Dustborn Interview – Setting, Art Style, Choices, and More

As a seasoned gamer with over three decades under my belt, I must admit that “Dustborn” sounds like an intriguing and innovative title that caters to a broad audience. The game’s unique blend of various gameplay mechanics, from combat to music rhythm action, is reminiscent of the golden age of gaming when developers dared to experiment with unconventional ideas.

In recent times, Dustborn has attracted a lot of interest due to its impressive performances, offering a unique blend of storytelling, music, and action-adventure gameplay. Ahead of its release this month, we managed to get some questions answered by the team at Red Thread Games, providing insights into the game’s setting, interactive elements, narrative aspirations, and other details. Here is our interview with studio founder Ragnar Tørnquist.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

Dustborn Interview – Setting, Art Style, Choices, and More

For ages, our team has dreamt about developing a game that mirrors the artistic style of comics and transforms it into a lively, animated experience. In my opinion, with Dustborn, we have achieved this goal.

Dustborn has a visually very striking art style. How did you settle on this look for the game?

At Red Thread Games, our team is passionate about comic books. Personally, I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, and I still make time to read them, despite the busy schedule I’ve had lately.

For a long time now, our dream has been to make a game that mirrors the artistic style of comic books and transforms it into a lively, interactive animation. With the game Dustborn, I believe we’ve achieved this goal, primarily due to art director Christoffer Grav’s expertise in illustration and graphic design. His unique artistic approach has been instrumental in shaping the game’s development.

Apart from having a comic-book-like appearance, Dustborn’s narrative unfolds in an innovative way by incorporating a comic book within the game itself. This comic serves to reveal the background of the characters. Furthermore, at the conclusion of each chapter, there is a graphic summary of the game’s events, serving as a helpful reminder for players about the sequence of events, particularly if they take a break from playing. Essentially, it mimics the “previously on” segments typically found before a new TV episode.

In the creation of Dustborn, we utilized the Unity game engine, which led us to craft our own shaders in order to achieve its distinctive aesthetic. For our next, as-yet-unrevealed project, we intend to maintain this style.

The setting of the game sounds incredibly unique. What were your inspirations for the game’s story?

There are numerous factors that have influenced the creation of this story, and it’s challenging to list them all, but one significant inspiration has been the real-life events of the past decade. This period has seen a rising tension not only in North America and Western Europe, but globally, due in part to the polarization fueled by social media and the proliferation of misinformation. Our aim was to craft a story where the theme of words’ power, particularly the way language can be used as a weapon, is at the heart of both the plot and gameplay mechanics.

As a gamer, I draw inspiration from remarkable titles such as the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. These games have masterfully blended genres and playstyles, creating an intriguing balance between a profound narrative and a dose of absurdity that keeps me hooked. I’ve also been captivated by Final Fantasy 15 and Life is Strange: True Colors, each offering immersive experiences filled with rich storytelling and memorable characters.

In the realm of comic books, “The X-Men,” “Preacher,” and “Transmetropolitan” have been significant influences for us. These, among numerous others, have inspired us immensely. To incorporate this distinctive visual style into a video game, we delved deeply into our collection to find suitable ways to apply it effectively.

Moreover, Dustborn was influenced by our affection for long journeys on the highway and our ambition to craft a narrative that follows a trek across an alternate version of North America. This odyssey would take us through various locations and ecosystems, allowing us to interact with a rich assortment of characters, who were modeled after individuals we’ve encountered in our personal lives.

Does each player’s actions impact the overall direction or outcome of the storyline? While we understand that relationships within the game can branch out, we are curious if these interactions also affect the central plot.

To an extent, yes; each primary character in the game experiences a unique conclusion that is shaped by Pax’s dialogues and actions, and certain scenes change depending on how you handle issues and the characters’ emotional condition at the moment. However, it’s not just about the major storylines – it’s more about the subtle details, the way people respond to your dialogue options, their emotions, and how they interact with each other. Yet, you do have a significant impact on the plot, and there’s always an opportunity for replay.

Dustborn Interview – Setting, Art Style, Choices, and More

There are numerous factors that have played a role, making it challenging to list them all. However, it’s worth mentioning that this tale draws significant inspiration from real-life occurrences of the past ten years.

Inquiring about the depth of the diverse gameplay mechanisms that Dustborn offers, based on the setting and unfolding narrative, how immersive will these elements be for players to explore?

In essence, “Dustborn” is less focused on intricate gameplay mechanics and more about offering diverse experiences, fun, and excitement. It incorporates elements like combat, rhythm-based music action, an “Echo recording” feature, and numerous mini-games to keep players engaged and surprised. Our aim was to maintain a dynamic pace for the players and blend genres, atmospheres, tones, and moods. The game is designed to be engaging for those who prefer story-driven experiences rather than creating a difficult, hardcore gaming challenge.

If you delve deeper, there’s richness to discover and time invested. For instance, the fight system enables you to enhance your magnetic flying bat (!) through three unique methods, utilizing junk tech gathered during exploration. You also concoct fresh “Shouts”, employed in combat, and when combined with your team’s abilities, they unleash new combos. Additionally, the music game offers varying completion levels contingent upon your skills, which in turn influences the dialogue within the game.

What’s unique about this game is its core feature: word battles and problem-solving. Can you share some additional details? I’m curious to learn where the concept for this gameplay mechanism originated.

This is the central theme of the game: words have power, and we have to be careful about how we wield and weaponize them. This ties back to how social media has become such a powerful force in our lives, and how information — including mis- and disinformation — affect us all, culturally, politically, spiritually, emotionally. We wanted to make a game where that theme manifested as a game mechanic, and that’s how the idea of Vocals (or “Vox”) came about. Pax and her crew can use their Vox — powerful words — to manipulate people and fight enemies.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m curious: It seems that tunes play a significant part in this game. Can you shed some light on the kind of musical experiences we, as players, might encounter?

In the novel “Dustborn“, music significantly contributes to the narrative. Pax and their companions assume the identity of a punk-rock band during their travels across America. Along the way, they need to compose new songs and perform them at various venues. The quality of your performance subtly impacts the storyline; while you don’t have to be exceptionally skilled, there’s ample opportunity to learn, grow, and expand your repertoire.

In our creative process, Simon Poole, our composer and audio director, played a pivotal role. He worked concurrently with the design and development of the game, crafting its score. We firmly believe that sound and music significantly influence the player’s experience, and the game’s audio and soundscape are intricately linked to its narrative, which explores the roots of language itself.

Dustborn Interview – Setting, Art Style, Choices, and More

The core idea behind this game revolves around the notion that words hold significant influence. Therefore, it’s crucial to exercise caution when using them, as they can also serve as weapons.

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of the game be?

Playing the game quickly might allow you to finish the main story within 12-15 hours, potentially even less if you’re brusque with characters and skip interactions. However, if you savor every dialogue, delve into each character, thoroughly investigate all areas, seek out hidden treasures, and enjoy the overall experience, your trip could stretch to 20 hours or longer.

Do you have any plans to bring the game to the Switch, or perhaps its upcoming successor?

We’re not discussing the original Switch, but instead, we have a keen interest in Nintendo’s upcoming console. If Dustborn performs favorably, it wouldn’t shock me if we made an announcement regarding something new as early as the first half of 2025!

2024-08-27 15:12

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