From Dust has been in development for a very long time. I have been waiting decades for a God simulation to make its way onto console systems. The last two games that came close to From Dust were Populous and Power Monger, and they were released in the mid-to-late 1980‘s. I can remember it like it was yesterday, playing both games for hours on my Commodore Amiga computer.
In From Dust you play a God, altering the life of a tribe as it tries to survive. Your job is to make sure that this tribe succeeds in its quest to populate and thrive as a civilization. As a God, you have the power to plant vegetation, alter the landscape and guide your civilization to greatness.
The story mode is designed very well; it makes you feel like you are accomplishing great things as you shape the landscape for your people. Just about every stage starts out the same, but some chapters have different requirements even though the core elements are the same.
You must first capture three totems that are scattered on the map and gain any technology that is hidden in the area. Each totem conceals a special power that is given to you once it has been captured. These powers can range from evaporating water to extinguishing fires, among others. These skills will change depending on the chapter being played. Granted, it is possible to complete certain chapters/maps without the use of technology.
If you are not familiar with micro-management games, From Dust does it on a very basic level. You command your tribe by highlighting a totem or selectable item and pressing the X button; this will make them capture or explore the area.
At anytime during the game, you can watch your tribes men or women by highlighing the person you want to view and pressing the L1 bumper button. Even picking up and dropping items in the environment is very easy to do. By pressing the L2 button, you can gather things like dirt or vegetation. Once you transport the items to a new location, you can drop the items by pressing the R2 button.
The graphic user interface (GUI) is well designed and executes with ease, making From Dust a very easy and simple simulator to pick up without the overwhelming mechanics that some games have.
There are thirteen chapters in the single player story campaign, but other challenges will unlock during the course of the game. Challenge mode is comprised of thirty different challenges that have you racing against the clock.
Your overall time will be recorded on an online leader board for everyone to see. Competition can get intense as people try to climb higher in rank. The challenges can be revisited as many times as you like, so climbing the leader board will be a very lengthy process.
Even after defeating From Dust, there is still plenty of things to unlock. To help you keep track of all the goodies that you have and/or haven’t unlocked, there is a menu both in-game and on the main menu called ‘Memory of the Tribe’. This journal will keep track of everything from animals to vegetation, as well as powers that you have and haven’t unlocked.
An online co-op and/or versus feature should have been considered for From Dust. This type of game is perfect for co-op play, and even a versus feature could have endless possibilities. Causing massive Tsunamis to wipe out your enemy’s tribe could be one of many possible scenarios in a versus game. Hopefully, Ubisoft will consider online play in a possible future update.
The graphics in From Dust are simply shocking. The water physics alone are the best I have ever seen in a sim-style game. One example would have to be the Tsunamis that are experienced early on during the story campaign. The effects seen, and the rumbles heard, as the Tsunami washes over mountains and into your villages is nothing short of jaw-dropping. It happens to be one of those moments in gaming that will leave a lasting impression.
From Dust is a fantastic game. If you have always wanted to try a simulator, From Dust is the perfect game. It doesn’t have complicated controls or any of the hassles that plague other simulations. It’s about atmosphere, gameplay, and having fun. When you come right down to it, that is what gaming is about.
From Dust is available on both Playstation Network and Xbox Live.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3 (Available on PSN)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Price: $14.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The graphics are beautiful; they are some of the best ever produced on current generation hardware. | |
| Sound |  |
| The environmental sound effects have tremendous impact. | |
| Gameplay | |
| A fun game that is easy to pick up and play. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Whether you are a beginner or a hardcore simulator fan, you will simply fall in love with From Dust. | |
