Dustborn

Play it on: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Current goal: Talk to good characters, avoid bad combat

I’m still early into Dustborn and I’m genuinely enthralled by its alt-future take on a dystopian America and how it affects a group of marginalized, superpowered people just trying to get by. From the opening scene of protagonist Pax trying to quietly process a heist she and her friends undertook just before the game started while they all yelled over each other in the car, I was hooked. Red Thread Games’ adventure juggles a lot of different mechanics in between the dialogue choices, from its rhythm game interludes to the occasional offbeat minigame that doesn’t get repeated. However, I don’t love the combat, which is a bit flimsy for my liking. But luckily, I just chose an option that shortens combat encounters so I can get back to the stuff the game does exceptionally well. If you’re looking for a really solid Telltale-like adventure game, Dustborn definitely feels like a good one of those so far. I’m intrigued to see where Pax’s story goes from here. — Kenneth Shepard