Dustwind: Resistance Review

Games that focus on a lone(ish) survivor trekking across a post-apocalyptic world on a search for revenge are not a new concept. This can make it hard for a title to really make a name for itself, and the latest contender looking to stand apart from the crowd is Z-Software’s Dustwind: Resistance. The question is whether this is a trek in the mutated wastes that we should undertake, or if it would be better to find the nearest vault. 

As I said, post-apocalypse revenge stories are dime a dozen; from Fallout: New Vegas  to Mad Max, we have seen it all. Unfortunately, Dustwind: Resistance really is very by the numbers when it comes to the plot. You play as Jake, a farmer in a small community who, alongside his German Shepherd, Diesel, and his wife, is one of the only survivors when raiders led by a man known only as “Warlord” attack. If that does not raise the “I swear I’ve heard this before” voices, then I don’t know what will. I mean, a German Shepherd? Where are all the apocalypse survivors with a Beagle or a Chihuahua?

However, a run-of-the-mill plot isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, exactly. After all, if playing the game is fun, then who cares? Well, that is where it gets a little weird because while Dustwind: Resistance can be a lot of fun, there’s more than a little bit of frustration you’ll need to get past. 

First things first, Dustwind: Resistance is hard, with the opening being the biggest factor here. The problem is that the game wants you to think tactically, but with most combat happening in real time, plus the camera being a hell of a distance away, that’s difficult to do. While looking at the screenshots, you might think it would be a turn-based type of affair, you'd be wrong: all the shooting happens in real time. The problem is that you still have percentages to hit, which change based on range and if you are kneeling. 

As a concept, it’s fine, and it can work well, but the enemies can usually take a lot of punishment while you can’t. Now, you can pause the game to give orders to your team, which you’ll need to do quite a lot, but you’ll still have to aim at some point. Honestly, the combat took me some time to figure out, but I never really got the complete hang of it. Admittedly, when it worked, it was entertaining, but fighting hordes of enemies who all looked the same got tedious. 

With that said, the amount of equipment variety alongside the different skill trees is far more interesting, as you can build your team however you want. You could go light armour with a melee weapon for speed, or become a tank with heavy gear and a machine gun. It is engaging, but the gameplay being weak means this benefit really doesn’t mean much. 

Visually, Dustwind: Resistance is a bit of an odd duck, with the visuals resembling titles like 1997’s Fallout in terms of level design. You get large arenas that you can walk around in and numerous people to talk to (or kill). I do wish the characters were faster, as it can take ages to get wherever you want. Wasteland be with you if the objective is more than five minutes away, too, as you’re going to get bored. Also, there’s no mini map, so be prepared to check the map screen constantly. 

There’s not a huge amount of character detail here, outside of the odd portrait for whoever you’re speaking to, plus there’s no voice acting other than in the scenes between levels. Honestly, that might be for the best as a lot of the dialogue lacks… something. I can’t put my finger on it, but they just read slightly wrong to me. To be fair, I do like the portraits, and the actual design of some of the world is interesting, but you won’t be seeing anything in enough detail to dwell on it.

So, the question is, who is Dustwind: Resistance for? Now, as I discovered, this is part of a series, with the prior title, Dustwind – The Last Resort. I never played the first title in the series, but it has its share of fans, who will likely play this entry. For everyone else, this is by no means the worst game of this type, and the challenge might draw in those looking for something different. However, for the casual player, there are better options out there, such as the Wasteland series.