The Dustborn Deep Dive You Didn't Ask For

There are good ways to cry. After writing a critique on Dustborn, I think I am familiar with all of them.
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Ending Theme: Color Your Night- Persona 3 Reload

[@RowbyVids]

A lot of people pointed out that Pax hates robots because her powers don't work on them. Which makes sense and it was silly of me to miss that. Glad you all like the video regardless

[@letsreadtextbook1687]

Even a follow up? Wow you're really the professional hater worthy of my utmost respect

[@thatminer7174]

Was about to say it too

[@thevenator3955]

So, she dislikes “people” she can’t forcibly manipulate? I’m unclear on how sentient robots are in this universe (because you made it sound like that one became sentient in the middle of the game) but that seems like a weird trait to give the “good guy”. Is it at least portrayed as a bad thing about her?

[@dewey40000]

Yeah she hates what she can't manipulate and you're supposed to go "ooh ok that's normal" , that's insane for real x) can't manipulate somebody and what they think so you hate them , crazy.

[@TheOneTrueMar]

I wouldn't say that Dustborn didn't fail because of its politics. However, there is nuance to that. Both sides have politics that can be difficult to swallow. Combine that with bad execution and you have trashbomb. This game didn't just fail with execution. It also chose politics that aren't easily accepted by average people and actually require the writer to sell those ideas to the audience. They didn't just have low skill. They actually increased the difficulty for themselves.

[@PhysicalToast]

“in order to hate something professionally, you have to know a lot about it”

[@maerhodes8552]

My mom taught me that using religion. 😭

[@btchiaintkidding7837]

"I never asked for this" -Adam Jensen

[@AC-hj9tv]

-Bad Moustache Man

[@georgeclueney4419]

Researching topic in depth so you can be more accurately racist

[@Jokoko2828]

@@georgeclueney4419 For what's it worth this game created like a dozen new racists.

[@NF5000-r5e]

>there's a mechanic where you remove the racist thoughts from people's brains >if you remove enough racist thoughts you learn a new word Sometimes the jokes write themselves

[@pandoratheclay]

I have no clue what you’re getting at

[@WeirdGreenFruit]

@@pandoratheclay slurs for example; i play a lot of online/mmo games, and this is the place i learned the MOST swear words and slurs NOT because of other players, but because the chat censor is overzealous a certain part of this sentence turns into asterisks; "thanks for the help! i will hop onto an alt and get my gear ready." thus another child gets confused and ends up learning about buttstuff bc censor went off over "an alt" thereby, 'removing' too many bits and pieces from all these sentences, you have accidentally learned a lot from the removals thanks for coming to my TED talk

[@creepypato3984]

@@WeirdGreenFruit Reminds me of the FFXIV Xbox / Microsoft censorship thingie where many things that had a very innocuous meaning ended up filled back and forth with asterisks* censoring stuff that you'd need to have practice and be actively looking for to even see

[@stevenscott2718]

@@WeirdGreenFruit Ah the old problem with Scunthorpe

[@hatman4818]

@@WeirdGreenFruit That's a good take, but I took it completely differently... In that what is considered offensive has become a goal post that woke people intentionally move to stay terminally offended. As people learn the current PC terminology and make an attempt to use it correctly, the woke mob decides that PC term is now offensive and creates a new more convoluted "inclusive" term to demand people to use instead... The single biggest example of this, and why it's dumb, they wanted to be offended at the word "black" even though that's been a perfectly fine descriptive word for race to use for decades. So they made "People of color" the politically correct term, and "black" considered offensive (as an aside, I know most black people genuinely couldnt give a sh@t about this, but the woke mob does). What confuses me about this is it feels like they moved the goal post to come full circle... How is "People of color" politically correct, but "Colored people" feels like it isnt? Like, that's a hair away from being a southern pejorative straight out of the 1960s. Sounds crazy, but the devs actually put rhetoric to this very idea in the game. How the else am I supposed to take "Let's trigger ourselves" than "I want to be offended at this moment, and will find a reason to be".

[@Fruitn1nja21]

We found the single Dustborn player after months of searching

[@RowbyVids]

I've been to places no man has seen.

[@rabbidguarddog]

​@@RowbyVids respect brutta

[@OdaSwifteye]

@@RowbyVids Your research was invaluable. When you descend into being a niche batman villain I will tell everyone that what you went through was very entertaining.

[@ARStudios2000]

You missed Madam Savvys playthrough of the whole thing 2 weeks ago

[@m0-m0597]

How is your voice so high pitch

[@snowandmusic]

omfg the combat dialogue reads like a discord argument

[@kirbycooper9496]

YOU are RACIST

[@cattrucker8257]

That was probably the direct inspiration. Also possibly the devs honestly believing Discord arguments ARE basically combat.

[@barrybend7189]

To them words are violence

[@TheSutanian]

Discord is pretty good for AI training

[@Hepheat75]

More like Reddit 💀

[@erikfleurant8561]

Pax's racism to robots might be do to her ability not affecting them as seen in the clip when you talk about it. It really doesn't help her character though

[@zaratastari2457]

I also heard a theory that the developer was sorta mad at AI taking over some part of their jobs but this is just a theory I heard tho.

[@Hugsloth]

@@zaratastari2457 Theory or fact, it aligns with the game's far-left messaging perfectly. Same sort of people losing their minds at the idea any company might use AI for even the most minor graphical tasks.

[@RowbyVids]

​@@zaratastari2457​ That theory doesn't vibe with me much. C.T. gets a lot of humanizing moments, and their final moment is supposed to be heroic. It falls flat. But if they wanted CT to be a stand in for AI they'd probably have been much meaner to them

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

You are giving the devs too much credit. Bet they just used the robot as a parallel to... *checks notes* entitled suburban white people who act overtly nice and chirpy due to their privilege. Pax was not racist, she was... *checks notes again* fighting against the racial class divide by calling out these sheltered elites on the otherside of redlining. (Can I get a job as Dustborn dev?)

