Dust & Neon

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 147 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.

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Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 147 reviews
gameplay36 positive mentions
story10 negative mentions
  • The combat mechanics are beautifully refined, making for a satisfying and addictive gameplay experience.
  • The unique manual reload system adds a layer of strategy and immersion to the gunplay.
  • The game features a visually stunning art style and engaging sound design that enhances the overall experience.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive due to limited enemy and mission variety, leading to a grindy experience.
  • The progression system feels padded, with XP gating that forces players to replay missions unnecessarily.
  • The cover system can be unreliable, leading to frustrating moments during combat.
  • story109 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for the action, focusing on a gunslinger clone tasked with eliminating robots through repetitive missions. Players engage in a cycle of selecting missions, completing them, and returning to base for upgrades, but the lack of narrative depth and variety in mission types leads to a sense of monotony. While the gameplay is enjoyable, many reviewers express a desire for a more robust story and a campaign-like experience rather than the current mission-based structure.

    • “They set up a small story to give you context, and that is really it.”
    • “The story is simple and humorous.”
    • “From the storytelling perspective, Dust & Neon is really lacking.”
    • “Story is non-existent though, so if you're looking for something deep, this ain't it.”
  • gameplay91 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dust & Neon" is characterized by its satisfying twin-stick shooting mechanics and a unique reloading system that enhances the combat experience. However, many players find the gameplay repetitive due to a lack of enemy variety and limited content, leading to a sense of monotony over extended play sessions. While the core mechanics are enjoyable and the game offers a fun arcade-style experience, it ultimately falls short in depth and variety, making it feel somewhat shallow despite its engaging combat.

    • “Super fun to play, just wish there was a bit more meat on the game as the actual controls and combat mechanics are one of the best I've ever experienced.”
    • “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 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.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant cel-shaded art style, reminiscent of Borderlands, which enhances readability and overall visual appeal. While the aesthetic is considered cool and engaging, some reviewers note a lack of originality and variety in enemy design and landscapes. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding simplicity and repetitiveness.

    • “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.”
    • “It's a good twin-stick top-down shooter with stylish visuals and cool mechanics.”
    • “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.”
  • music11 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being enjoyable and immersive, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, with limited variety during gameplay. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere, it may lack diversity over extended play sessions.

    • “Music is immersive, yet unobtrusive.”
    • “The music is awesome.”
    • “Also, the soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing it as excessively tedious and poorly designed, particularly after level 30 where experience gains diminish. Players express frustration over the slow progression and lack of impactful upgrades, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. While some suggest implementing a more balanced grinding system, the consensus leans towards it being a major flaw that overshadows the game's potential.

    • “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.”
  • replayability5 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 the replayability experience.

    • “The replay value is excellent with the huge variety of weapons.”
    • “Don't know about replayability still, but currently I like the game.”
    • “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 justify a price of $20 or more.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its simple and wacky storytelling, reminiscent of Borderlands, complemented by amusing physics that make enemies react dramatically to player actions. Players appreciate the visual and auditory elements that enhance the comedic experience, contributing to an overall lighthearted atmosphere.

    • “The story is simple and humorous.”
    • “Think isometric, twin-stick Borderlands: visually, acoustically, wacky humor.”
    • “I also love the physics where robots drop dead or fly away from your bullets like they were hit by a truck; it's pretty funny.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of "Dust & Neon" varies significantly across platforms; while the Steam Deck offers a smooth and enjoyable experience, the free mobile port suffers from erratic performance and unresponsive controls, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.

    • “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 due to the port’s erraticness and unoptimized controls.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for containing bugs and glitches, which may deter players who prefer a completely polished experience. While it offers enjoyable gameplay, those sensitive to technical issues might want to reconsider.

    • “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 crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “I encountered several game-breaking bugs that ruined my experience.”
  • atmosphere1 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 3 analyzed playthroughs

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