From Dust

 PC
User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 382 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 382
  2. Mixed: 118 out of 382
  3. Negative: 165 out of 382

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. ChoicestGames
    Mar 3, 2012
    7
    A short but cheap game for the puzzle fans and megalomaniacs. I haven't had this much fun since Populous II although most puzzles are somewhat easy and the villager pathing AI can be annoying at times.
  2. OoieGooie
    Jan 1, 2013
    5
    A wonderful atmosphere, art and physics and although there seems to be a lot of fuss about this and that I don't see any issues. I like the game. If only you could ESC the cut scenes before a level. This, by itself, ruined the game for me. I can't watch those cut scenes over and over and over because I failed a level. Such a simple problem that would have a simple fix.

    Fix that one    A wonderful atmosphere, art and physics and although there seems to be a lot of fuss about this and that I don't see any issues. I like the game. If only you could ESC the cut scenes before a level. This, by itself, ruined the game for me. I can't watch those cut scenes over and over and over because I failed a level. Such a simple problem that would have a simple fix.

    Fix that one thing for me and I will give it an 8.    … Expand
  3. HighwayUK
    Sep 5, 2011
    6
    Pretty average physics puzzle game with poor controls, trys too get the flavour of Populous A New Beginning but misses the mark, worth a punt for under a £5
  4. Andrew_Paterson
    Apr 25, 2013
    6
    From Dust is an enjoyable little romp through the lands of, well... through various lands. It's short but cheap and scratches a sandbox god game itch that I've had ever since Master of Magic.

    I bought and began playing it long after the DRM debacle had been resolved (although I still have a small gripe that I have to launch it through Uplay). I'm not going to penalise it for that.    From Dust is an enjoyable little romp through the lands of, well... through various lands. It's short but cheap and scratches a sandbox god game itch that I've had ever since Master of Magic.

    I bought and began playing it long after the DRM debacle had been resolved (although I still have a small gripe that I have to launch it through Uplay). I'm not going to penalise it for that.

    It's pretty enough and the campaign will have you scratching your head until you've mastered the breath abilities. Second time around there's little challenge but sculpting the stages into utopias for the tribe is fun.

    And that brings me to the games biggest problem. The tribe. Their path-finding and AI is awful. Particularly in the challenge maps. I'll see men stuck on the one spike in a flat landscape; stop just before they reach a goal and be flummoxed by a tiny puddle. Most annoyingly they will always try and take the shortest straight line which leads to lots of running back and forth as a passable path presents itself around an obstacle and then subsides causing them men to take the shortest path again and run slap into the obstacle. Fix the path and repeat.

    Adding way-points or the ability tell tribesmen to move to a spot would have fixed this but as it stands it seems unnecessarily broken. Not game breaking but irritating (and a lot more irritating than mediocre and un-skippable cinematics)     … Expand
  5. Mr_HatNClogs
    Apr 29, 2012
    5
    This game was saved by its landscaping physics engine which is so amazing you will literally **** your brains out of your eyes. Short review, I know.
  6. Glasgachris
    Sep 9, 2011
    6
    Ok i thought the game was great apart from the control system, I think there can be some learning from the old populas game, where the flow off the game made it great (old gamer here), the game was priced correctly, I felt certain options could off played better i.e zoom in animation, but still a good game, make it bigger next time as I thought the physics was great, mark 2 will beOk i thought the game was great apart from the control system, I think there can be some learning from the old populas game, where the flow off the game made it great (old gamer here), the game was priced correctly, I felt certain options could off played better i.e zoom in animation, but still a good game, make it bigger next time as I thought the physics was great, mark 2 will be better I want a GOD game.… Expand
  7. saffers
    Sep 25, 2011
    5
    This game has a lot of potential but is to repetitive and annoying to be an enjoyable game, the cameras are also bad and unchangeable and gameplay is just annoying.
  8. Endo
    Oct 6, 2011
    7
    If sandbox is your thing, this is your game. Colorful and immersive, though at times frustrating, From Dust offers around 30hrs of play inclueding replay value. There was much potential for a greater title but failed to hit that lasting high one should feel from the god perspective. Worth a shot, but it will eventually leave you with an empty feeling.
  9. iteration2
    Oct 11, 2011
    6
    First off, the DRM is obnoxious, but some people will care more about that than others, and it says more about Ubisoft as a company than about the game itself, so I won't let it have any effect on my rating.

