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

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  1. giskard
    Jan 27, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An interesting game, unfortunately it is designed for a console not a pc, the mouse feels drunk and once you get to the tide is high level, your game comes to an end because its not possible to finish that level on the PC. I watched some youtube videos of xbox users doing it and it looks like a far easier level than what we get on the PC. I wonder if Ubisoft has tested this on the PC at all, it certainly does not look like it. Take tip, stay clear, it is a nice small game but its just not worth when you can only get half way through this short game anyway.… Expand
  2. bobreviews
    Aug 17, 2011
    3
    Once again a promising idea is destroyed by what I assume is publisher meddling. Ubisoft have pulled a 'Spore' with From Dust. Trailers and Interviews hinted at a powerfully beautiful return to the God game. Instead what we have is a tepid puzzle game that suffers from horrible camera, controls and lack of any reason to continue whatsoever. Altering the landscape turns out to be aOnce again a promising idea is destroyed by what I assume is publisher meddling. Ubisoft have pulled a 'Spore' with From Dust. Trailers and Interviews hinted at a powerfully beautiful return to the God game. Instead what we have is a tepid puzzle game that suffers from horrible camera, controls and lack of any reason to continue whatsoever. Altering the landscape turns out to be a haphazard affair, with the game ignoring some attempts, shifting the camera and getting in your way at every turn. The concept was solid, but what happened? Only a publisher like Ubisoft could mess something up so horribly. Jump cuts to pre-rendered cutscenes and forced camera pans jar you about, while the music cuts suddenly during transition.

    Frustration sets in when the controls fail, Villagers are willfully stupid, and an invisible puddle of water somewhere impedes the construction of another village. Could we not move the village to a safer spot? No. This is where the game has railroaded you. The only winning option is not to play.    … Expand
  3. TheFrisk
    Aug 17, 2011
    3
    A good idea and attempt at the God game genre, but thanks to the work of Ubisoft, this game is not one I'd recommend to anybody. The game, thanks to the DRM, requires you to have the Ubisoft launcher. In order to launch the game, you need to make an account and tie your serial key to your account. For those buying the game through Steam or some other digital distributor, you'll need toA good idea and attempt at the God game genre, but thanks to the work of Ubisoft, this game is not one I'd recommend to anybody. The game, thanks to the DRM, requires you to have the Ubisoft launcher. In order to launch the game, you need to make an account and tie your serial key to your account. For those buying the game through Steam or some other digital distributor, you'll need to make a new account on Ubisoft's end to even play the game. For many, this Ubisoft launcher is unstable and causes more problems than it should, which if encountered, won't let you run the game at all.

    Once you load the game, you'll be greeted by a game with limited graphics options, with the only choice being to change resolutions. And once you start a new game and get into gameplay, the obvious lack of Anti Aliasing and the frame limited forcing the game to run at 30fps is noticeable, and hinders on the game graphically. Actual gameplay gets to be more disappointing, with mouse scrolling causing the cursor to spaz out, moving the camera all over the place and with mediocre camera controls overall. Luckily, the former of those two is able to be fixed, with the developers including an option to turn off mouse scrolling.

    Overall, this is a great idea spawned from the great mind of Eric Chahi, but hindered by Ubisoft's troublesome DRM and the obvious lack of care put into this PC port.    … Expand
  4. JuanCarlo
    Aug 17, 2011
    3
    This could be a very good game if Ubisoft releases a patch to correct some major issues, but as of this moment it's nearly unplayable. The controls seem to be a very, very lazy case of just slapping a control scheme obviously designed for an XBOX 360 gamepad onto a mouse--to the point that they are almost game breaking. There are no options to change any graphic settings other thanThis could be a very good game if Ubisoft releases a patch to correct some major issues, but as of this moment it's nearly unplayable. The controls seem to be a very, very lazy case of just slapping a control scheme obviously designed for an XBOX 360 gamepad onto a mouse--to the point that they are almost game breaking. There are no options to change any graphic settings other than screen resolution. And on top of this, the "activate once" DRM that Ubisoft promised seems to be (from what I can tell) an "activate every time you play" scheme, so you cannot play the game without an internet connection. This wouldn't be such a problem, but Ubisoft specifically advertised the game as being "activate once" so I am not sure why they changed things.

