to put you down. Deathbound launches on August 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and promises over 20 hours of gameplay and New Game Plus.

Level Zero: Extraction

Extraction shooters are probably the most well-worn trend that barely got started, but Level Zero: Extraction could break out with its twists. Teaming with two other players, utilizing various military weapons with extensive customization, your job is to garner loot and extract. However, all kinds of threats are present on each map, from mines to mutants. Opposing players can also control a powerful alien with cloaking abilities and an EMP. Level Zero: Extraction enters early access for PC on August 13th, with two maps and 16 weapons. As a weird combination of Escape from Tarkov, GTFO, and more, it could be a dark horse.

The story focuses on Pax, an Anomal transporting a package and traveling through the American Republic, controlled by the Justice. As you explore the continent and meet different characters while posing as a punk-rock band, you must evade the Justice alongside other parties interested in the package.

While Pax has a baseball bat, her ability focuses on using Shouts and Vox to her advantage. The latter is useful when compelling people to do certain things, as seen in the trailer when Pax stops her vehicle. Each character has a unique story and powerful abilities that can provide an advantage, with dialogue choices affecting relationships. Stay tuned for more details before its release.

One game in particular that’ll be worth keeping an eye on is Where Winds Meet, which was first unveiled at Gamescom Opening Night Live last year. NetEase says it will be inviting media for an exclusive preview of Everstone Studios’ upcoming open world action RPG.

Meanwhile, NetEase-owned Quantic Dream will also be part of the company’s Gamescom plans, with games like Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior and Dustborn. On top of that, NetEase says it will also be announcing a new game.

Several other companies have also previously confirmed their presence at Gamescom this year, including the likes of Nintendo, Xbox and Bethesda, and Bandai Namco. That said, Sony and THQ Nordic have confirmed that they will be skipping the event this year.

Red Thread Games of Dreamfall Chapters fame has something new in the works and it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X and PC. It’s a third-person action-adventure title called Dustborn and takes place in “post-infodemic” America. Check it out below.

Taking place in 2030 after an event called “The Broadcast”, players assume the role of Pax. She’s an ex-convict and outcast that has superpowers. Pax is looking to deliver a package across the country, avoiding the Puritans with your merry band of fellow super-powered outcasts. As an adventure game, players will interact with the crew and manage them in what’s essentially a road trip.

The action is all about using words against enemies as Pax discovers different Echoes and creates new words to battle foes. These words can also be used on allies, hopefully in good ways. Dustborn is currently slated to release in 2021. Stay tuned for more details and updates in the meantime.