    As for the game mechanics, the physics system is amazing. Water not only flows realistically, but it seems to accurately fill up depressions, erode earth, deposit silt, and    First off, the DRM is obnoxious, but some people will care more about that than others, and it says more about Ubisoft as a company than about the game itself, so I won't let it have any effect on my rating.

    As for the game mechanics, the physics system is amazing. Water not only flows realistically, but it seems to accurately fill up depressions, erode earth, deposit silt, and everything else it does in real life. Personally, I could play with this simulation in sandbox mode for hours.

    Which is a good thing, because the biggest negative with this game is that there's very little to it OTHER than playing with the physics. The last few levels ramp up the difficulty to the point where I had to really try to save those idiot villagers, but overall, if you're just playing with the goal of completing the game, it can be done in a few sittings.

    As I played through the campaign, I was mollified by many "challenge map unlocked" messages, which made me less anxious about the alarmingly fast rate at which I seemed to be completing the campaign. However, I was severely disappointed when, after finishing the campaign and trying out some of the challenge maps, I discovered that these maps are tiny, with limited terraforming abilities, and can generally be finished in under a minute or two.

    The real shame here is that they must have put an enormous amount of work into the technical foundations for this game, and it shows, but they really dropped the ball on things like interface (there's very little zoom range for the camera, for instance) and total amount of content (Just as the game seems like it's getting out of the "tutorial" stages, it's over). Given the superb game engine and beautiful visuals, it's too bad they didn't put in the relatively minor effort to polish the much easier (but just as important) aspects of the game.    … Expand
  10. Rnadmo
    Oct 18, 2011
    6
    Too short and too small in scope. In the end it's an interesting game and a fun way to spend an afternoon, but there's little replay value. Also the controls were obviously designed for a console and translate fairly poorly to the PC.
  11. keefbaker
    Nov 13, 2013
    7
    Not a god game, more a map customization puzzle game, which is fine but it wasn't marketed as such. That said it's an enjoyable, easy on the eyes little game that if you can pick up cheap is worth a punt.
  12. Vihazur
    Mar 15, 2013
    5
    Looked interesting, but was hoping it'd be more like Populous, and less like that wooden labyrinth board game with the metal ball. Didn't get very far, just seemed like a pretty boring concept to me. I'm not really a fan of puzzle games, though.
  13. fartheststar
    May 1, 2014
    7
    There is fun here, but you kindof have to let the game get out of it's own way to enjoy it. There are sandbox elements, but there's also often a lack of control of the environment around you that's typically expected. In the later levels with lava you're going to be dealing issues that you can't really fix, you're just working around problems, which isn't always fun. For a game w/There is fun here, but you kindof have to let the game get out of it's own way to enjoy it. There are sandbox elements, but there's also often a lack of control of the environment around you that's typically expected. In the later levels with lava you're going to be dealing issues that you can't really fix, you're just working around problems, which isn't always fun. For a game w/ sandbox elements this can be frustrating - often I just want the game to leave me alone and let me do what I want. I got to one of the later levels and just got tired of dealing with lava on several successive levels and quit playing because of that. The game started feeling more like a chore than fun for me.

    Pathfinding: The little people seem to have problems with path finding - or at least I can't figure out why they have so much trouble walking from point A to point B. They have quite a bit of trouble with changes in slope and slight changes in elevation that are hard to see. In all - for a game that keeps asking you to do things and get your people from point A to point B - this is frustrating when you can't tell what their problem is.