    Which is a shame as there's a very good game hidden in here, if only the interface could bring it out. So if you are at all interested in this game I think you should wait to buy it for a few months. If Ubisoft releases a patch fixing these issues, give it a go, as from what I have played of the game so far if all of these issues are fixed I'd easily rate it a 7 or an 8 (especially considering the low price tag). However, if they don't, then it's definitely not worth your money.    … Expand
  5. wazzy
    Aug 18, 2011
    3
    I was really excited for this game but now I feel utterly disappointed, the game frustrated me with inducing: Bad controls, stupid AI and god like powers that were hardly god like.
    I don't recommend this game to anyone except those with extreme patience.
  6. alexania
    Aug 21, 2011
    3
    Apart from all the porting and DRM issues it suffers horribly from Spore Syndrome. Great idea, Eh game. It's pretty much the Simcity terrain editor, with some awesome physics thrown in, and dumbed down Lemmings gameplay added at the last minute. There's just not enough depth, and thus gets boring pretty quickly.
  7. JimmyDamage
    Aug 22, 2011
    3
    Great idea but terrible execution. This port reeks of consolitis with the horrible controls, limited options and locked (LOCKED!!!) at 30 fps.
    Also, there is no offline mode (offline mode was promised pre-release) as ubisoft requires you to launch the game via their own launcher, even if bought on Steam.
  8. Renemesis
    Oct 18, 2011
    3
    Rather unimpressive. A concept that could have been SO much more, but unfortunately they made the whole game feel like one long tutorial. It wasn't really challenging, just about doing it right. And theres SO damn little to do. Seriously. My interest reached it's peak about 10 minutes into the game, then it declined, when I realized that what I saw right now, was pretty much what I'd beRather unimpressive. A concept that could have been SO much more, but unfortunately they made the whole game feel like one long tutorial. It wasn't really challenging, just about doing it right. And theres SO damn little to do. Seriously. My interest reached it's peak about 10 minutes into the game, then it declined, when I realized that what I saw right now, was pretty much what I'd be seeing 10 hours into the game.. Not worth your monies, shortlived "entertainment"… Expand
  9. hootis
    Jul 15, 2012
    3
    Do not buy, I purchased this game during the steam sale for 3.70 and even at that it was a huge let down. The best way I can explain would be something along the lines of world of goo but instead of having a new level the next level is the same map you just have a different goo ball to solve the same map with. There is no depth to this game, like others have said there is no replayDo not buy, I purchased this game during the steam sale for 3.70 and even at that it was a huge let down. The best way I can explain would be something along the lines of world of goo but instead of having a new level the next level is the same map you just have a different goo ball to solve the same map with. There is no depth to this game, like others have said there is no replay value. I wouldn't even call this an RTS or even strategy related there is very very little game play to work with and well since there isn't a story that and the graphics are pretty much it. Oh I guess there is a story but some idiot decided to do it in gibberish and translate to English subtitles to save time which is really pathetic.