[@ericjames6997]

@@RowbyVids It is stated early on by pax during the game that she dislikes robots because she cannot use vox to control them. The turn around on CT occurs after she gains her new personality and is affected by vox. IIRC the scene she mentions this is either the garage scene where you meet CT or the campfire sausage cookout

[@GabrielPhillipsAeroSkyStar]

Rowby, you actually showed why Pax hates robots. It says she doesn't like them because she can't use her manipulation powers on them.

[@Hugsloth]

Imagine hating a sentient machine because you can't Jedi Mind trick it to do what you want at your whim. Pax is a real charming lady huh.

[@xelldincht4251]

It really makes me wonder if this game makes fun of SJWs

[@foxshoot3138]

Dammm xdddddddd

[@Someguyfromtheinternet36]

Huh. Being against a entire group of beings because she can't control them. She's the "good" guy here, right?

[@Zinlain]

@@xelldincht4251 If you look at the words of the game devs who helmed this project, no no they werent. This is fully what they believe and they have zero self-reflection on why that may be bad.

[@SurrealKeenan]

"What is my purpose?" "You drive buses." "...Oh my god."

[@philcollins5890]

LOL, nice Rick And Morty quote.

[@Sizzlik]

Better than passing the butter

[@Lightscribe225]

I know you aren't in for the political part, but the fact that some people were actually convinced this was a republican psyop using caricatures that 90's conservatives would think liberals act like feels like the developers huffed way too much galaxy gas. I just am amazed that the characters are so mean spirited some people think this was meant to make the target demographic look bad.

[@mattd5240]

The writer/writers are just that incompetent, and it's hilarious. It was very entertaining reading people's comments and bending themselves into pretzels trying to defend this game.

[@laurendearnley9595]

I am absolutely convinced this was meant as satire and they just didn't have the chutzpah to commit to it once it was released.

[@bloodyidit4506]

in actuality people just actually think like this.

[@DJ-fb9cf]

@@mattd5240 I was reading and laughing at the steam forums with a few friends a few weeks back watching people try and defend every aspect of this game, lmao

[@mattd5240]

@DJ-fb9cf I read a bunch, too. Those are either some very sad people, or they're the developers/ bots.

[@Sercil00]

The writers: Come on guys, our lyrics now have dustborn, air-borne and newborn in it. Either we commit to the -born part, or we get some actual rhymes. How about: We're the Dustborn, your nation is torn This is our storm, we’re loud and forlorn We're all that you scorn, so grab some popcorn Screaming like an airhorn, we're the Dustborn! That one guy at the office: "Nah we need something more meme-worthy. I can think of a word that rhymes with -born..."

[@stinky1426]

I know who that guys was. The pervy Ryan George

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Stuff like this just keeps my paranoia and sus-meter on the orange at all times...

[@seeminglyseph]

I am... desperately begging these games developers to realise that the middle part of Canada is, in fact... inhabited.

[@laurendearnley9595]

I bet alot of the middle Canadians are hoping these sorts of people never find them.

[@seeminglyseph]

@laurendearnley9595 I guess pretending we don't exist is better than a cartoonish redneck conservative stereotype, all things considered. That's fair...

[@Voltron5000]

​@@laurendearnley9595You're absolutely correct

[@marhawkman303]

@@laurendearnley9595 Yeah... 90% of Canada's population lives in big cities... 90%.

[@markbunst5961]

​@marhawkman303 most Canadians live south of Seattle.

[@Banjo3440]

I don't think I've ever seen a game be this confusing as to whether or not it actually belives what it's saying. The writing is so comically on-the-nose, yet emotionally genuine.

[@Tove5th]

It's crazy because if you told me this was a game for a South Park episode I'd 100% believe it

[@lemonlime8949]

Oh these people are 100% serious

[@marhawkman303]

@@lemonlime8949 It's weird because It's an outsider PoV, but outsiders who are in the know. It's a Scandinavian dev team who understand the culture war... but aren't really part of it. Then when they got paid to make this they went full---- on it and gave us all the insanity.

[@Hugsloth]

It's the devs' genuine beliefs conveyed through the most insincere and meanspirited lens possible.

[@indiomoustafa2047]

Its like an unintentional parody of itself.

[@WMan37]

My main takeaway from this video is "If you want to play a game with a cel shaded art style that is about music mechanics and sticking it to a dictatorship, don't play Dustborn, go play Hi-Fi Rush."

[@hotel_arcadia]

Hi-Fi Rush deserves so much more praise

[@Devspace007]

Yea when I saw the art style and combat, it's another reason to play hi-fi rush.

[@wiilov]

The "Mind control through media" probably stepped on a few too many toes.

[@shawnnbits]

THIS(i like that hifi is just as diverse without making it pandering)

[@mr.selyumor5402]

Or ‘No Straight Roads’

[@dreemysweety]

This game seems to be the antithesis of Hi-Fi Rush. Just everything that comes with a band traveling to stop an evil organization and survive by the power of their words and ideals. It sounded like it would’ve been great. Wild how the story changes.

[@warforge3850]

at least HiFi rush was a better game and care was actually taken into it, with the rhythm combat story, and lovable characters. dustborn is the opposite full of wokeness not what we actual gamers asked for.

[@CatsandBoots935]

47:37 -Side profile battlefield -Row/column based mechanics -Single frame moves with slow-mo Good lord, they just ripped off darkest dungeon

[@Ampathetic]

It's only fair, considering the amount of stress this game gives its audience. They even copied the corpses!

[@thomaspereyra4108]

Ambushed by foul invention!

[@buriednameless965]

​@@thomaspereyra4108Dazed, reeling, about to break...

[@YouSoSpice]

Welcome to Dustborn, such as it is. This squalid hamlet, these corrupted lands. They are yours now, and you are bound to them.

[@jocelynmathieu1510]

They made "Dumbest dungeon"

[@Hugsloth]

"We're the new porn / Our kind is newborn" Nobody thought those lyrics could maybe use a second pass? Really? Gonna just put those things right next to each other huh...

[@AC-hj9tv]

Lmfao gross

[@Ch4pp13]

tbh it fits the lyrical structure of a lot of pop-songs these days in the way it seems to struggle to get a rhyme in and they just grunt as the rhyme. "grabbin drinks, grabbin shots UH Shootin shit, hit the spots UH leave for town, comin back UH problematic, that's my life UH" you know, that kind of godawful lyrical writing that gets blasted on the radio that I'm convinced no one likes and just pretends to like to not seem rude.

[@yesyes-om1po]

they did that shit on purpose

[@vonnie0_0]

Rhyming porn with newborn is highly sus

[@ayeyuh6920]

@@Ch4pp13 Okay hold on, there's nothing wrong with this rhyme structure. When rappers do this, it's coupled with *_internal_* rhymes (shots and spots). The last word rhymes and you use an ad-lib (UH, in your example) to flow into the next line. The rhyme isn't the ad-lib...

[@GumshoeClassic]

Dustborn really just seems to... ooze vitriol. The characters evidently don't like each other, and the game itself feels like it hates itself, the people and ideologies its depicting as well as the people it was made for, all at the same time. And to be honest, I think that summarizes it perfectly. I can't prove it, but I am firmly conviced that Dustborn was not conceived with passion, but out of spite.

[@mythrick7109]

Not only was it made out of spite, it perfectly encapsulates how this side is. They all hate each other, while preaching their high morals. They bully people to get what they want. This game is more of a reflection of reality than they thought.

[@CC-re9df]

Funny that you put it like that, because the game was a reaction to Donald Trump winning the elections in 2016, that's when the idea started. So yeah, out of spite and out of touch.

[@InciniumVGC]

No, you're pretty dead on. Leftist ideology oozes hate from every orifice, they are everything they claim to be against. They hate everything that is normal, and this stems ultimately from their own self loathing.

[@d33pblu3]

It was, it’s distilled progressivism in game form.

[@StarlightDew]

It suffers from the same issue Yiik has. The writers are so far up their own ass they think they're subversive geniuses for writing awful anti heroes forgetting that the reason people like those characters in media is because they have at least one redeeming trait about them that makes us want to see them be better or succeed. Pax just emotionally abuses everyone around her, not even her sister is an exception, and we're supposed to root for this as our hero?

[@insertjokeh3r3]

The game where everyone is chloe from life is strange and the protags are so awful that the villains are the good guys.

[@Hugsloth]

"I gotta blame somebody. Otherwise it’s all my fault. Fuck that." - Chloe Price

[@AC-hj9tv]

Lol

[@JanitorScruffy]

This was my immediate thought. Chloe and the girl from the last life is strange who feels like she was written by someone who doesn't know that normal people know what empathy is.

[@JohnSmith-ox3gy]

Congratulations you've made me an universally bad thing sympathiser.

[@Gaming_Legend2]

@@JanitorScruffy Chloe is a teenage girl, these look like they are adults. Chole's thing is something expected, this isn't

[@mrcleanismyda]

finding out that dustborn just turns into darkest dungeon for 20 minutes made me so unreasonably mad for some reason

[@mbamichael9848]

😐🤨😮😯😡🤬

[@Depressed_Grimm]

Where i need the minute

[@angel_of_rust]

darkest dungeon but with shite millenial writing "Well, THAT happened"

[@ayeyuh6920]

@@angel_of_rust Bro I don't know how my generation got SO CORNY. We grew up on 90's and 00's entertainment, how did we become so... sterile?

[@angel_of_rust]

@@ayeyuh6920 steven universe

[@Zotjad]

This is the most footage I've ever seen of Dustborn and I don't get how a game can look this good with a decent artstyle, good 2D drawing/cel shading rendering, beautiful colors and so on and have such awful unpleasant designs for most of the characters.

[@JanitorScruffy]

So much work for such bad stylistic designs. Theo and the bus look okay though.

[@devlintaylor9520]

Game seems good on 0 volume

[@mhok4879]

I don't think the designs look bad at all. The characters and game is shit tho

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

Pax is the bitch but she hot, tho.

[@angel_of_rust]

it's what you get when "don't judge a book by its cover" gets abused too much.

[@13ANNAMAN]

You know, those are the lamest and least threatening "facists" I've even seen. Plus, JFK surviving being this universes cannon event pissed me off so unreasonably. Like, what sense does that make? Who thinks up this garbage?

[@nicholasrova3698]

Well, to be fair the bar for what is and isn't fascist is really low these days.

[@ComedyPlastic]

@@nicholasrova3698For some people, it's anyone who disagrees with them. The bar is in Hell.

[@nicholasrova3698]

@@ComedyPlastic Right.

[@WhatIsThatThingDoing]

Just like the time I kicked Columbus in the shins and that caused the North American continent to be colonised by Russia instead.

[@DrakonPhD]

@@ComedyPlastic In standard fashion, they don't understand what Fascism is besides "authoritarianism". And even then, they apparently don't understand authoritarianism all that well either.

[@elfireii328]

I… genuinely forgot ziggy wasn’t a teenager because of how she acts. In fact, it always slips my mind that all these characters (besides Theo) are in their 30’s and 40’s. I’m surprised you didn’t talk about Eli’s outfit. That yellow crotch cap was staring at you every time it was in frame.

[@StarlightDew]

I legit thought she was like 16 by her attitude, at least she would've been more sympathetic if her age actually matched her level of maturity. I'm getting second hand embarrassment because so many characters act like a chronically online twitter user...the strange constant emphasis on Theo being the group dad is such a self report

[@jamesbland5207]

21:59 That's when I would have shut the game off. Not only does he look like, dresses like, and lives in a place like this. But the Desert, or anyplace that isn't near a big city has tons of animals that can kill you. If he didnt have a gun, he would be dead by Coyotes. Or the Facists. Or the Mad Max MFers.

[@DarthZ01]

or coyotes, trained by facists, stolen and outfitted by mad maxers. the perfect combo.

[@clickpause8732]

@@DarthZ01 This joke comment is actually an awesome idea for a new enemy type lmao

[@JohnDoe11VII]

@@DarthZ01 I'll take facists, trained by Mad Max bandits, outfitted by coyotes. If we are taking crazy pills here I want to go all the way and experience the impossible, see the invisible.

[@oscarlove4394]

its one thing to not like guns, is something wholely other to say that nobody likes guns and liking guns is a brain poison caused by right wing ideologies. i'm not an american, but i consider myself a liberal and i like guns.

[@MollyMargolisBillCipherIsBae]

@@DarthZ01 New furry game idea just dropped.

[@caliburnzephyr9869]

ah hell nah. bro played for so long he got stockholmed

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Considering the devs are Norwegian, it's more like Oslo'd.

[@liambaker2057]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 Budum tiss

[@spectre9340]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 underrated joke

[@MiraSubieGirl]

​@@jesustyronechrist2330 If it was upbeat and everyone was sexy, Copenhagened.

[@playery2684]

Holy shit you're right about replacing JFK with Ronald Reagan, it would make more sense story wise. The failed assassination attempt ending with his wife getting killed, making so he decided to form the "Justice" military. It would perfectly fit in the story and message of the game.

[@SecondBestArtMuseum]

Makes me wonder if someone pitched Regan, but they had a vendetta against Marilyn Monroe and wanted her to marry a dictator.

[@anonymousperson1771]

In my opinionated overanalysis, I think depicting Reagan would go against the left-wing "[X] is political" ethos. JFK is "safe" because he isn't Republican. Depending on analysis, it could be interpreted as anything from a far-left view of centrist alignment with fash, to the impact of personal tragedy on leadership. If it were Reagan, a failed assassination would be giving him - and by extension his party/right-wing - a sympathetic justfication for their position, and that kind of humanising nuance isn't something the left would ever want public consciousness to consider towards their ontological enemy.

[@anonymousperson1771]

I think depicting Reagan would go against left-wing "[X] is political" doctrine. JFK is "safe" because he isn't Republican. Depending on analysis, it could be interpreted as anything from a far-left view of centrist alignment with fash, to the impact of personal tragedy on leadership. Failed assassination would be giving Reagan - and by extension his party/right-wing - a sympathetic justfication for their position, and that kind of nuance isn't something far-left activism would ever want public consciousness to consider.

[@cailleach8416]

nah a lot of leftist i know would probably find it cool

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

I think the writers just knew the JFK assassination was a thing everyone already knows about, so the alternate history path starting with "Jackie Kenedy died instead" was just there... Also Reagen did survive an attempted assassination in real life, admittedly with no one else getting hurt, but none the less that would make using him for such a plotpoint kinda iffy. Not to say that Kenedy makes that much sense either, at best I can see him not being assassinated leading to him having more influence in American politics, which in turn might continue with other members of the Kenedy family, and eventually over time they've collectively done enough shady shit behind the scenes to become shadow dictators... but that's a completely different story.

[@liladoodle]

As someone who has a deep love of history, I hate Dustborn because the devs have stated that they were inspired to make this game because Trump won the 2016 election. But then, they go and make JFK the main reason America has balkanized because Jackie was assassinated in 1964 instead of JFK in 1963.

[@ComedyPlastic]

Unlike the devs, I lived in the US during the Trump presidency and came out ok.

[@Alfo_Dozo]

@@ComedyPlasticI mean you also survived through plenty of other presidents that didn’t align with your political beliefs.

[@trashman966]

20:14 "OK we're skipping this one" *unskippable ad plays*

[@magnatcleo2043]

Truth be told, an unskippable ad is a welcome break from Dustborn, especially if it's an ad for any other game.

[@pinknificentpinky959]

WAIT THATS JUST DARKEST DUNGEON COMBAT

[@darkpersona1462]

Except Darkest dungeon is good.

[@DoodsUnited]

Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer ..

[@ThisHandleIsDefinatelyTaken]

The fact that it's an european studio making a game hopelessly enamoured by the culture war across the pond tells everything about the wacky mindspace these devs were in.

[@anaturn12]

also funded by taxpayer money. Its literaly leftist propaganda game they managed to get funded by funds meant for art students

[@onanthebarbarian4842]

While looking into this game I randomly found the US government supporting these types of projects through their embassy in my own country. One of them for a video game people claim is Dustborn, but which I haven't been able to confirm. Another for mayors of our major cities to travel to the US for ideological purposes. I don't think you guys have the worst of it.

[@bobsempletank5362]

@@onanthebarbarian4842 I think it just was part of an art funding initiative. The Government does it all the time to encourage artistic development. Just some time there re some shitters that get the grants

[@Infelious]

Sadly US propaganda has spread to any country that has English even as a second language, a lot of our culture is being erased through over exposure to the Internet but also immigration (detaching people further from their home culture). In my opinion its two purposeful attack vectors to make society fall apart, their government purposefully picked a studio, its a deliberate action to inflict this on the world. And btw while this game isn't the worst thing ever its certainly on purpose that its like this, luckily its so in your face its not gonna convince anyone.

[@anaturn12]

@@Infelious i dont think it goes that deep. Its simple incompetence, i mean was there ever governmental fund that actually benefit those it was meant for? Its ideological hack that managed to scam money from stupid system.

[@nocturnal-beats_]

real trooper suffering from this game and telling us about it. its the annoying characters, stupid plot, bad dialogue, boring gameplay game i thought it was. i truly thank you for showing us a deep dive that probably no one else will.

[@ficcyboi2729]

Always remember: The apartment is stolen assets from gta. One of the devs admitted to it on Twitter. They couldn’t even make their own apartment layout.

[@treybyrd3332]

How are they not getting in legal trouble because of that?

[@ficcyboi2729]

@@treybyrd3332 That’s a good question. Rockstar hasn’t gone on record saying they’ll be getting the law involved. That said, they have every right to do so after the dev went public saying that they did take that asset.

[@grumpysphinx4911]

Is there any source reporting on it that isn't an "anti-woke" rag? I'd like to hear the details, but those are all that come up when I search and they push BS like how the devs are spreading "the gay agenda" or hate men

[@chrisandrew7577]

I have a feeling the interpersonal communication in this game is a projection of how the writers talk to people in real life - always arguing and escalating situations

[@nicholasrova3698]

A game about out of touch, socially awkward, narcissists created by out of touch socially awkward activist devs. Fits the bill.

[@acetrigger1337]

Pax having a blind hatred of Robots is simply because she cannot control them with her power. ...like a Twitter User that realized that they cannot cancel people in real life.

[@Cobalt_Spartan]

I think the part that gets me is the fact that the main characters are meant to be rebellious punks, yet are middle aged. Wouldn't it make more sense for the punk group to be teenagers? Unless they know that only middle aged people would care about issues like this.

[@Cobalt_Spartan]

@@funkyweapon1981 my point still stands.

[@JanitorScruffy]

You would be right to think that, but considering that the devs probably haven't talked to any rebellious teenagers, they had to go off what they know. And unfortunately what they know is stuff they see on Twitter.

[@dansmith1661]

It is the current punk to be these people. They would be the ones in charge though. Bootlickers who hate straight White men.

[@Quandry1]

It's because they are middle aged and a lot of people that push this stuff are too. The ones that aren't are college or mostly fresh post college age people brainwashed by the middle aged activists.

[@deepbludreams]

Its because the demographic is changing, those entering their teenage years and further on young adults are caring less and less about the culture war junk. And its content like dustborne and the new Disney trash that is nailing that home, left or right, kids are just tired of hearing about it and having entertainment ruined by it. Notice how Space Marine 2, a game with functionly no morals and ethics in its story broke every record on the list for sales? It's because it's fun and takes you out of reality for a bit.

[@flamingburitto]

Rowby. Bro. I love your videos. But I do not have the mental fortitude to invest 1 hour and 9 minutes of my life that I will never get back into dustborn content. Your great sacrifice in making this video will be remembered for generations. Leaving this comment here so that It helps boost the vid in the algorithm.

[@thatunknownfella]

You’re ruining the viewer retention by not watching the whole video

[@itcaboi1707]

Put it in the background, mute it and play good games till it’s over.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Watch the whole video like a real man

[@P-P-Panda]

Perfect timing, gonna listen as I draw

[@touchme7018]

Loll same haha

[@P-P-Panda]

@@touchme7018lets goooo!

[@camunderlain]

Thank you for making this- I've seen dozens of surface level takes that make fun of the same handful of quotes and moments instead of really getting into the meat of what this game is. It was never something I was going to play myself, but I was still curious about where it went, and this covered that perfectly.

[@jamesmcdonnell2455]

This was nothing more than a surface level attempt to defend this garbage. I haven't played this myself (though I am considering it, just so I can see how bad all the routes are) but I did watch a near full playthrough that was several times the length of this video. He didn't even cover how the game doesn't let you lose ever. The only potential exception is that rpg segment, the guy I watched didn't die there. As shown at the end, if you die in combat, you just get revived instantly. You can't fail any of the music scenes, as even with a perfect 0 score, the game just continues. And the dialog options are mostly fake choices (the story doesn't progress till you choose the right one, and the wrong ones have no lasting effects) and the real choices only seem to effect superfluous aspects.

[@camunderlain]

@@jamesmcdonnell2455 Even so, I wasn't looking for a review as much as a story synopsis, and this was the only video I could find that did that. The gameplay, story and characters don't appeal to me at all but I was still morbidly curious about whether it was consistently awful and at the very least it was consistently mediocre.

[@justsomeannoyingredpanda]

Dude, when I first saw the manga style page you drew I was so thrown off. The dedication for that one skit was amazing

[@a_pyroshark997]

If i had a nickle for everytime Rowby made a very long video essay about a group of friends on a big road trip fighting enemies along the way, I'd have 2 nickles. Which isnt a lot but its weird it happened twice

[@destructocat1960]

Did he review final fantasy?

[@goldnilo1234]

@@destructocat1960 Indeed he did review FF15

[@sleepygamermax6782]

Congratulations on being one of 3 people to beat this game. I say 3 because 2 is too low and I plan on being the fourth in 2029.

[@InciniumVGC]

Why, don't do that to yourself, you have so much to live for.

[@ayzix-polytopia3854]

Hopefully you come to your senses before 2029

[@Cloud_Seeker]

"This game is not about the politics" - My dude. Strip the politics away and there is nothing left. Everything about the game is about then politics.

[@nicholasrova3698]

Yeah. It's a propaganda piece created by activists and funded in part by government money. It's an inherently political piece of media. The left likes to say 'everything is political, when it's not, but this is and doesn't hide it, and is even proud of it.

[@erraticuk]

Who could have guessed the final boss was literally white and male. What are the odds...

[@Jacob_G9]

​@@erraticuk Devil May Cry 3 and 5.

[@theveganduolingobird7349]

@@erraticukaren’t like, most games where you fight people a white guy at the end? There’s Odin from god of war for a good example. Half the dark souls final bosses are just dead old men too. We need more female villains tbh

[@Jacob_G9]

@@theveganduolingobird7349 Honestly, would be cool to have more Female Final bosses.

[@colonelthunderbolt4396]

Once you find out the main dev is a fan of Joss Whedon, the cringy dialogue and virtue-signaling makes sense.

[@Novikous]

There is a good game in this somewhere, but it needs trimming. Okay, maybe amputating.

[@klickonthat5244]

I was thinking the same thing. I kept coming up with ideas that could've made this game bearable. But instead we're stuck with this on-the-nose, tone-deaf, culturally dead game.

[@angel_of_rust]

or killing

[@AlmightyPooFlingerVI]

Amputees stand up! ...If you can!

[@robinpage2730]

Perhaps a lobotomy

[@angel_of_rust]

@@StarlightDew Hi Fi Rush is if Dustborn was likeable in every single way.

[@Elfinlocksable]

I worked with a woman EXACTLY like sai. Always a new issue every single day and never her fault

[@DoodsUnited]

My condolences. I hope you now work in a better place (which includes the one you had IF she quit or transferred)

[@Scurwesyn]

So here are few things: 1. Truck which hit the cop at the begining of the game is self driving truck without pilot. Why it didn't stop after incident? I don't know. 2. Pax is racist to robots because she can't manipulate them. 3. Fred was paranoid about Pax for good reason because everything the bad echo told her turned out to be true. 4. They turned freaking robot gay! 5. The gang kindnapped mute girl. Here goes humantrafficing charge as well.

[@keithrice39]

The truck point is actually realistic. Stopping because you hit someone would be inefficient, and threaten the on-time delivery percentage for the company. Any decent corporation is going to program their trucks not to stop, that's just good business.

[@VacantPsalm]

"The Dustborn Deep Dive You Didn't Ask For" I would totally have asked for it, if I thought anyone would be mad enough to do it. Respect +

[@DetectiveLance]

I'm twelve minutes in and I hate this game already. And feel like it (the game) was written by people who have only met leftists online and wanted to market to them. Am I far off?

[@lemonlime8949]

Pretty much on the mark, except the devs themselves are also those online leftists and used taxpayers money

[@bluepedalsrock9271]

It’s so bad it comes off like a conservative trying to parody the online left. You’re not far off at all.

[@lemonlime8949]

@bluepedalsrock9271 except it’s not a parody, it really is the left

[@magical571]

@@lemonlime8949 no it's not....but thanks for showing your bias

[@marhawkman303]

@@lemonlime8949 Yeah it's people who aren't on the inside being paid to make a game by people who are.

[@breezy3176]

This single deep dive is probably deeper than the game itself

[@whbh2243]

I’m convinced that you are the only person to ever finish this game, I seriously doubt anyone else tolerated this long enough

[@ARStudios2000]

@@whbh2243 there was a streamer Madam Savvy who finished the game start to finish.

[@timymax]

I love your conclusion is basically summarized as "it's all right time to play if you just ignore everything that makes a video game a video game" XD

[@DigiThorn]

I will maintain the stance I always do in this kind of situation, the political alliance of a game isn’t going to make something bad all by itself, however, it’s certainly not going to help. On that note, if the developers/creators lean really hard into the politics, in the marketing and especially in response to any criticisms, then theirs a 99% chance that is going to be mediocre at best.

[@mattd5240]

I think allegiance is a more apt word.

[@DigiThorn]

@@mattd5240 ….okay in my defense, it was a long day and I was very tired 😂

[@Jesei1211]

Political themes in media can elevate the quality of the write knows how to write it. But yeah usually especially nowadays it’s not political themes that are interwoven in a story it’s political propaganda being the story front and center

[@Twiddle_things]

I feel like your tone would be different if the game was nаzi propaganda

[@jamesmcdonnell2455]

​@Twiddle_things of course it would because these people can't help but be disingenuous. It's like how Justice is never actually portrayed as fascists in the game yet this KZbinr insists on claiming they are, just because his lefty friends told him they were.

[@AC-hj9tv]

I died of cringe at "bitch attack" Just living that ghost life now 👻

[@davidsolano9486]

The thumbnail it’s genuinely gorgeous holy fuck, it makes me wanna see the rest of your videos

[@BeardGrizzly]

"Dustborn is a game full of ideas from people that never knew when to pull back." I think that's the same feeling the parents of the writers had by not telling him to pull "back."

[@Big_Mike001]

Translation: "You want to put a message in your game? Fine, but make a good game first."

[@lukevankleef4245]

''The Last of Us Part 2 is one of my favourite games.'' Considering you played Dustborn all the way trough, I suppose you have punished yourself enough, so I will go easy on you.

[@VonSilvermont]

Appreciate the fair review. The game is awful, but it's refreshing seeing someone engaging more in depth with the game to disect what exactly is wrong with it.

[@angel_of_rust]

this game really ain't worth the deep dive tho. this video is just the necessary evil of enduring the full game for the sake of documentation. it's like a commie manifesto made into a game

[@khw1425]

In agreement with Von. Like there's enough hate on this game where I kinda want to know what it actually is, and I will say the visual style does look cool at points, and it seems like there were at the very least some interesting concepts in the mix. This said I do not want to play this game at all, so getting the summary/review independent of all the political outrage is nice.

[@SpecterVonBaren]

He's not actually saying anything different from the "anti-woke" crowd though.

[@WokioWolfy]

@@khw1425 one of the main things i know is that Dustborn started as a reactionary piece to Trump winning the 2016 election. The director of the game, however, really wants to avoid that fact and wants to say its about the power of words and making a safe space for everyone. But the game has this big dissonance of hatred and vitriol that i have no idea if that was the director's main purpose with the game but instead as a reactionary hate campaign on Trump.

[@KopperNeoman]

@@SpecterVonBaren Because the Anti-Woke crowd are 100% objectively correct. Duh.

[@TheUnknown-bq3eb]

I find it strange to imply that liking Last of Us Part 2 is a “Left Leaning” take. The game was just poorly written in general. Bad writing is apolitical. (Edit. Bad writing can come from anywhere, not that it can’t be influenced by certain political agendas or beliefs) Also (it’s fine to like LoU2, were are just some very poor general decisions when it came to how the game came together)

[@coletrainhetrick]

I loved the last of us 2, so much so I can debate anyone for ten hours straight on the subject, if anything I debate primarily about it. But my one criticism is that the game very much caters to the left, so much so the radicals on the right thought Abby was trans. I commended the handling the first game of depicting gay characters as normal people, deeply commend this. However the big difference with 2 is that they are actually making a statement with Lev being trans, that character being trans drives a ton of the plot in abbys story as well as the conflict, that is not apolitical. An apolitical depiction of a trans person would be to not center the conflict and plot around the fact they are trans, it does what Peter griffin said about godfather, "it insists upon itself" something the right absolutely hates.