    Part of the issue with this game is probably my expectation - it seemed like it could be this cool little eco-simulator where I could build worlds, but it turns into a jump-through-hoops puzzle type game too often. That's not to say there's not fun - there is fun - but a true sandbox mode with various maps would've been nice - but like other reviews have said - for some reason you can't just start a map and build like Sim City. There's a cool core idea though - it's just frustrating that it doesn't go where as a player you expect it to.    … Expand
  14. mexranger
    May 31, 2013
    7
    From Dust is a short, pretty and simple game which I have come across by chance in the bargin bin. I suggest you pick up a copy and kill a few hours. Its a pleasant surprise.
  15. Centurion456
    Dec 3, 2012
    7
    A nice puzzle/god wrath game, the power you wield to halt natures advance is fun, but the villager path-finding ability is frustrating to say the least.
  16. Grimmycakes
    Sep 16, 2013
    5
    There are some minor gameplay "spoilers" in this review but nothing fancy that I would really call a spoiler.

    From Dust was quite an interesting game for me. I will say this. The gameplay itself is pretty fun. However each and every level is very easy except maybe for the last level before the final level. The physics for water etc were very nicely done. I definitely enjoyed the    There are some minor gameplay "spoilers" in this review but nothing fancy that I would really call a spoiler.

    From Dust was quite an interesting game for me.

    I will say this. The gameplay itself is pretty fun. However each and every level is very easy except maybe for the last level before the final level.

    The physics for water etc were very nicely done. I definitely enjoyed the visuals from things like tsunamis and the way they interacted with the world itself.

    The big issue though is the game was sooooo very short and easy. There was rarely ever an actual challenge in the game. There was some times where I was required to think. But in a very short amount of time, I was able to figure out just how to overcome each level.

    The AI was for the most part ok, but there were some times where I would say they were pretty stupid and got themselves killed or I would have to be extra generous and help them even more, just to overcome a little "obstacle".

    There were also some times where the tiniest amount of water would prevent me from getting them to build a village, which again was annoying since it's rather hard to find such a small drop of water.

    Moving about the terrain was for the most part good to me. But there were some times where I found it a little annoying. Probably my biggest issue was I could very rarely ever have the camera sit "still" I would always move forwards or backwards even if just slightly. So I had to constantly keep changing my direction just so I can zoom in and focus on an area that needed my attention.

    I was disappointed in the "Story". I wouldn't call it a story at all.
    Every level played the same cutscene. I thought it was going to give us something interesting each level. But to my disappointment, it was the same thing. Over and over again.

    I think the game had a ton of potential to be great. But with the short gameplay, the lack of more powers/abilities to challenge you makes this game kind of a let down. There is very little content in the game.

    I did enjoy the game, but it's not something I would play again due to there not being any real re playability in it..

    For the price I paid, I suppose it was a fair-ish price.

    Overall, if you're looking for a fun and short "godish" game to play for a few hours to pass some time, I would say look into giving this game a shot. Just don't expect too much from it. The lack of more content and short gameplay is its biggest fall.