    The graphics that people say are so good much never have played hl2-crysis or any other major game title in the last 5 years. The physics engine isn't that spectacular and there is absolutely nothing new in my opinion. ALSO, you have to worry about Ubisoft's anti pirating software which is a paint in the butt in it self, I really wish companies would stop trying to copy valve by hindering every user in any action they take.    … Expand
  10. DX9
    Jan 26, 2012
    3
    For a self-confessed "God-game", Ubisoft's 'From Dust' is almost anything but. The premise is promising: using your God-like powers, alter and terraform the landscape of an ever-changing island to solve logistical problems for a nomadic, faceless tribe. However, the final product proves not only tedious to play, but hypercritical of the genre it claims to be: a railroad-like story whichFor a self-confessed "God-game", Ubisoft's 'From Dust' is almost anything but. The premise is promising: using your God-like powers, alter and terraform the landscape of an ever-changing island to solve logistical problems for a nomadic, faceless tribe. However, the final product proves not only tedious to play, but hypercritical of the genre it claims to be: a railroad-like story which forces you to use your powers at certain times and intervals; a notoriously, somewhat-infamously stupid AI who, although yearn to live in an island paradise, for some reason cannot seem to grasp walking through a puddle of water to another island; and a constant shift in gameplay balance which, therefore, refuses you to control the game effectively. Moreover, Ubisoft's tyrannical, dictatorial DRM proves overtly annoying, forcing you to sign up to Uplay (what the?) to play - a Steam-like digital device, without the extra features, and with more of the propaganda Ubisoft enjoys emitting. That is, in conclusion, if you can actually get the game to run at all.… Expand
  11. KillJoyKJ
    Dec 18, 2012
    3
    I bought this game during the steam sale for 75% off at $3.75... After playing the game, I realize I paid too much. The game has stunning graphics, but as another reviewer mentioned, this 'From Dust' is simply a showcase for the landscape engine. No replay value, Frustrating Pathfinder AI, No real point to the game... Save your money. Ubisoft has been dissapointing as of late.
  12. Yostarone
    Jan 26, 2012
    2
    "A game with huge potential, absolutely spoiled by a sloppy port and tyrannical DRM. Ubisoft lying about the DRM being present is unacceptable, ESPECIALLY for a single-player game. Highly recommend against purchasing".- CheatIsNotDead But other than that the Game is extremely short and the controls are sloppy as hell. so opportunity wasted there.
  13. Viruzzz
    Sep 11, 2011
    2
    I had heard a bunch of good things about this game from various sources, and that made me buy the game.
    However I was extremely disappointed when I saw what it actually was.
    there are many problems with this game, The AI of the tribesmen is extremely frustrating, and really hard to work around. The controls for the game were clearly made for a controller and not a mouse, and form the looks    I had heard a bunch of good things about this game from various sources, and that made me buy the game.
    However I was extremely disappointed when I saw what it actually was.
    there are many problems with this game,
    The AI of the tribesmen is extremely frustrating, and really hard to work around.
    The controls for the game were clearly made for a controller and not a mouse, and form the looks of it, nothing has changed there when they ported it over.
    The graphics are OK, to put it generously.
    The Ubi soft launcher is a curse, And is really freaking annoying to deal with. this is by far the worst part of the game as you can not bypass it. The DRM ruins the game completely.

