From Dust
Encyclopedia
From Dust is a video game, designed by Eric Chahi
and developed by Ubisoft Montpellier
. Ubisoft described it as a 'spiritual heir' to Populous
, a British
game developed by Peter Molyneux
and Bullfrog Productions
in 1989. Announced on 14 June 2010 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft published the game on Xbox 360, 27 July 2011 as a part of XBLA
Summer of Arcade event. The PC version was originally scheduled to be released at the same time but was delayed to August 17 due to undisclosed reasons. From Dust is distributed online via Steam, OnLive
, GamersGate
, and XBLA
.
In From Dust, players assume a god-like
first-person perspective from which they manipulate an archipelago
environment in an effort to save, and enlighten, a nomad
ic tribe
. With a spherical cursor
, the user controls certain types of matter
- namely soil
, lava
and water
- in real time. Lava cools to form solid rock, vegetation propagates in soil and spreads naturally once a village is built, and moving water quickly erodes
terrain. Physical changes to the world occur extremely rapidly, allowing players to restructure islands within minutes.
Campaigns in From Dust are structured as a sequence of missions, whereby completing certain objectives expedites the tribe's progress and bestows additional powers, such as the capacity to jellify water. Tribal shamans alert the player to natural disasters, notably tsunami
s and volcanic eruptions
, shortly before they occur. These disasters can be inhibited through creative, physical manipulation of the environment: a tsunami can be jellified, wildfire
s extinguished, and lava flows diverted. Although there is no 'explicit sandbox' mode, Chahi stated that each mission features a distinct map, which the player can return to and manipulate further.
and the European Game Developers Conference
in Cologne
, Ubisoft unveiled technical footage, showing the game's physics engine in detail. In the technical sequence, a narrator explains the user's interactions with the environment, and the effects of each physical element upon the other. During the conference, Chahi presented a lecture, entitled 'Creating a High-Performance Simulation: A Dynamic Natural World to Play With', demonstrating the world editor that underlies the environment simulation. On 6 May 2011, Ubisoft released footage detailing the various influences on, and artistic direction of, From Dust.
Ubisoft's decision to release the game via the Internet
was taken partly to reduce costs, but also to enable creative options for the team and allow for future features, such as a world editor or multiplayer. Guillaume Bunier, Ubisoft's producer, acknowledged that 'some people will not be able to play it', but argued that the majority of individuals interested in the game would be using PSN, XBLA, and Steam. In the event of From Dust being a 'huge success', Bunier suggested that the company could do another, disc-based version. When questioned about the suitability of the game to the console market, he responded by observing that other atypical games were successful on such platforms, notably Flower
on the PlayStation 3
(PS3). The OnLive game system, the PS3 and the Xbox 360
were 'powerful machines', and From Dust would utilise their greater capacity to operate the simulation. On 7 July 2011, Ubisoft announced that From Dust will be released on PC and Xbox 360 on 27 July 2011. However when pre-ordered on the Ubisoft Store, the release date order is listed as "pre-ordered release date: Wed Aug 17 00:00:00 CDT 2011". The Ubi Store was updated to show the PC release as August 17, a day before the previously announced July 27.
. During an interview, he recalled the inspirational trip to an active volcano:
In 2006, Chahi presented the concept to Ubisoft, who accepted the proposal. Once the development was underway, Montpellier even recorded 'audio from a real volcano' for inclusion in the game.
While discussing the game's visual elements and art direction, developers revealed that they used several locations on Earth, such as the Yemen
i islands of Socotra
, lagoon
archipelago
s of Polynesia
, and central Sahara
as sources of inspiration. Bruno Gentile, Art Director of From Dust, stated that the world possessed strong visual contrasts, with 'rich and swarming life full of weird shapes and colors'. Inhabitants of From Dust wear mask
s, which serves as a motif
representing mystery and uniqueness. Gentile commented that after the developers researched Africa
n and New Guinea
n tribes, one of Ubisoft Montpillier's concept art
ists developed the idea of a large mask, constructed from nacre
. Chahi remarked that the team had drawn inspiration from various musical instrument
s, especially slit drums used on the Vanuatu islands, and indicated that music was 'a key part in the gameplay and design'. While tribes do not develop technologically, the team decided that their culture
would evolve as they discovered 'their world and their past'.
