Mad Max mixed with a touch of Fallout Tactics and Diablo, Dustwind: The Last Resort looks like an RTS but it isn’t a straightforward action RPG either.

Ported from the 2017 PC release, the problem with this console version is that nothing has been modified to accommodate a controller interface. The opening tutorial is long, broken down into bite sized chunks so the player is exposed to the main facets of gameplay, but these sample scenarios don’t really align with actual gameplay.  The complex UI also doesn’t work well when playing on a TV several feet away as the 1pt font is impossibly small to read. Performing actions also requires complicated button combinations and takes a decent amount of time to learn and adjust. Honestly, I think this is the first time I’ve ever played a game that has a player action assigned to a simultaneous press of the same sided trigger with bumper, requiring an awkward claw grip. 

The story doesn’t make much sense either. In this apocalyptic environment, you and your daughter were attacked, the kid was taken and you were whacked on the head. As you wake, you have no memory of who you, where you were going, or what you were doing, but yet you know you have a daughter, somehow know she was kidnapped, and now need to find and save her. Luckily, the story isn’t that big of a deal and it basically just gives you an excuse to roam around a wasteland and kill anything that comes after you.

Combat is also a little strange. Played like a twin-stick shooter, the player needs to first aim all attacks using the right analog stick then attack with the trigger.  Unfortunately, the isometric view, zoom of the camera, and cumbersome UI means you will be stabbing in a general direction or shooting when the auto-lock takes aim.  There is a cool down time between attacks which can be a little annoying especially when fighting numerous baddies at once. The good news is, there are many weapon types available, if you can find them, and each serves their own purpose. Exploding weapons, like grenades or rocket launchers, are powerful and offer some good fun, but the tutorial puts a bigger emphasis on mines but there is rarely a good chance to use them.

Even with the overly complex controller inputs and unreadable UI, Dustwind – The Last Resort has some bright spots but when games like Diablo II or Baldur’s Gate are available with a similar price point, it becomes a little harder to recommend. If you’ve exhausted the other available action RPGs and are craving something a little different, wait for a sale when it comes to this console release to help offset its shortcomings. That, or just go play the PC version.

Also available on PS4, PS5, and XSX.

Not As Good As: the Diablo II remake

Don’t Forget About: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire  

If You Want More Janky Play: that last Dark Alliance game

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com

Twitter: @ZackGaz

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