    Gameplay 6/10
    Graphics 7/10
    Sound 5/10
    Story 1/10    … Expand
  17. bettacritic
    Aug 24, 2011
    5
    After watching a few trailers for this one a few weeks ago, I was very curious in how this game would play. It's a cool idea to be a kind of all powerful elemental god of an ancient tribe, especially for 15 bucks, but unfortunately it seems its just not that fun. While playing though this I just felt like i didn't have all that much to do. Every level seemed to play like a tutorial whereAfter watching a few trailers for this one a few weeks ago, I was very curious in how this game would play. It's a cool idea to be a kind of all powerful elemental god of an ancient tribe, especially for 15 bucks, but unfortunately it seems its just not that fun. While playing though this I just felt like i didn't have all that much to do. Every level seemed to play like a tutorial where you were learning some cool ability but never getting a level where you have the power to use them as you would want to or the choice on when to use it. I guess i have been pretty hard on this game and maybe i was expecting something else but its not all bad it looks nice and the control was good enough (mouse scroll could get a bit strange) but its ok for a dumbed down version of lemmings.… Expand
  18. HapexIndustries
    Aug 18, 2011
    6
    Simply put, this is a terrible port. Lackluster visuals (basically no display options or antialiasing), sluggish performance (frames per second capped at 30 for no conceivable reason), poorly optimized code, audio popping, wonky controls, DRM (need an internet connection everytime you play), etc. The game itself is pretty good but the presentation is so poor that it doesn't matter.Simply put, this is a terrible port. Lackluster visuals (basically no display options or antialiasing), sluggish performance (frames per second capped at 30 for no conceivable reason), poorly optimized code, audio popping, wonky controls, DRM (need an internet connection everytime you play), etc. The game itself is pretty good but the presentation is so poor that it doesn't matter. Patches could help, but as it is I'm giving it a six out of ten, and 2 of those points are because I like god games. I think the reviewers that gave this a 90% should be ashamed of themselves.… Expand
  19. Xiphus200
    Aug 18, 2011
    5
    Port Alert! -- If I were reviewing this for XBOX I would be scoring it higher, but if you're going to port a console game to PC make sure to OPTIMIZE IT FOR A PC. That aside if you do happen to own a XInput controller then From Dust is actually a pretty fun sandbox game. You play as the omnipresent "Breath" and use your godlike landscaping powers to sculpt the the world to your will. EachPort Alert! -- If I were reviewing this for XBOX I would be scoring it higher, but if you're going to port a console game to PC make sure to OPTIMIZE IT FOR A PC. That aside if you do happen to own a XInput controller then From Dust is actually a pretty fun sandbox game. You play as the omnipresent "Breath" and use your godlike landscaping powers to sculpt the the world to your will. Each level's objectives are much the same, guide your tribe to points of the map where they can build a new settlement while protecting them from natural calamities, once you do this enough you can move on to the new map.… Expand
  20. robertjweber
    Aug 20, 2011
    6
    I bought the game as I have a new PC and want to see what it can do - IGN basically said this game could only have come out now due to the excellent graphics and reliance on physics. Honestly... its on par with black and white. Dated, obviously a port, no graphics options, simple puzzles.

    Boring game, ill probably finish it but its not epic. 6/10
  21. wololooo
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    From Dust had so much potential. Early development videos showed promised something truly unique, and while there is a great concept behind the game, it was executed terribly. Ubisoft spit in PC gamers' faces with their ludicrous DRM, and absolutely horrible console porting. A little extra effort on the developers part would have resulted in an excellent game.
  22. dosse91
    Aug 21, 2011
    5
    Not a bad game, just not executed too well. everything (except the physics), is mediocre or bad. Let's talk about the good aspects:
    -it can be fun since it has many of different abilities that you have to use through the game
    -the physics are really well done, especially water, which is really good and... The negative aspects: -it gets repetitive and frustrating really soon -the controls    Not a bad game, just not executed too well. everything (except the physics), is mediocre or bad. Let's talk about the good aspects:
    -it can be fun since it has many of different abilities that you have to use through the game
    -the physics are really well done, especially water, which is really good

