Dustwind
- August 15, 2018
- Dustwind Studios
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Dustwind" is a post-apocalyptic real-time tactics game featuring single-player campaign, multi-player, co-op, and PvP modes. The story campaign includes 16 missions with a playing time of around 10 hours, where you collect weapons, gear, and develop your character. With splendid gameplay and plenty of humor, tactical and clever decisions are necessary to survive in the harsh wasteland.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the essence of classic Fallout Tactics with its tactical gameplay and character customization.
- The real-time combat system adds a fresh twist, making battles dynamic and engaging.
- The map editor allows for community-created content, enhancing replayability and creativity.
- The game suffers from a lack of content, with no campaign mode and limited maps available.
- The player base is sparse, making it difficult to find matches and enjoy multiplayer gameplay.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- story119 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being linear, shallow, and poorly scripted, with many players noting a lack of depth and meaningful narrative. While some enjoy the sandbox elements and the ability to create custom missions, the absence of a cohesive campaign or engaging storyline detracts from the overall experience. Overall, players seeking a rich narrative will likely be disappointed, as the game primarily focuses on standalone missions without a unifying plot.
“The story is nice and the gameplay is fun.”
“It starts as a classic revenge/rescue story...”
“While the solo missions were already playable alone before, the last big patch has now finally brought a real 16 mission single-player campaign to the game where you play a woman that got treated badly by some bandits.”
“The story is as bare bones as it gets, and it's tough to find motivation when you don't feel like they have realized a world beyond the relatively interesting areas you're able to explore.”
“The story is cliché and poorly scripted.”
“There is not a real story in this game at all.”
- gameplay69 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its core mechanics and fun tactical elements reminiscent of classic titles like Fallout Tactics. However, players have also noted significant issues such as bugs, a lack of content, and a sparse player base that hinder the overall experience. While the game offers enjoyable mechanics and a unique blend of real-time and tactical gameplay, its execution and community support leave much to be desired.
“The gameplay itself is actually very fun.”
“Fabulous intuitive game mechanics and the 1990's Fallout atmosphere create a very enjoyable and extremely violent experience.”
“The learning curve is not too steep, and the gameplay (single player or multi) is very solid and fun.”
“Unfortunately, little did I know that this game is a horrendously bugged mess and not only that, but also barely any information about gameplay has been provided.”
“I would not recommend this game if you want any enjoyment outside of about 8-10 hours of solo gameplay/savescumming (the game isn't actually this long, but you will die and reload entire missions due to a lack of save/autosave features).”
“The emptiness of the game is absurd; no missions, no content, no community base to play with, and the real-time gameplay ruins all your strategy in a second.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some users praising the detailed art style and effective use of gore, while others criticize them as outdated or reminiscent of older titles. The visuals are described as having a unique aesthetic that blends post-apocalyptic themes with tactical elements, though they may not meet the expectations of players seeking modern graphics. Overall, the graphics are considered adequate for a low-budget game, with a clean UI and enjoyable effects, but they may not impress everyone.
“Graphics are gruesomely jaw-dropping fantastic when it comes to combat results with extreme gore and blood-curdling death screams as enemies are cut in half, dismembered, burned alive, sent flying into the air from minefields. It's like they are really feeling the pain.”
“The visuals are beautiful in a very specific way - they give the impression of old school false-3D (with harsh, yet high detail texturing), but in an actual 3D environment that you can orbit and zoom in on.”
“A brilliant reimagining of Fallout: Tactics graphics and gameplay using a proprietary engine that's perfect for a tactical game.”
“Outdated graphics.”
“The models and graphics look like they were pulled from a game made 20 years ago.”
“The graphics are cute at first, but look like they're mostly copy-and-pasted from Fallout 2.”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its blend of action and humor, with players enjoying the comedic elements that arise from glitches and unexpected deaths. The tutorial is particularly noted for its witty and engaging approach, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the humor is a standout feature, contributing to the game's unique charm and fun factor.
“A game filled with action, emotion, and humorous moments.”
“The tutorial will even take you into location-based damage, traps, building turrets and barricades, and driving vehicles, all with pretty hilarious scenarios that let you squish raiders and launch them into the stratosphere with heavy explosives.”
“Overall I'd recommend this game, it's unique and the dev has a great sense of humor and passion for their game.”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to enhance combat and fit the game's atmosphere, while others find it limited and average in quality. Although certain tracks are appreciated, particularly in the tutorial, there are criticisms regarding the main menu music not aligning with the game's theme. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as decent but lacking standout elements.
