Dust & Neon

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 296 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dust & Neon Game Cover
Dust & Neon lacks innovation, but shootin’ and lootin’ sure is fun!
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Dust & Neon pits a single mech-enhanced cowboy against an army of robots in this fast-paced, Roguelite Action RPG twin-stick shooter, set in a futuristic Wild West.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 296 reviews
gameplay73 positive mentions
story20 negative mentions
  • The combat mechanics are beautifully refined, making the gameplay satisfying and addictive.
  • The unique manual reload system adds a layer of strategy and immersion to the shooting experience.
  • The game features a visually stunning art style reminiscent of Borderlands, enhancing the overall aesthetic.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly due to limited enemy and mission variety.
  • Progression feels grindy, with players often needing to replay missions to level up and unlock bosses.
  • The cover system is inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments where players can get overwhelmed by enemies.
  • story218 mentions

    The story in the game is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, which revolves around completing repetitive missions to defeat enemies and bosses. Players noted that while the missions can be engaging, the lack of a deeper narrative and the necessity to grind for upgrades detracts from the overall experience. Many reviewers expressed a desire for a more structured campaign or varied storytelling elements to enhance the gameplay loop.

    • “They set up a small story to give you context, and that is really it.”
    • “The story is simple and humorous.”
    • “Story-wise, there’s not much here.”
    • “From the storytelling perspective, Dust & Neon is really lacking.”
  • gameplay183 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dust & Neon" is characterized by its satisfying twin-stick shooting mechanics and a unique reloading system that adds depth to combat. However, many players find the experience becomes repetitive due to a lack of enemy variety and limited content, leading to a gameplay loop that can feel monotonous over time. While the core mechanics are praised for their fun and engaging nature, the overall simplicity and lack of progression depth detract from the game's long-term appeal.

    • “The gameplay is where Dust & Neon really shines and elevates the experience.”
    • “Addicting gameplay loop, great gunplay, and the reload mechanic is a unique addition that adds something new to the genre.”
    • “The shooting gameplay feels so damn good in this game.”
    • “The game quickly feels repetitive because of how simple the gameplay is, and no effort was made to mix up the gameplay.”
    • “Visuals and the idea at first were cool, but gameplay quickly becomes mind-numbingly boring, having to grind out the same levels when stuck at a boss.”
    • “The core mechanic is fine and all, but the game is too repetitive after a while and there's not much content you can do.”
  • graphics44 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their vibrant cel-shaded art style, reminiscent of the Borderlands aesthetic, which enhances readability and visual appeal. While the overall design is considered attractive, some reviewers note a lack of originality and variety in enemy and landscape designs. Despite these criticisms, the visuals contribute positively to the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable to engage with the game's environments and mechanics.

    • “The game looks amazing; the graphics and sound effects are great.”
    • “I love the cel-shaded art style; the bright colors really pop and help make everything readable on screen.”
    • “The art style is so beautiful, and the sound effects are satisfying.”
    • “Enemy design is extremely simplistic, with only a small handful of different types of enemies and a couple that have variants that only differ in aesthetics and HP.”
    • “All three shooters have comic book-style aesthetics, though admittedly Dust & Neon’s simple cel-shading graphically pales in comparison to its two precursors, and there is a painful lack of landscape variety in the game’s four regions.”
    • “From the art style and everything, it feels like the game should be a lot more dynamic and chaotic, but the game is very simplistic, where you're just moving and shooting.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being enjoyable and immersive, complementing the overall experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, with limited variety during gameplay, often looping the same short clips. Despite these criticisms, many still consider the music a strong aspect of the game, enhancing its charm and atmosphere.

    • “The music is awesome.”
    • “Also, the soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “Fun game, third person, shooter and looter, robots, wild west, great soundtrack on the game too.”
    • “The music during missions, as far as I can tell, is a single generic western track.”
    • “Outside of bosses, the music is the same few-second clip looped; I hear it in my head right now.”
    • “Outside of bosses, the music is the same few-second clip looped; I hear it in my head right now.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    The game's grinding mechanics are widely criticized for being excessively tedious and poorly designed, with players noting that progression becomes increasingly slow and unfulfilling after level 30. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of impactful upgrades and the punishing experience gain system, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While a few suggest that a more balanced approach to grinding could improve the experience, the consensus leans towards it being a significant flaw in the game's design.

    • “What makes this even worse is how grindy the game is designed.”
    • “Progressing in this game is extremely grindy.”
    • “Upgrades take longer and longer to get and are less and less impactful, leading to more grinding snooze fest.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some players appreciate the excellent replay value due to a wide variety of weapons, others feel the game lacks sufficient content to encourage repeated play. There are calls for additional content to enhance replayability, indicating that it currently falls short for some users.

    • “The replay value is excellent with the huge variety of weapons.”
    • “This game just misses all the marks for replayability, and it's a shame.”
    • “They would need to add a bit more content or replayability to bump it to $20+.”
    • “This game just misses all the marks for replayability, and it's a shame.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its wacky, over-the-top visuals and sound design, reminiscent of Borderlands, complemented by a simple yet amusing story. Players particularly enjoy the comedic physics, where robots comically react to being shot, enhancing the overall lighthearted experience.

    • “The story is simple and humorous.”
    • “Think isometric, twin-stick Borderlands: visually, acoustically, wacky humor.”
    • “I also love these physics where robots drop dead or fly away from your bullets like they were hit by a truck; it's pretty funny.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The optimization of "Dust & Neon" varies significantly across platforms; while the game performs well on the Steam Deck, the free Netflix port for mobile is criticized for its erratic controls and overall unoptimized experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.

    • “Really fun and great performance on Steam Deck.”
    • “One can note that there does exist a free Netflix port of Dust & Neon floating around in mobile game stores, but it’s quite an underwhelming experience. The strategically frantic gameplay becomes frustratingly chaotic because of the port’s erratic performance and unoptimized controls.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game exhibits some stability issues, with users noting the presence of bugs and glitches. Those who prefer a completely polished experience may want to avoid it.

    • “There are still some issues left, so if you are one of those people who hates having any sort of bugs or glitches, and you abhor the idea of playing anything that is not 200% polished and AAA+++, then skip it.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent crashes and stability issues that can ruin the overall experience.”
    • “I encountered several game-breaking bugs that made it impossible to progress, which is incredibly frustrating.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique blend of cyberpunk and western elements, creating an engaging and immersive setting that resonates with players.

    • “I also just really love that cyberpunk-western setting and atmosphere.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
4-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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