Most God games consist of town and resource management, but From Dust offers gamers a new edge to the genre. There is less focus on attribute and minion expansion, more on level progression, time trials and challenges. Though the game’s designer, Frenchman Eric Chahi has not developed a game for 13 years, using his passion for amateur geology he has crafted what can only be described as one of the most unique games to land on Xbox Live Arcade this year.
In From Dust, you play as Breath, a mystical presence helping a nomadic tribe find their way to their ancients. This is done by progressing through various levels, crossing obstacles and dangers that are in their path. By gathering up earth, water and lava, Breath builds land bridges, empties lakes and diverts river flows. But it’s not as simple as it might sound. Endless streams of water run from waterfalls, so you always have to be on the lookout that lakes or bridges you have built won’t overflow. Throughout From Dust, the tribe will also have to find specially powered stones to protect their village from natural disasters. Huge Tsunamis and destructive volcanic eruptions threaten to destroy their settlements unless their protective powers are used.
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As the tribe gathers around totems to praise and dance to their gods, a village will arise from the earth, with vegetation which spreads to neighbouring land. By moving earth nearby, you can spread this vegetation, allowing more plants and animals to spawn. Around the worlds, the villages will find Stones of Knowledge, which give Breath special powers, such as jelly water. These ‘power-ups’ make tricky parts of the game easier, and can be especially useful for many of the timed challenges. The game world and environment is stunning. It’s the details that make this game so special. For example, if you place some earth around a river, it isn’t there forever. Soil erosion will cause the river to slowly break through the banks. Obviously, the speed of the erosion varies depending on the power and size of the river. These kind of features add an extra complexity to the game.
The graphics are quite beautiful for an Arcade game. The water gleams in the sunlight, lakes of lava bubble viciously, sandy earth swirls in the wind, and the vegetation is diverse and ever-changing. The cut scenes look great, though lack variety. The music sounds perfect, and has a very native feel to it. The aboriginal sound effects complement the tribe’s instinctive feel perfectly.
The problem with From Dust is that once you have completed it, there is nothing appealing left in the game. Though it offers certain challenges, the time trial nature to most of them doesn’t really fit the style of the game, and they end up becoming more of an annoyance than fun. It doesn’t have the charm of successful God games like Black and White. There is no free-roam meaning the worlds feel very confined and goal-based.
From Dust is an attractive game, and the campaign will provide several hours of enjoyment. Its environments, though limited, look and feel fantastic, and there are plenty of challenges to extend its lifespan. It’s by no means the greatest game in its genre, and it won’t appeal to every audience, but it’s fun, creative and a solid Arcade game.
| Rating | Description |
| 7 | Gameplay The campaign is fun and unique, but feels limited. |
| 9 | Graphics Beautiful environments and animations. |
| 8 | Sound The sound is authentic and aboriginal. |
| 8 | Final Score |