    and...
    The negative aspects:
    -it gets repetitive and frustrating really soon
    -the controls are 5HIT! and that makes dealing with terrain and water a real pain in the ass
    -it's a goddamn console port, and not even a good one (30 fps, no video settings, nothing!)
    -ubisoft drm, once again, makes me want to download a crack instead of buying ubisoft games
    -really bad AI (this is minecraft-level ai!)
    -it would be nice to have a map in a corner of the screen to know if a part of the map is burning, or if the people are drowning in a river outside the screen    … Expand
  23. mech
    Aug 20, 2011
    5
    I did not care much about the ugly DRM and the poor quality of the port, but even then this game has failed to meet my expectations. It is, quite literally, a sandbox game, and there is not much to do other than moving some sand around. The water physics looks pretty impressive at first, but building sand bridges with clumsy controls gets old really fast. The campaign is poorly designed inI did not care much about the ugly DRM and the poor quality of the port, but even then this game has failed to meet my expectations. It is, quite literally, a sandbox game, and there is not much to do other than moving some sand around. The water physics looks pretty impressive at first, but building sand bridges with clumsy controls gets old really fast. The campaign is poorly designed in that it is not challenging but rather very annoying. Overall, a big disappointment.… Expand
  24. MusAddict
    Dec 1, 2011
    7
    I found myself exasperated after a day or so of playing this game, but it is a great concept, fun while it lasts, and is rather beautiful. I find myself most intrigued by the physics, they are really good for such a small game. Since this is made by Ubisoft, I almost feel this is an R&D title that went retail. "Anno 2070" looks to have the exact same engine, but is like Sim City.
  25. Teraksus
    Aug 18, 2011
    5
    I was hoping for Black and White 2 reviewed and perhaps that was the problem. If you are thinking about buying this game for that same reason, forget it Aside the play-ability problems well described in others' reviews the main problem is that the game is just boring. As far as I can tell there is no plot, is just a bunch of task, and the lack of a storyline make the game meaningless.I was hoping for Black and White 2 reviewed and perhaps that was the problem. If you are thinking about buying this game for that same reason, forget it Aside the play-ability problems well described in others' reviews the main problem is that the game is just boring. As far as I can tell there is no plot, is just a bunch of task, and the lack of a storyline make the game meaningless.
    Another downside for me, is that once you finish all the given tasks, there is nothing to do, so there is no use keep playing the same map, even if you really like it, and you have to star another one all the same stuff all over again.
    The positives: the graphics are really beautiful.    … Expand
  26. Gazz
    Aug 20, 2011
    6
    The graphics and physics of this game are awesome. No question about that. However, it looks like a classic "god" game and one of the challenge texts even names Molineux as an inspiration. Even the Metacritic summary calls it a god game. In reality, this game has little in common with a Populous or Magic Carpet where you always have to use some kind of strategy. From Dust is a PUZZLE in anThe graphics and physics of this game are awesome. No question about that. However, it looks like a classic "god" game and one of the challenge texts even names Molineux as an inspiration. Even the Metacritic summary calls it a god game. In reality, this game has little in common with a Populous or Magic Carpet where you always have to use some kind of strategy. From Dust is a PUZZLE in an unusually pretty package. Once you have solved the puzzle, you will always win this scenario by the exact same course of action. There is no AI and no challenge beyond that. There is no replay value. I can even understand that the console versions are rated quite favourably because there it does not have to stand up to the comparison against the GAMEPLAY of a Popolous 2.
    Unlike others I did not have a problem with the camera or controls. They were awkward at times but never a game-stopper. The DRM - well, the online activation worked fine, I started the game once played it all the way through (no crashes!), played all but one of the "challenges", then uninstalled it.    … Expand
  27. Bubs
    Aug 17, 2011
    6
    From Dust is a fun game that plays like they sell it: you control the elements to guide your human tribe. It is simple and entertaining, but poorly ported. The key choices are a bit wonky, but you will get over it quickly. The mouse movement isn't difficult to get used to either. Unlike what many others are saying, you CAN control the mouse sensitivity in game, it's just under the wrongFrom Dust is a fun game that plays like they sell it: you control the elements to guide your human tribe. It is simple and entertaining, but poorly ported. The key choices are a bit wonky, but you will get over it quickly. The mouse movement isn't difficult to get used to either. Unlike what many others are saying, you CAN control the mouse sensitivity in game, it's just under the wrong options menu. The biggest letdowns are that the developers didn't add graphics controls and you're stuck at 30fps, no AA, so while everything looks like it could and should be beautiful, it's simply not by today's standards. It just looks... alright. Furthermore, Ubisoft felt it necessary to bludgeon this simple $15 game with their DRM bat using their tried and tested and failed methods of antipiracy including requiring an internet connection to play at all times, despite being only single player.