“Honestly though, the art style, the music, the combat, etc. it's good.”
“I have not played enough to form a solid opinion on the music yet, but from what I've heard so far, along with when it is triggered during combat, I am liking it a lot as it takes situations to another level.”
“The music, along with the name of the game itself, is nice and fits perfectly, as it should be.”
“The main menu picture and music don't fit with the game.”
“Average quality of effects and music without any special praise.”
“I have not played enough to form a solid opinion on the music yet, but from what I heard so far, along with when it is triggered during combat, I am liking it a lot as it takes situations to another level.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be less tedious than similar titles, with options to either engage in challenging PvE missions or utilize player-created maps for efficient XP farming. While some inventory management can be cumbersome, the game offers enjoyable PvP action without the need for extensive grinding, appealing to fans of the genre. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as manageable and less intrusive.
“Tedious inventory management.”
“Grinding: you have two options to reach max level and unlock some stuff: try hard and get killed on 9999 missions in PvE, or play a stupid map created by a player which allows you to power farm your XP by killing thousands of enemies in AFK mode.”
“Units will auto-engage enemies, which takes some of the tedious micromanagement away.”
- character development5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is minimal, with a focus on tactical battles rather than plot or narrative depth. While the custom character design system is praised for its balance and creativity, allowing players to tailor their characters' appearance and skills, it lacks substantial character growth or storytelling elements. Overall, the game appeals more to those who prioritize gameplay mechanics over character-driven narratives.
“Custom character design is interesting, where points are assigned to increase player stats or equip weapons.”
“It had an incredibly special character design system and fully utilized its isometric camera angle to create a genuinely tactical experience that forced you to either play carefully or be torn to pieces.”
“The game can probably entertain you if you're into tactical battles and don't care about plot, writing, intrigue, and character development, because there is none of the above.”
“Character design is balanced here.”
“The character design system is something that stood out right from the get-go, allowing you to make your own characters, designing everything from their appearance to their skills.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering significant value through community-generated content and diverse gameplay modes, including co-op missions and various PvP types. Players feel that the potential for endless replayability is tied to ongoing community engagement and the introduction of new maps.
“I highly recommend this game at its price - it's a steal for the amount of replay value it offers.”
“As such, the game basically has infinite replayability as long as the community takes interest in it and creates new maps.”
“The varied experiences between the co-op missions and different PvP types provide depth and replayability.”
“The varied experiences between the co-op missions and different PvP types give some depth and replayability.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant bugs and a lack of polish, while others have experienced smooth performance and appreciate the core gameplay. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among players.
“After 3 hours of gameplay, I'm not disappointed at all. The game runs great, and the core idea is amazing. In my humble opinion, it's a really needed game in the midst of this childish BR massive wave, both in terms of looks and mechanics.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs during my playtime.”
“I appreciate how smooth the gameplay feels. The developers have clearly put a lot of effort into ensuring a stable experience.”
“But this game is too buggy and too unpolished in my opinion.”
“To start, the game is quite buggy.”
“Also, pretty buggy.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed; while some users report smooth performance and good frame rates, others criticize it for being resource-intensive with questionable loading times. Overall, it appears to run well for many, but concerns about content and player engagement persist.
“The FPS is good enough, and I have not noticed any performance issues generally.”
“The game runs smoothly and with no problems whatsoever, giving it a significant advantage over Fallout: Tactics.”
“The game is poorly optimized; loading times are questionable, and it is rather resource-hungry for no obvious reason.”
“Performance and stability issues are prevalent throughout the game.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by the brutal and chaotic vibe of the 1990s Fallout series, delivering an intense and satisfying experience for players who enjoy quick, tactical gameplay in a post-apocalyptic setting. The combination of psychopathic insanity and nostalgic elements creates a uniquely engaging environment.
“For everyone who likes quick but tactical gaming with a post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
“Fabulous intuitive game mechanics and the 1990s Fallout atmosphere, which is very brutal and maxed up to ten trillion degrees of psychopathic insanity, creates a very enjoyable and extremely violent satisfying experience.”
“The atmosphere is very akin to the original Fallout.”
“Fabulous intuitive game mechanics and the 1990s Fallout atmosphere, which is very brutal and maxed up to ten trillion degrees of psychopathic insanity, creates a very enjoyable, extremely violent, and satisfying experience.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy was notably aggressive during the initial advertising phase, leading to mixed reactions from users.
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending money.”
“The constant push for in-game purchases makes it feel like the developers care more about profit than player satisfaction.”
