Dust & Neon Review (PC)

I fire five revolver shots at the incoming groups of robots as quickly as possible, only aiming in their general direction. I think one misses and the others down one incoming rolling enemy and force the others to split and then move behind obstacles.

But I can’t really focus on that because I am pushing a button to reload my weapon as quickly as possible. I throw in a roll to make sure that no enemy bullets reach me while I do that. And then I deliver another stream of future lead downrange, this time paying even less attention to the targeting.

Switching to a carbine gives me more accuracy, which I use to pop the heads of two robots that leave cover. Because I am no longer shooting, I am reloading, and also moving toward an ammo chest to replenish my supplies.

I blow another big robot away with my shotgun and enter the saloon. A group of three is ready, guns drawn, but my close-quarters shotgun work is too good. They were guarding a golden chest, which opens up revealing a rare and high quality revolver. I pick it up and wonder how many robots stand before me and the end of the level.

Dust & Neon was developed by David Marquardt Studios and published by Rogue Games, Inc. I played on the PC via Steam. The game is also offered on the Nintendo Switch. The title uses twin-stick shooter mechanics and links them to a rogue-lite structure.

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The story takes place in an alternate Wild West where legions of robots are taking over and only one mysterious cowboy is ready to stand against them. He is joined by a cast of weird characters, all of them managing some of the support elements that can enhance his performance. There’s not too much narrative to focus on but the universe is interesting, even if it’s mostly built out of classic movies and book tropes.

The heart of Dust & Neon is the moment-to-moment action. The cowboy teleports into a level, carrying his chosen weapons and with a clearly stated objective. Plenty of enemies will try to stop him from accomplishing it. And players will use twin-stick shooter combat and movement to eliminate them.

Our protagonist isn’t very fast at the start of the adventure, but he can use a sprint to put distance between himself and enemies or a roll to avoid incoming fire. Moving behind cover also stops incoming projectiles. But most of the time, players will want to move as much as possible and try to get as many bullets into as many enemies as possible.

Revolvers are the basic weapon, shotguns are great for close-quarters engagements, and carbines open up more ranged and precision strikes. It’s important to use the right weapon for the fight at hand but it is crucial to be reloading at the right times.

You kill a robot up close and another is moving half a screen away? Perfect time to reload. A group is moving in and a combination of spring and dodge will create distance? Reload. A firefight is done and you see one more opponent hiding in the distance? Reload.

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Always keep an eye out for the many ammunition and health boxes spread through a level. And make sure to open every box that might contain a weapon. There are a lot of them in Dust & Neon and even the ones the player does not pick up are an excellent source of money.

The player-controlled hero will get a range of resources as he moves through levels and takes down opponents. Money can be used to get extra weapons from a vendor on base. Cores can enhance the base itself, opening up more bonuses. Cash is also good for mind-blowers, mods that improve abilities for one mission.

Finally, the cowboy himself will gain levels and upgrade points. They power both defensive and offensive enhancements, needed because of the increasing capabilities of the robot enemies. Boss encounters are also gated by these levels.

These unique enemies have special abilities, a lot of health, and hit hard. Even worse, you have to fight them in relatively small arenas, which raises the difficulty level. Pattern recognition and careful use of resources is the key to defeating them.

The rogue structure means that death is not the end. Weapons and cores are lost and you will feel their disappearance. But a mission or two is enough to find new solid guns and get a lot of resources. The game strikes a good balance between challenge and constant upgrades for the player's character.

Dust & Neon shines when you enter a saloon or sheriff's office, revolver at the ready, and then do a deadly dance with four of five robots. It’s even better when you find a golden box inside and get a good weapon or rummage through their corpses and find a lot of cores.

Dust & Neon looks decent but not spectacular. The world is easy to understand and move through, which is a big plus given the tension of the combat. The mostly top-down view serves the action well but it makes it a little annoying to use longer-range weaponry. Levels could also have used more weirdness, especially given the post-apocalyptic and robot themes. The soundtrack supports the rest of the presentation well with a mix of country and electronic themes but it needs a few more tracks.

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The Good

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