    In the end, it comes down to the simple question of whether you think a poor port is enough to hold back an otherwise great game.    … Expand
  28. aikeno
    Aug 17, 2011
    7
    A really fun game, A 9 if the camera wasn't so annoying. If they came out with an update that separated the movement of the camera and the movement of the breath I think people would be more inclined to buy it, but we can only hope that they do something about it, until then i will only be playing 30mins at a time because that's about all I can handle of the ridiculously annoying camera movements.
  29. BjEurope
    Aug 18, 2011
    7
    The concept of From Dust is one of the better ideas in recent history. You help a tribe settle along several landscapes by forming their environment. All of this is accomplished visually rich with wonderful dynamic physics. The game in itself does not seem to be particularly long, but it certainly does offer value for money.
    Ubisoft however does deserve some heavy criticism for delivering    The concept of From Dust is one of the better ideas in recent history. You help a tribe settle along several landscapes by forming their environment. All of this is accomplished visually rich with wonderful dynamic physics. The game in itself does not seem to be particularly long, but it certainly does offer value for money.
    Ubisoft however does deserve some heavy criticism for delivering a heartless port of the Xbox version. Therefore, the game is best played with the Xbox gamepad for windows. Controlling it with mouse and keyboard certainly is a pain in the a**.    … Expand
  30. Keromyaou
    Aug 19, 2011
    5
    The concept of this puzzle game is very interesting. The visuals are good enough for me although it is nice to have some options to set the visual quality. The main problem is 1) camera views and 2) AI of the characters. It is hard to grasp the whole situation in the game because the camera movement is very awkward. The native people are stuck once in a while although there are noThe concept of this puzzle game is very interesting. The visuals are good enough for me although it is nice to have some options to set the visual quality. The main problem is 1) camera views and 2) AI of the characters. It is hard to grasp the whole situation in the game because the camera movement is very awkward. The native people are stuck once in a while although there are no obstacles around them. This is probably because AI doesn't work smoothly under some particular situations. With these problems I still managed to play the game for several hours so far. It certainly gave me some enjoyment because this game is not bad at all as a puzzle. DRM is problematic as always although I didn't have problems to install the game. I give 8 or 9 for the puzzle. But the problems as I pointed out above knock down the score to 5.… Expand
  31. Kackur
    Aug 27, 2011
    7
    This game has a lot of potential but a lack of content and draconian DRM hold it back. I can not comment on all the bugs reported by other people as I experience none during my play through. The game is actually really enjoyable for the first play through. However, expect that to last 3-6 maxs. Afterwards there really isn't a whole lot left to do. The game lacks content and is far toThis game has a lot of potential but a lack of content and draconian DRM hold it back. I can not comment on all the bugs reported by other people as I experience none during my play through. The game is actually really enjoyable for the first play through. However, expect that to last 3-6 maxs. Afterwards there really isn't a whole lot left to do. The game lacks content and is far to easy. It seems as though it got simplified to death. Also having to log in on-line every time you want to play is rather ridiculous.… Expand
  32. magnianhk
    Aug 21, 2011
    7
    From Dust is worth a play-through. The engine is really fun to mess around with and it's a great idea. For $15 and about 10 hours of story you get what you pay for. This is not Black & White III. The game suffers from default awkward camera coding (which there IS on option for!!), terrible AI, un-skippable CG sequences, and some very boring songs from the tribe, in my opinion.From Dust is worth a play-through. The engine is really fun to mess around with and it's a great idea. For $15 and about 10 hours of story you get what you pay for. This is not Black & White III. The game suffers from default awkward camera coding (which there IS on option for!!), terrible AI, un-skippable CG sequences, and some very boring songs from the tribe, in my opinion. Listening to the repel-water spell over and over becomes very monotonous. Less horn and a lot more drums, I think, would make for better songs. 7/10 in the current state, but if the AI was updated I'd give it an 8/10.… Expand
  33. Journeyman
    Aug 21, 2011
    7
    Art, sound and physics 10
    Publisher -3
    Overall 7 Majority of extremely low scores mention DRM. Its understandable but not to the point to give this game 0 ,1,2 or 3. People, please rate the game (including your DRM frustration) but dont bash it so hard. This game is another example reflecting the world we are living in. Great idea gets drained, suffocated and simplified for the sake of    Art, sound and physics 10
    Publisher -3
    Overall 7