In an interview with Eurogamer
, Chahi emphasised that the developers initially tried to avoid including overt religious
elements in the game. One journalist observed that From Dust appeared religious in an 'indistinct, cross-cultural non-denominational kind of way'. Tribal worship, totems, and animal-shaped monuments are examples of the quasi-religious character of From Dust. Chahi explained that, during one mission, the player would physically divide an ocean in order to assist their tribe in crossing it and so forth. He indicated that Ubisoft Montpellier were reluctant: 'we didn't want to take it in this direction', but the 'game kept pushing us back to it'. When asked the meaning of the game's title, Bunier remarked that 'it's just another universe, another place', "something people create 'from dust'". Separately, Chahi commented that the game centred on the fragility of life and brevity of humankind.
Regarding physics in the world of Dust, Chahi commented that the developers had 'worked hard to translate a vision of the power of the Earth moving and exploding in the game'. Volcanic eruptions, explosions, and lava flows function in a way similar to actual volcanoes, such as Mount Etna
. However, the developers opted for more theatrical, 'visually impressive' tsunami
s. Dynamic textures were used to represent water transparency, moving lava, and the real time adaptation of rock and soil to fluids.
A central aspect of the user interface is the breath, with which players interact with the world and manipulate events. When a user selects a material, such as water, the appearance of the breath changes accordingly and the fluid can be placed directly onto the surface of the world. Chahi stated that the developers abandoned the traditional head-up display
(HUD), and chose an abstract form instead, the breath, which they then 'fully integrated in the storyline'. Elaborating further, he stated that a tribe's music would also affect the appearance of the breath.
editor Brandon Sheffield, Chahi posted that the developers would eventually complete a 'real-time weather simulation', although may not package it with the initial release of the game. In September 2010, Chahi stated that From Dust was a 'solo experience', although if the game's sales were promising, he indicated that the team would consider 'adding an editor and a multiplayer mode'. Digital delivery methods, such as Steam, enabled the developers to price the solo experience at 'around 15 Euros or so', while also providing the option to enhance content later in the development cycle. He stated that he had 'many ideas' regarding new features, and a possible franchise.
Also Ubisoft created a separate iPad version exclusively for OnLive which will allow players to play From Dust anywhere with the completely custom touch and controls, and OnLive new universal controller which allows players to sync it up to any wireless device that run OnLive
While watching an Xbox 360 demonstration at Gamescom 2010, Kotaku
’s Mike Fahey stated that the physics were 'incredibly impressive'. In response to a demonstration of the camera controls and sphere interactions, he remarked that it was 'an amazing sight'. In a GameSpot
preview, Giancarlo Varanini stated that it was great fun 'just messing around with the world', which 'roused fond memories of games like Populous'. Looking forward, he said that GameSpot would be interested in the extent of these non-linear mechanics.
In March 2011, Eurogamer
contributor Christian Donlan suggested that the simulation might be the ‘most fascinating part’ of the entire project, in that it presented a ‘convincing environment’. Corroborating one of Fahey's points, he noted that details are observable with a ‘good range of camera options’. Far from being an 'endless grind of escort missions', Donlan argued that From Dust appeared 'quick-witted, entertaining stuff'. Scripted path finding was 'surprisingly good': tribes attempted to navigate obstacles and search for alternative routes, with their intended paths highlighted in different colours. In his conclusion, Donlan noted that once the campaign ended, the game offered ‘a wonderful digital fish tank to peer into’.
Challenge mode employs similar gameplay to that of the Story mode, but the difference is that the gameplay for Challenge mode is faster-paced, and sacrifices any storyline in this mode. Challenge mode levels can last only a few minutes, offering more exciting yet harder gameplay.
for the game in particular received many complaints, since a constant Internet connection is required when launching the game, even though it was initially reported that the game would simply require a one-time-only activation. There are also a large number of reports that the PC version has crashing issues, glitches and a small bracket of supported graphics cards, rendering the game unplayable for some. A Playstation 3 version was released on the PlayStation Network in September 2011.