    While no single part of the game with the possible exception of the DRM/launcher shenanigans is worth a bottom score, when you take a look on the game as a whole, everything about it is way below what you would expect, it doesn't have a redeeming feature, Which is the reason for my low score.
    The game is not very expensive, but for what it is, it is too expensive by a large margin.    … Expand
  14. pazmacats
    Aug 20, 2011
    2
    This game gets a 2 points score for video and animation only. The game is pretty much unplayable and crippled by terrible mouse keyboard control. Camera movement is clunky and annoying, click responses are not fast and not precise. The game itself is ok, maybe 70-80 points. But it is not playable on PC. To add to the fun you cannot play this game when you are not online because you have toThis game gets a 2 points score for video and animation only. The game is pretty much unplayable and crippled by terrible mouse keyboard control. Camera movement is clunky and annoying, click responses are not fast and not precise. The game itself is ok, maybe 70-80 points. But it is not playable on PC. To add to the fun you cannot play this game when you are not online because you have to prove to the ubi-servers that you have legally bought this shoddy console port.

    Overall: Bad and cheap console port with bad controls, substandard performance and annoying DRM. 2/10.    … Expand
  15. moarx
    Aug 17, 2011
    2
    From Dust is a prime example of a great game ruined by a terrible publisher. Ubisoft has continued on their quest to show the world how little they care about PC gamers and From Dust is one of their worst showings yet. From Dust lacks any sort of graphics customization, only giving you the option of changing your resolution. Another huge flaw is the lack of mouse sensitivity option,From Dust is a prime example of a great game ruined by a terrible publisher. Ubisoft has continued on their quest to show the world how little they care about PC gamers and From Dust is one of their worst showings yet. From Dust lacks any sort of graphics customization, only giving you the option of changing your resolution. Another huge flaw is the lack of mouse sensitivity option, causing you to have to manually go into your mouse settings and change your sensitivity just to be able to play the game (and of course you also have to change it back when you finish). The worst part about being a direct console port is that From Dust is locked at a maximum of 30 FPS for seemingly no reason at all. Once you get past how bad of a port it is, the game introduces you to a wide range of various bugs/crashing issues which should've been fixed while Ubisoft was delaying the PC version of the game. Not satisfied with a buggy console port, Ubisoft has also tacked on their lovely DRM/social network features, requiring a constant internet connection in order to play your single-player game. The only plus I can think of is that the game is reasonably priced ($15) though I highly suggest to not buy it, the developers have already been paid and giving Ubisoft your money only influences them to continue abusing PC gamers.… Expand
  16. CheatIsNotDead
    Aug 18, 2011
    2
    A game with huge potential, absolutely spoiled by a sloppy port and tyrannical DRM. Ubisoft lying about the DRM being present is unacceptable, ESPECIALLY for a single-player game. Highly recommend against purchasing.
  17. humanerror
    Aug 18, 2011
    2
    At the moment the game is unplayable on the PC. Frustrating controls, unskippable cut-scenes that you have to watch every single time you restart a level (which will be often since, as I mentioned, it is currently nearly impossible to play), bad AI pathfinding, unexpected behavior, bugs left and right. I wanted to like it, but I seriously regret buying this game.
  18. Stikman
    Aug 22, 2011
    2
    A fun, fantastic game. I 'would' recommend you purchase this if it wasn't for several things. This game suffers mainly because of the ubisoft actions. It's unfortunate really, because this seems like a potentially brilliant game. I love god-games (like black and white etc) and the trailers for this are amazing.

    But it really seems as if Ubisoft have done no checking of bugs or testing    A fun, fantastic game. I 'would' recommend you purchase this if it wasn't for several things. This game suffers mainly because of the ubisoft actions. It's unfortunate really, because this seems like a potentially brilliant game. I love god-games (like black and white etc) and the trailers for this are amazing.

    But it really seems as if Ubisoft have done no checking of bugs or testing what so ever. The game was also delayed a month, for 'polishing' of the game, which makes the presence of all these bugs and glitches even more confusing. This seems like a direct and highly unmodified port of the 360 version.

    The DRM is a major concern. Many people bought this because they were told it needed a one-time activation, but found this to be untrue. The DRM and ubisoft launcher also cause problems, preventing a lot of people from playing this game. The game crashes for a lot of people after the opening ubisoft logo. There is no guarantee that if you purchase this game that you will be able to play it.

    I had preordered the game and so didn't know about any of these issues until I got it, but I was one of the lucky few who managed to get a working version. There are quite a few bugs though, which should have been found in the month this was delayed. Villagers are sometimes unable to find sensible paths or unable to change their path after deciding to do it. Sometimes entire villages of people stop moving. Villages are sometimes unable to be rebuilt and you cannot cancel the rebuilding of a village. The 'high tides' mission is bugged for many people, becoming very hard and almost unwinnable.

    The controls are very awkward. Moving the mouse from the centre of the screen moves the camera, making it very hard to pick up and place dirt. This can be slightly changed in the options to givce you a bigger space of movement but it's still annoying. And unless the mouse is in the centre of the screen, the camera wants to pan to it. Zooming out is difficult, and infact generally only changes the angle of the camera. It also occasionally gets stuck at one angle.