    Majority of extremely low scores mention DRM. Its understandable but not to the point to give this game 0 ,1,2 or 3. People, please rate the game (including your DRM frustration) but dont bash it so hard.
    This game is another example reflecting the world we are living in. Great idea gets drained, suffocated and simplified for the sake of "pleasing the market" by a bunch of Stasi, ignorant, greedy, filthy, idiotic, criminal marketeers (pleonasm?). They too, as many others, do not allow ideas to come on top of their short term profit. Result is this twilight market of anemic and failing titles.
    As some other reviewers, I had none of mentioned problems (beside annoying and intelligence insulting DRM). I had to "fix" DRM problem. Game run flawlessly, physics were simply jaw dropping and control, although novel, was not giving me headache. Sounds and music were great.    … Expand
  34. bobbyv
    Aug 24, 2011
    7
    Seriously, most of the negative reviewers here need to get a life. I hate the DRM stuff too, as the UBI Launcher only works 1 in 7 times. (Not only on this game, but on Settlers 7, an excellent, excellent game.) I guess this is a form of boycott, and hopefully they listen, but still... let's move on to the game.

    The graphics are fine. Anyone complaining about things like 30fps and    Seriously, most of the negative reviewers here need to get a life. I hate the DRM stuff too, as the UBI Launcher only works 1 in 7 times. (Not only on this game, but on Settlers 7, an excellent, excellent game.) I guess this is a form of boycott, and hopefully they listen, but still... let's move on to the game.

    The graphics are fine. Anyone complaining about things like 30fps and antialiasing issues needs to turn off the monitor and go outside. It's 60fps and max AA out there. The controls are a little fiddly but not bad... you're not trying to place things that precisely anyhow. I haven't tried using a controller with it, but that might be a little better than the mouse.

    I consider this a kids' game difficulty-wise, since it reminds me of the first 15 levels of Lemmings. I'm sure the reference will go over 90% of people's heads but for puzzle games it's the original. Maybe some expansions can offer some bigger challenges.

    The message that we have to recover the knowledge of the ancients is a good one to leave kids with... the most important one, really.