Other such problems included complaints about the explanations during the in-game tutorials, or the poorly written and displayed writing that accompanied the 'Memory Of The Tribe' collectibles, that were often nonsensical.
Eric Chahi
Éric Chahi is a French computer game designer best known as the creator of Another World .- Career :Éric Chahi started programming on Oric Atmos and Amstrad during 1983 for the company Loriciels...
and developed by Ubisoft Montpellier
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. Ubisoft described it as a 'spiritual heir' to Populous
Populous
-External links:*...
, a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
game developed by Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
and Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions was a UK computer game developer that was founded in 1987 by Les Edgar and Peter Molyneux. The company achieved recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous....
in 1989. Announced on 14 June 2010 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Ubisoft published the game on Xbox 360, 27 July 2011 as a part of XBLA
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
Summer of Arcade event. The PC version was originally scheduled to be released at the same time but was delayed to August 17 due to undisclosed reasons. From Dust is distributed online via Steam, OnLive
OnLive
OnLive is a cloud gaming platform: the games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet.The service is available using the OnLive Game System, PCs running Microsoft Windows and Intel-based Macs with OS X 10.5.8 or later...
, GamersGate
GamersGate
GamersGate AB is a Sweden-based online video game store offering PC games, Mac games and electronic guides via direct download. It is a competitor to online video game services such as Valve's Steam, Direct2Drive and Impulse....
, and XBLA
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
.
In From Dust, players assume a god-like
God game
A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine/supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character , and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to...
first-person perspective from which they manipulate an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
environment in an effort to save, and enlighten, a nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. With a spherical cursor
Cursor (computers)
In computing, a cursor is an indicator used to show the position on a computer monitor or other display device that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device. The flashing text cursor may be referred to as a caret in some cases...
, the user controls certain types of matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
- namely soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
, lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
- in real time. Lava cools to form solid rock, vegetation propagates in soil and spreads naturally once a village is built, and moving water quickly erodes
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
terrain. Physical changes to the world occur extremely rapidly, allowing players to restructure islands within minutes.
Campaigns in From Dust are structured as a sequence of missions, whereby completing certain objectives expedites the tribe's progress and bestows additional powers, such as the capacity to jellify water. Tribal shamans alert the player to natural disasters, notably tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
s and volcanic eruptions
Types of volcanic eruptions
During a volcanic eruption, lava, tephra , and various gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has been observed...
, shortly before they occur. These disasters can be inhibited through creative, physical manipulation of the environment: a tsunami can be jellified, wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s extinguished, and lava flows diverted. Although there is no 'explicit sandbox' mode, Chahi stated that each mission features a distinct map, which the player can return to and manipulate further.
Development
On 14 June 2010, Ubisoft announced the development of From Dust at E3, and the appointment of Eric Chahi as the Creative Designer. Following the announcement, the company released cinematic, in-game footage featuring a variety of characters, terrains, and user interactions, with a vocal narration of some of the story. On 16 August 2010, during GamescomGamescom
gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is organised by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware...
and the European Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Ubisoft unveiled technical footage, showing the game's physics engine in detail. In the technical sequence, a narrator explains the user's interactions with the environment, and the effects of each physical element upon the other. During the conference, Chahi presented a lecture, entitled 'Creating a High-Performance Simulation: A Dynamic Natural World to Play With', demonstrating the world editor that underlies the environment simulation. On 6 May 2011, Ubisoft released footage detailing the various influences on, and artistic direction of, From Dust.