    There are also other bugs popping up all the time. I would love to give this a higher score, but I don't want anyone to buy a game they cannot play. So really, do not buy until this has been patched.    … Expand
  19. kaltorak
    Aug 25, 2011
    2
    This game was a total disappointment. Populos? Black & White? God game? No way. The game consists in bringing some npcs from point A to point B. And repeat over and over again. For doing that, you raise or lower terrain, remove water and a few things like those.

    That is all...
  20. tmetcalfe89
    Sep 21, 2011
    2
    Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree with bobreviews and most of the other reviewers: This is one of those games where it looked promising and completely failed to deliver. Moving terrain around for the sake of moving terrain around shouldn't be the entire game if it doesn't add some feasibly entertaining game-play.
  21. ToastyPotato
    Jul 15, 2012
    2
    Terrible villager pathfinding and AI. Subpar camera controls. There are no graphics customization options besides resolution. But the most damning of all is the lack of a sandbox mode. It is this last fact that makes this game almost completely worthless. Do not buy for more than 10$, and only if you want a mediocre, but somewhat pretty looking puzzle game with no replay value.Terrible villager pathfinding and AI. Subpar camera controls. There are no graphics customization options besides resolution. But the most damning of all is the lack of a sandbox mode. It is this last fact that makes this game almost completely worthless. Do not buy for more than 10$, and only if you want a mediocre, but somewhat pretty looking puzzle game with no replay value. The outright refusal to simply patch in a blank map is pretty unforgivable. A single content patch could make this game a solid 7-8/10.… Expand
  22. Zegu
    Jun 12, 2014
    2
    My reasoning for giving this game a 2:
    I bought it on sale on steam, but all the download did was give me a uplay launcher and cd key. I had to enter it there and launch from it, adding another account on top of what I had already. I bought the game well after it was released but authentication issues kept me from playing about 10% of the time.
    The game itself was interesting at first,    My reasoning for giving this game a 2:
    I bought it on sale on steam, but all the download did was give me a uplay launcher and cd key. I had to enter it there and launch from it, adding another account on top of what I had already. I bought the game well after it was released but authentication issues kept me from playing about 10% of the time.
    The game itself was interesting at first, but ubisoft crippled themselves on drm. You play as 'god' and have a tribe that the goal is to help avoid disasters, but you do that by indirectly interacting with them, by doing stuff such as mold the environment.
    If the uplay requirement was removed I would give this a 7.    … Expand
  23. BakedPotato
    Aug 18, 2011
    1
    This game is absolute garbage. I bought it because I thought it would not have drm. And guess what, it does.
    ubisoft has turned into a terrible company that lies to their customers. I will not be buying anymore games from them.
  24. femmefatal
    Sep 1, 2011
    1
    Do not buy this game, boycott everything from Ubisoft until they get their head straight that consumers are NOT going to put up with this DRM crap. I don't mind putting in a CD code. I don't even mind a one time activation online but I REFUSE to be TOLD I MUST BE ONLINE TO PLAY A DAMN SILLY GAME when I want to play it. This comes down to FORCED INTERNET CONNECTION and MONTHLY SERVICE FEESDo not buy this game, boycott everything from Ubisoft until they get their head straight that consumers are NOT going to put up with this DRM crap. I don't mind putting in a CD code. I don't even mind a one time activation online but I REFUSE to be TOLD I MUST BE ONLINE TO PLAY A DAMN SILLY GAME when I want to play it. This comes down to FORCED INTERNET CONNECTION and MONTHLY SERVICE FEES FROM ISP's as well as buying the damn game. The game is a pile of crap anyways. It's nothing more than lemmings and Populus with fancy smancy graphics.… Expand
  25. DethLocke
    Aug 22, 2011
    1
    Stay away from this port. The game itself, is pretty cool. Its more of a environmental puzzle game than a "god" game, but what it does is very entertaining and the graphics are absolutely amazing for XBOX live (not so much for PC, more later). If you have XBOX live, consider that the only version of this game and get it on that.

    As for this PC port, this most definitely ranks among the    Stay away from this port. The game itself, is pretty cool. Its more of a environmental puzzle game than a "god" game, but what it does is very entertaining and the graphics are absolutely amazing for XBOX live (not so much for PC, more later). If you have XBOX live, consider that the only version of this game and get it on that.

    As for this PC port, this most definitely ranks among the worst console to PC ports ever made. Lets get the elephant out of the way first. Ubisoft lied about the games DRM. Originally stating you would only need to activate the game online once, you actually need to activate it online EVERY single time you play. There is no offline option, rendering the game useless on laptops. Other than the DRM, the game has no graphic settings to speak of, a fixed 30 FPS cap, and some of the most god awful mouse controls you will ever experience. To sum it up, this is an absolute garbage PC game. Dont buy it on PC, period.    … Expand
  26. MisterMassacre
    Aug 18, 2011
    1
    From the console reviews and with the name Eric Chahi I expected this game to be fantastic and purchased it as soon as it launched.

    Big mistake. Instead of a fun God-game with great art direction and graphics I got this unplayable mess with terrible controls that runs and looks like ass on my rig (which runs Crysis 2 and every modern game maxed out by the way). The mouse controls are    From the console reviews and with the name Eric Chahi I expected this game to be fantastic and purchased it as soon as it launched.

    Big mistake.

    Instead of a fun God-game with great art direction and graphics I got this unplayable mess with terrible controls that runs and looks like ass on my rig (which runs Crysis 2 and every modern game maxed out by the way). The mouse controls are just broken and frustrating, the game runs between 15 and 30fps for seemingly no reason and there are no graphic options to speak of except for the option to change the resolution. Awful controls and performance plus a complete lack of polish show the lack of effort Ubi Soft put into this port, something they are getting a reputation for, I would have derived more enjoyment and less disappointment from just lighting the $15 this pile cost me on fire.

    Do not buy unless Ubi fixes it, which they won't, as usual.    … Expand
  27. iamweard
    Aug 18, 2011
    1
    Always on DRM, the ultimate Screw you to PC gamers. Not that great a game, reminiscent of god games like black and white without the features. The Ai for the tribes men is absolutely frustrating. Could have been a good game, but it feels as though you are rushed through it.
  28. MrCatgirl
    Aug 19, 2011
    1
    Horribly intrusive DRM and abysmal controls ruin what would otherwise still only be a mediocre puzzle game slash god simulator. The AI makes you want to tear your hair out, and not being able to pan the camera and control your "breath" at the same time makes doing anything an exercise in frustration. The only reasonably entertaining thing to do in this sorry excuse for a "game" is to takeHorribly intrusive DRM and abysmal controls ruin what would otherwise still only be a mediocre puzzle game slash god simulator. The AI makes you want to tear your hair out, and not being able to pan the camera and control your "breath" at the same time makes doing anything an exercise in frustration. The only reasonably entertaining thing to do in this sorry excuse for a "game" is to take a blob of water and use it to put your miserable brainless subjects to sleep.… Expand
  29. Hety
    Aug 27, 2011
    1
    The only way to play this game properly is to get yerself a crack from torrents. Then all crashes are suddenly gone! I played straight through the campaign w/o a single crash. It was last game from Ubi i bought.
  30. kyger
    Aug 29, 2011
    1
    There are not enough ways to say garbage. The ONLY thing it has going for it is the graphics. Its super short, super easy, horrid support of the "story" and oh! Did I mention QQsoft lied about the DRM? Granted its a $15 dollar game, that I did get a refund for from Steam thank you, but i expect that what you paid for was to test the acceptance of the DRM and you get a **** game along with it.
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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
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