[@buttmuncher-cm5tl]

No its not

[@Jikuri]

Leftist like Leftist stories, what a surprise. 🤣

[@MrDark086]

​@coletrainhetrick is that a right exclusive thing? I'd think that anyone that just wants to be entertained would hate a story thats insisting upon itself especially if its poorly written or lacking redeeming qualities to make up for that

[@noonenowhere877]

@Jikuri Only stupid people like stories for political reasons.

[@cal5365]

I recieve constant psychic damage knowing people like this and the devs who thought people would like these characters exist in real life

[@User-s7j5u]

"And i didnt flush the toilet" WE ARE THE DUSTBORN 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥

[@someniko02]

Noam's power is gaslighting

[@AdolphusOfBlood]

Pax uses being raised in a commune of hippies as her excuse for why she's roboracist.

[@RayDragonM]

The story and characters being so, SO bad is such a literal shame, I’m actually surprised how cool the vibes, world and the wasted ideas are. As someone who’s a huge fan of comic-book type artstyles AND science fiction, I agree with a lot of what you said. This is a pretty good video!

[@Arexion5293]

So basically a game that looked at Life if Strange and somehow got jealous of how cringe it was.

[@deadite3879]

I thank the arrogance and politics are interconnected. The politics lead to so many problems because it is clear that it is a eco chamber made it hard for people to reflect. If I want to say something like Rowby would say I once went to a mental health event that had a mirror that you where suppose to write something positive about yourself on a sticky note and place it on the mirror but when I saw it there where so many sticky notes that you legitimately could not see yourself. Dustborn is like that so much positive affirmation that no once could see what it was suppose to be, and the politics had no idea what there suppose to of been doing. If this was not the case then someone probably would of brought up how the song basically promotes grate replacement theory is a bad idea. The main character uses her words to hurt people suddenly goes from a deep statement on the power of words, to the journalist who claim a movie is getting review bombed by bigoted people then shows someone a tweet with 5 likes.

[@joseroa5243]

This had the same issue that concord had. A toxic positivity enviroment, they where so up their own asses they couldn't fathom that if they made 3 disticnt box messeges in one second people wouldn't be confabulated.

[@justvibingowo736]

Man the art style is geniuly gorgeous,in another world this would have been a good game😔

[@PixelHeroViish]

This game feels like someone's first draft disjointedly posted on someone's Tumblr blog that somehow got the money to put all their blorbos into a game without anyone stopping to think of how this would actually work but went ahead anyways. Nothing in this world works or makes sense and the most interesting aspect, that feels like an Erdtree rip-off, just kind of doesn't matter at all. The story should've been about the juxtaposition of how words can harm, both in small individual ways and grander governmental ways, but can also heal if spoken with empathy

[@BS-cc4ks]

"Hey did that pen survive till today holding that karmic debt?" lol, that's poetry man.

[@0inarrow735]

I honestly like it when you do these deep dives into games that most people don't really have strong feelings about, things like life is strange true colors. I'm excited to see what the next big video is gonna be.

[@Furebel]

"There's good in Dustborne" is a bit like saying "There's nutrients in sewers"

[@PaperThin_]

YIIK MENTIONED LETS GOOO 🔥🔥🔥🎮🎸📸🪧🔥🔥🔥

[@aceface5188]

Hey, dude, cool it with that! Nobody cares about YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG right now! We almost just died ourselves!

[@thecryingsoul]

Row mispronounced YIIK 😔

[@juengerdes_cores1689]

Im yeeking out!!!

[@nicomoron001]

@@aceface5188 I am vibrating with motion rn

[@TheCat_3]

Dustborn realized it forgot to kill a charcter so they did it last minute

[@TheCat_3]

Oh yeah and CT exists

[@CrabLegs78]

Really liked this vid. Gave me perspective on this game. I’m still not gonna play it, but I feel like I can appreciate it more now.

[@ComedyPlastic]

The number of new characters they keep adding is genuinely overwhelming.

[@Jaymic]

It's called "Dustborn" because the developers were obviously huffing Dust-Off for inspiration and this is the result. They probably also had Rick and Morty playing on the TV and forgot what real human interaction was like.

[@evanquisher3872]

Finally we get to experience more Rowby suffering

[@deathseekr1537]

Dustborn: NONE OF YOU ARE BELOW THE AGE OF 30 YOU ALL NEED TO CALM TF DOWN

[@lelouche25]

This man put a 1 hour video on dustborn. That's probably more effoe than this deserved. Jesus christ, good luck to you.

[@FriedCarp]

When there was only darkness, Rowby turned on the light

[@steel8231]

I think what a lot of people has issues with in Dustborn was that it's a government paid for game that glorifies all of the worst parts of social media.

[@DuelaDent52]

This is precisely the kind of deep dive I *was* looking for, actually. It’s hard to find people genuinely talking about the game and not just playing to the anti-SJW crowd.

[@lemonlime8949]

I fucking wonder why the game plays to the anti-SJW crowd 🤣you would never have cared otherwise

[@andrasfogarasi5014]

@@lemonlime8949 English second language?

[@lemonlime8949]

@andrasfogarasi5014 no, English first language. Is your first argument to make fun of someone for broken English though? 🫢 You’d fit right into the game

[@bluepedalsrock9271]

Hmmm, I wonder why a game that incorporates Triggering and Canceling attracted the anti-SJW crowd? This may just have to remain as one of gaming’s unsolved mysteries.

[@zzz11zz44]

@@bluepedalsrock9271 why so serious?

[@slow_wagon4763]

Thank you! as much as I love people dunking on the game and making fun of its politics, I've been wanting to see an actual in depth autopsy of this game and it's story. thank you for subjecting yourself to this garbage for our entertainment

[@lemonlime8949]

I respect you for at least saying the truth that the game promotes awful politics. Some people here are so special that they agree with it.

[@slow_wagon4763]

@@lemonlime8949 I mean, there's a reason most people hear about this games politics before anything else. This isn't just leftist, this is the chronically online, twitter, culture war version of leftism. Where not agreeing with them means you're problematic. And the game does a horrible job at making you sympathetic to their views. you know you fucked up when the characters that represent your ideology are all hateful, unlikable assholes and the literal fascists come off as somewhat reasonable. If you want a character driven, story focused game that features sympathetic views towards certain leftist ideologies, check out Disco Elysium. It's funny, unique, and provides a satirical and nuanced perspective on many different political ideologies while respecting the players intelligence. Dustborne does none of that.

[@kogamustard7717]

​@@lemonlime8949dang bro is pissed off that they are commentating on every comment

[@lemonlime8949]

@kogamustard7717 every comment? There’s one right below me that I didn’t comment on!

[@Fox_Olive]

​@@lemonlime8949if you had a reading comprehension above a 4th grade level, you'd understand exaggeration

[@TrickyJebus]

This is actually a nice and balanced review the fact you actually give it praise to a lot of things while at the same time sprinkle actual criticism is LOADS better than what the other youtubers who did a peace on this game. am still not playing it tho

[@lBorosDavidl]

13:51 almost like another game with another black female rebel with superpowers... and a talking cuff.

[@lumer4199]

binged this while building a gunpla, really enjoyable watch. don't be afraid to make these giants, your style really fits with it. also what's the good game at the very end? i'd like to say i'm very in the know with RPGs and have never seen it before.

[@RowbyVids]

Metaphor: Refantazio Made by the creators of Persona 3/4/5

[@kingmob2716]

It honestly feels like these characters were meant to be way younger like in there teens and early twenties, similar to Life is Strange. Making them so much older really makes them seem like a group of immature and emotionally stunted man/womanchildren than experienced adults and professional criminals. And following a gang of immature and unstable weirdos can be done well but it wasn’t done well here.

[@mawunotabi]

Liked and Subbed. Thank you for this. I, too, wasn't satisfied with just being told 'game bad' I needed to know WHY game was bad. What did it do WRONG specifically that is off-putting? And you did a great job at not just negging the game but showing the good parts too, which is important to making videos like this feel unbiased. At 15 mins in, feels like they had a good concept, but couldn't nail the execution, which sucks. I sometimes like games where the party isn't the most co-hesive or likable as long as something meaningful comes from it. So thanks again for suffering for those of us interested in a deeper look at unpopular games.

[@boomarcus22]

Now I need someone to make a video about the development companies and people behind this lol. Cause it seems like they just took tropes and pushed them to the max to make an internally bad game?

[@lemonlime8949]

Rowby won’t ever do it lmao, he agrees with the politics too much

[@FEKana]

​@@lemonlime8949or that's just not HIS style of content. But Rowby no say game completely suck, he must be LIKE the game

[@lemonlime8949]

@FEKana don’t be r****ded lmao. He has already responded to and deleted comments about what I said. I know he doesn’t like the game, but he can still agree with what the game says, and I can take issue with that.

[@mikhaelgribkov4117]

And a think is that they had better track record in the past with same folk.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@lemonlime8949 buddy has no idea youtube auto deletes comments. your probably literally saying slurs.

[@DaedricTalks15]

I somehow had my college art appreciation professor teach us how impactful words can be with the paintings of Hitler vs the entity of Dustborn.

[@connorbutters8479]

I find it respectable that you tried to give dustborn a fair trial and explain how the game fails on it's own merits. Too often do people just take games like these, say they're bad and don't bother elaborating beyond seasonal buzzwords and politically charged outrage when what a game like this really needs is for sombody to analyse what exactly this game does badly so mabye the devs can actually use that critique to make something better

[@NotSpecialDude]

It is important to note that this fair shake had to explicitly set aside the politics of the game. The equivalent is ignoring the Anti-War message of Metal Gear to focus on the game itself. It can be done, but that loses a major part of the game's identity and to the outward consumer that isn't obligated to give a potential purchase/investment a "fair shake" it can be difficult to ignore. Dustborn doubled down on it's political nature, openly advertising that it was inspired by and a reaction to the 2016 American election. To be blunt, Dustborn entered into the political arena willingly. So when pundits treat it as political propaganda and dismiss it outright, they are fair to do so.

[@ygthemoth9425]

@@NotSpecialDude Disagree, a video game is fundamentally (unless its a visual novel) a combination of gameplay and it's narrative. You can have terrible writing but still enjoyable gameplay, and vice versa. So reducing it to just the story and themes, misses out on a ton of what the game can potentially offer.

[@GhostlyLegacy]

Random fact about italians this game somehow got right at 37:52. There were a lot of italians in Denver Colorado that settled there in the 1850's. My family migrated late, in the 1970's where a sponsor supported my father and my grandparents to Denver.

[@alexeikotov7769]

They were made an offer they couldn't refuse?

[@BuffoFesss]

Gonna report this vid for self-harming behaviour

[@mr.blueguy7648]

Ngl your thumbnail made this game seem way cuter than it actually is...

[@Ontomancer]

"Maybe make the story about Reagan, that's a man who would miss his wife!" 😂😂😂

[@BhargavaMan]

The protagonist's name is Pax? Aaah, this must be that Pax Dei game people are talkin about

[@hnaw1360]

Ik this game is pretty new but... This is like if Mouthwashing constantly focused on the fact Swansea is the "Dad" of the group. Surprise surprise I don't think anyone would like that angle anymore if it's shoved down your throat. The reason the "Dad" characters happen is with simple interaction, not by shoving it down your audiences throat because you want him to be a popular Dad for the fandom to scream over.

[@cakes-r-great9111]

An hour of Rowby content!!!???!!! Honey, we eating good tonight!

[@whade62000]

"Packs has the power to make other people upset or angry" Yes, that's a very common superpower

[@ygthemoth9425]

Game becomes lot funnier if you envision the protags as a band of nuisance streamers terrorising canada & the US.

[@reddragon2943]

4:07 They took a lot of stuff from GTA Rowby I wish you the best in recovering from playing this game. Hope they get the cancer out of you.

[@darkmega97]

I can't understand if this game is trying to satirise what these characters are or if they seriously thought people would honestly like them

[@homuraakemi493]

Welcome to drag queen story hour