Ubisoft's decision to release the game via the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
was taken partly to reduce costs, but also to enable creative options for the team and allow for future features, such as a world editor or multiplayer. Guillaume Bunier, Ubisoft's producer, acknowledged that 'some people will not be able to play it', but argued that the majority of individuals interested in the game would be using PSN, XBLA, and Steam. In the event of From Dust being a 'huge success', Bunier suggested that the company could do another, disc-based version. When questioned about the suitability of the game to the console market, he responded by observing that other atypical games were successful on such platforms, notably Flower
Flower (video game)
Flower is a PlayStation 3 video game. It was developed by Thatgamecompany, designed by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark, and announced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show. Flower was released on February 12, 2009, via the PlayStation Network. The game was intended as a "spiritual successor" to Flow, a...
on the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
(PS3). The OnLive game system, the PS3 and the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
were 'powerful machines', and From Dust would utilise their greater capacity to operate the simulation. On 7 July 2011, Ubisoft announced that From Dust will be released on PC and Xbox 360 on 27 July 2011. However when pre-ordered on the Ubisoft Store, the release date order is listed as "pre-ordered release date: Wed Aug 17 00:00:00 CDT 2011". The Ubi Store was updated to show the PC release as August 17, a day before the previously announced July 27.
Influences
Following the completion of Heart of Darkness in 1998, Chahi exited the video games industry to explore other interests, and subsequently developed a passion for volcanologyVolcanology
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire....
. During an interview, he recalled the inspirational trip to an active volcano:
In 2006, Chahi presented the concept to Ubisoft, who accepted the proposal. Once the development was underway, Montpellier even recorded 'audio from a real volcano' for inclusion in the game.
While discussing the game's visual elements and art direction, developers revealed that they used several locations on Earth, such as the Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i islands of Socotra
Socotra
Socotra , also spelt Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through...
, lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
s of Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, and central Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
as sources of inspiration. Bruno Gentile, Art Director of From Dust, stated that the world possessed strong visual contrasts, with 'rich and swarming life full of weird shapes and colors'. Inhabitants of From Dust wear mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
s, which serves as a motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
representing mystery and uniqueness. Gentile commented that after the developers researched Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
n tribes, one of Ubisoft Montpillier's concept art
Concept art
Concept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design...
ists developed the idea of a large mask, constructed from nacre
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
. Chahi remarked that the team had drawn inspiration from various musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s, especially slit drums used on the Vanuatu islands, and indicated that music was 'a key part in the gameplay and design'. While tribes do not develop technologically, the team decided that their culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
would evolve as they discovered 'their world and their past'.
In an interview with Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
, Chahi emphasised that the developers initially tried to avoid including overt religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
elements in the game. One journalist observed that From Dust appeared religious in an 'indistinct, cross-cultural non-denominational kind of way'. Tribal worship, totems, and animal-shaped monuments are examples of the quasi-religious character of From Dust. Chahi explained that, during one mission, the player would physically divide an ocean in order to assist their tribe in crossing it and so forth. He indicated that Ubisoft Montpellier were reluctant: 'we didn't want to take it in this direction', but the 'game kept pushing us back to it'. When asked the meaning of the game's title, Bunier remarked that 'it's just another universe, another place', "something people create 'from dust'". Separately, Chahi commented that the game centred on the fragility of life and brevity of humankind.
Mechanics
An essential aspect of From Dust is the environment simulation, which underlies the player's interactions with the world. Developers intended that the world appear as a 'living thing', a dynamic and spontaneous entity, irrespective of the player's actions upon it. Chahi emphasised the difficulty of balancing this technical simulation with individual enjoyment, commenting that sometimes 'it would take days to find the right value for gameplay that's also aesthetically pleasing'. Montpellier accommodated this dynamism through a system of rules, which govern the elements of the simulation: flowing water and moving soil result in the emergence of rivers. Lakes at the base of a volcano accumulate sediment, which increases their viscosity, and similar rules govern volcanic eruptions, lava flow, and the spread of vegetation. With each rule, the layers accumulate to the point at which the developers are able to create an entire landscape.Regarding physics in the world of Dust, Chahi commented that the developers had 'worked hard to translate a vision of the power of the Earth moving and exploding in the game'. Volcanic eruptions, explosions, and lava flows function in a way similar to actual volcanoes, such as Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...
. However, the developers opted for more theatrical, 'visually impressive' tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
s. Dynamic textures were used to represent water transparency, moving lava, and the real time adaptation of rock and soil to fluids.