    Anyhow, this is a fun game for anyone who [never had/misses having] a sandbox. Have fun pushing around the sand, rock, and water and don't worry too much about the little people on the screen. They're just there to help out your imagination a little if you've grown up in the sterile, cartoons-and-gaming-saturated world of the 90's and 00's. The mechanic could easily be utilized in a full-budget title to great effect. I'm always hoping for an Actraiser reboot :)    … Expand
  35. gvazdas
    Aug 18, 2011
    6
    From Dust is a... Fun game.
    It's a very solid 'god' game where you control 'the breath' - you control the landscape by taking sand, water and lava to form bridges, walls, pools, rivers and etc.
    The game offers gorgeous graphics. However, the game's controls are really bad, poorly ported and the camera angles are annoying. The levels are easily forgettable and the game is extremely hard (I    From Dust is a... Fun game.
    It's a very solid 'god' game where you control 'the breath' - you control the landscape by taking sand, water and lava to form bridges, walls, pools, rivers and etc.
    The game offers gorgeous graphics.
    However, the game's controls are really bad, poorly ported and the camera angles are annoying.
    The levels are easily forgettable and the game is extremely hard (I had a large amount of challenge in this game, even though I play games all the time) and I don't recommend it for PC players
    If you want to have more fun in this game, play it on the PS3 or XBOX360 for a better control scheme yet little poorer graphics.
    If this weren't for the poor controls and ungodly (pun intended) difficulty, this game would have succeeded.    … Expand
  36. Cigaboo
    Aug 18, 2011
    6
    A fascinating game, but damaged by quality issues on the PC version as others have pointed out. To provide some specific problems with the controls - the area that your mouse cursor is contained in is set too small. If you move the mouse barely to the right/left or up/down, it moves the camera. Not only that, but it moves the camera very quickly. This is frustrating for when you areA fascinating game, but damaged by quality issues on the PC version as others have pointed out. To provide some specific problems with the controls - the area that your mouse cursor is contained in is set too small. If you move the mouse barely to the right/left or up/down, it moves the camera. Not only that, but it moves the camera very quickly. This is frustrating for when you are simply trying to make selections on the screen, it almost always causes the camera to move. The problem is worse on a widescreen monitor. The second control issue I've encountered is the option to push both the "take element" and "release element" buttons at the same time. It is supposed to release your full element load when you do this, but I found it took me repeated synchronized mouse button click attempts for this to finally occur. Lastly, there are virtually no graphical options to improve performance. I found that my framerate was very jerky. I thought it might be that I don't have a state-of-the-art graphics card, but then I started reading that even people with better hardware have been getting sub-par performance. Where was the quality assurance for this port? I don't think this game is completely dead in the water, as long as Ubisoft releases a patch to address these issues.… Expand
  37. dajhorn
    Nov 28, 2012
    5
    From Dust plays like a low-fat version of Populous, which leaves you wanting something more. This game also has a terminal case of console-itus and a bad DRM infection. An Xbox 360 controller should be listed as a requirement for playing.
  38. H0U5E
    Aug 22, 2011
    6
    the Game fails with its resolution. the premise is very promising though.... it fails to be engaging in the long run... but maybe when they update the game with different modes, it can be playable...
  39. Viacota
    Oct 7, 2012
    6
    No es lo que pensaba, se trata solo de llevar del punto A al punto B a los primitivos, ya sea arrastrando agua, colocando tierra, solidificando magma,etc.

    Visualmente bello y agradable, entretiene Sí, pero pensaba que tenpia más relación con un juego en el que eres Dios y haber tenido más control y variables que manejar.
  40. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    7
    Tier 2
    + Incredibly unique gameplay driven by awesome visuals and game feel
    + Gameplay, story, and themes interplay well together
    ? Solutions to challenges are sometimes oblique or oddly difficult to accomplish
    - Gameplay and environment variety is lacking
  41. Rowanwaters
    Oct 12, 2018
    7
    The difficulty level is quite high for this game, but it is beautifully rendered and if you take the time to play around with the controls of each new breath, it can be fun. I had a very hard time finishing the game but I enjoyed it when I finally did.

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best PC Game of 2011
41
#41 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
69
#69 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 30, 2011
    50
    To truly enjoy playing God you have to beat a few obstacles – technical issues, arguable DRM and user-unfriendly controls. Console-to-PC conversion took its price this time. [Oct 2011]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 19, 2011
    84
    From Dust feels like a demo of Populous 4. Tutorial parts (with too much hand helding) ran too long, but couple of levels display the possibilities what From Dust could have been. Still worth the price, though. [Sept 2011]
  3. MEGamers
    Sep 15, 2011
    75
    From Dusk is a very interesting title to play, but could have been a great game if the controls and difficulty were more polished.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »