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. Yompa
    Sep 3, 2011
    4
    The landscape graphics and physics are amazing, rivers will evolve on it's own, carve canyons and develop river deltas, lava will create mountains. But, the problem is that the game play is nothing more than a poor showcase of the landscape engine. After you finish the campaign and tried some challenge missions (in a day or so) there is no replay value whatsoever. What I'm truly lacking isThe landscape graphics and physics are amazing, rivers will evolve on it's own, carve canyons and develop river deltas, lava will create mountains. But, the problem is that the game play is nothing more than a poor showcase of the landscape engine. After you finish the campaign and tried some challenge missions (in a day or so) there is no replay value whatsoever. What I'm truly lacking is a custom game you would expect in a god game like this. But there are none since the actual game elements are not developed enough to allow for this. This game engine could be the base of an amazing god game, however, this game is not it.… Expand
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. tcandaman
    Aug 17, 2011
    0
    Game won't even boot. Ubisofts launcher won't load as it says I'm not connected to the internet. I've been troubleshooting for over 8 hours, and no luck. There is a lack of Ubisoft technical support, and a bunch of people are having the same problems. I'm sick of this company, ruining the one game I was excited for.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. quitmyjob
    Nov 16, 2011
    4
    This game would be a lot more fun if it was functional. I am able to run much more resource intensive games on my computer yet this one seems to be the only one that causes crashes, even after I fully updated my drivers and such.
  10. kevinyoki
    Dec 26, 2011
    4
    There is an important life lesson that I recieved from this game: that I will never buy from ubisoft again, no matter how promising the game looks. Their pc ports are utterly worthless (that includes prince of persia). This game had so much potential and ubisoft had to ruin it. What a shame. Here's some reasons why this game failed: it requires you to make an account just to play thisThere is an important life lesson that I recieved from this game: that I will never buy from ubisoft again, no matter how promising the game looks. Their pc ports are utterly worthless (that includes prince of persia). This game had so much potential and ubisoft had to ruin it. What a shame. Here's some reasons why this game failed: it requires you to make an account just to play this game. There are no changeable graphics settings except the resolution (and it seems there is a 30fps cap, and the graphics look absolutely terrible even though my computer is capable). Worst controls I have experienced in a video game and you cannot fix it no matter how much you fiddle with the sensitivity and etc. Camera control is sudden, jerky, awkward, and requires much effort. Ubisoft is borderline criminal. I gave this a 4 because I loved the concept of this game, nothing more.… Expand
  11. Coppersnake
    Jan 9, 2012
    4
    Good idea, poorly executed. I was hoping for a lot more from this game. causes more frustration than enjoyment most of the time. Pros: the amusing sounds the "locals" make and the water animation.
  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. 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
  14. slxiii
    Sep 2, 2011
    4
    Same as others, great potential, terrible result. Even as a puzzle game/strategy game alone, this game fails. All levels for the first 90% of the game could be solved by a lobotomized monkey, but then the game throws you a curveball level that has more a twitch minigame than a puzzle. Honestly, I would recommend trying before buying.
  15. radukku
    Oct 11, 2011
    1
    Absolutely disappointing! A fabulous concept destroyed by some amateur producers from Ubisoft. God game? Yeah, sure, in your dreams!
    Obsolete cinematix, pathetic narrative line. Actually, it's one of the worst games of this year! Score: 1
  16. m11x_ftw
    Oct 28, 2011
    1
    What looks like fun soon turns out to be extremely boring. While the game does look nice, that's about it, and with an obvious console port, this game is absolute rubbish. Ubisoft as a publisher has completely lost my support with their stupid anti pirate protection requiring internet connection.
  17. Sohen
    Dec 27, 2011
    1
    EDIT!!! : Very sad... Great game... mouse pointer very sluggish and inaccurate, but liveable.. THE MAIN and SEVERE POINT IS... level 7 "High Tides" is broken on the PC version... you can not finish it in 1 out of 100 attempts and if you do it was by pure chance. The XBOX version will show you the difference between it and the PC version, essentially there is a submerged land bridge thatEDIT!!! : Very sad... Great game... mouse pointer very sluggish and inaccurate, but liveable.. THE MAIN and SEVERE POINT IS... level 7 "High Tides" is broken on the PC version... you can not finish it in 1 out of 100 attempts and if you do it was by pure chance. The XBOX version will show you the difference between it and the PC version, essentially there is a submerged land bridge that becomes dry and passable on the XBOX, but never becomes dry or "walk-able" in the PC version. This makes the game impossible to finish, even if you do pass to the island, the water-flood problem prohibits you from completing the final stage of this level. Other than that, it is a brilliant game... just that you can not finish it :(… Expand
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. Morring
    Apr 23, 2013
    0
    What a great disappointment. You can see that this game has some solid ideas behind it. We could have had an awesome God game, and we got a shallow puzzle game with clumsy controls, low replay value, no sandbox mode, and a poor console port to top it all. And this would have been a 5/10 or 4/10. However, not only ubisoft lied about the DRM, but after its initial removal right now the DRMWhat a great disappointment. You can see that this game has some solid ideas behind it. We could have had an awesome God game, and we got a shallow puzzle game with clumsy controls, low replay value, no sandbox mode, and a poor console port to top it all. And this would have been a 5/10 or 4/10. However, not only ubisoft lied about the DRM, but after its initial removal right now the DRM is back, with their not-so-stable servers. DO NOT SUPPORT DISHONEST BUSINESS, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.… Expand
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. loadme
    Sep 4, 2011
    4
    I can only agree, with things, that were already said before.

    The idea behind the game is brilliant and it somehow feels like a "Popuplous - The Beginning" Clone, with all those natives and the terraforming aspect. But there is a huge difference here. Populous had tons of more game concept depth, altough its from 1998... I could have enjoyed the game alot more, if its controls weren't so    I can only agree, with things, that were already said before.

    The idea behind the game is brilliant and it somehow feels like a "Popuplous - The Beginning" Clone, with all those natives and the terraforming aspect. But there is a huge difference here. Populous had tons of more game concept depth, altough its from 1998... I could have enjoyed the game alot more, if its controls weren't so messed up. And the need for loggin in online is really annoying for ppl like me, that are still interessted in their privacy. If I buy a singleplayer game, I really see NO REASON, why I am forced to stay logged in all the time.    … Expand
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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
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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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