A central aspect of the user interface is the breath, with which players interact with the world and manipulate events. When a user selects a material, such as water, the appearance of the breath changes accordingly and the fluid can be placed directly onto the surface of the world. Chahi stated that the developers abandoned the traditional head-up display
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
(HUD), and chose an abstract form instead, the breath, which they then 'fully integrated in the storyline'. Elaborating further, he stated that a tribe's music would also affect the appearance of the breath.
Expansion
In August and September 2010, Montpellier designers indicated that a variety of expansions were under consideration, including a weather simulation, world editor, and multiplayer capacity. During an interview with GamasutraGamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
editor Brandon Sheffield, Chahi posted that the developers would eventually complete a 'real-time weather simulation', although may not package it with the initial release of the game. In September 2010, Chahi stated that From Dust was a 'solo experience', although if the game's sales were promising, he indicated that the team would consider 'adding an editor and a multiplayer mode'. Digital delivery methods, such as Steam, enabled the developers to price the solo experience at 'around 15 Euros or so', while also providing the option to enhance content later in the development cycle. He stated that he had 'many ideas' regarding new features, and a possible franchise.
Also Ubisoft created a separate iPad version exclusively for OnLive which will allow players to play From Dust anywhere with the completely custom touch and controls, and OnLive new universal controller which allows players to sync it up to any wireless device that run OnLive
Previews
Late in the development cycle, journalists offered initial appraisals of the mechanics, presentation, and appeal of From Dust. Commentators praised the physics engine, god-like powers, and scripting of the computer-controlled tribes.While watching an Xbox 360 demonstration at Gamescom 2010, Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
’s Mike Fahey stated that the physics were 'incredibly impressive'. In response to a demonstration of the camera controls and sphere interactions, he remarked that it was 'an amazing sight'. In a GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
preview, Giancarlo Varanini stated that it was great fun 'just messing around with the world', which 'roused fond memories of games like Populous'. Looking forward, he said that GameSpot would be interested in the extent of these non-linear mechanics.
In March 2011, Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
contributor Christian Donlan suggested that the simulation might be the ‘most fascinating part’ of the entire project, in that it presented a ‘convincing environment’. Corroborating one of Fahey's points, he noted that details are observable with a ‘good range of camera options’. Far from being an 'endless grind of escort missions', Donlan argued that From Dust appeared 'quick-witted, entertaining stuff'. Scripted path finding was 'surprisingly good': tribes attempted to navigate obstacles and search for alternative routes, with their intended paths highlighted in different colours. In his conclusion, Donlan noted that once the campaign ended, the game offered ‘a wonderful digital fish tank to peer into’.
Game modes
From Dust gives the option of two main game modes, one being the Story mode and the other a challenge mode. The former consist of a sequence of missions which play through the story of a lost tribe who are using the player (who controls "The Breath") to travel to different levels in an attempt to discover what happened to their old tribe. When all objectives on a level are complete, a gateway opens and the tribe can continue through to the next level. Levels in Story mode take approximately half an hour or less to complete.Challenge mode employs similar gameplay to that of the Story mode, but the difference is that the gameplay for Challenge mode is faster-paced, and sacrifices any storyline in this mode. Challenge mode levels can last only a few minutes, offering more exciting yet harder gameplay.
Reception
From Dust received generally favourable reviews, following its initial release on 27 July 2011, on Xbox 360. The PC version, released on August 17, 2011, received less favorable reviews overall. Critics of the PC version noted the unrefined controls, limited framerate to 30 FPS, and a lack of anti-aliasing or other advanced graphics options. Ubisoft's DRMDigital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
for the game in particular received many complaints, since a constant Internet connection is required when launching the game, even though it was initially reported that the game would simply require a one-time-only activation. There are also a large number of reports that the PC version has crashing issues, glitches and a small bracket of supported graphics cards, rendering the game unplayable for some. A Playstation 3 version was released on the PlayStation Network in September 2011.
Other such problems included complaints about the explanations during the in-game tutorials, or the poorly written and displayed writing that accompanied the 'Memory Of The Tribe' collectibles, that were often nonsensical.