Dustborn, a rhythm adventure beat-em-up game developed by Red Thread Games, has recently launched on PC and various consoles. The developer has addressed a review-bomb campaign sparked by the game’s political themes, which depict progressive activists in a punk band opposing a right-wing government in an alternate America.
Red Thread Games anticipated discussions around Dustborn’s narrative but expressed disappointment at the hostility that followed. The studio emphasized its expectation for positive and constructive engagement with players. However, they noted that the anticipated dialogue was overshadowed by widespread harassment and hate, stating that they welcome thoughtful criticism but have zero tolerance for harmful behavior, which would lead to removal from their community.
Currently, Dustborn has a Mostly Positive rating, with 75% of reviews being positive against 25% negative. Some negative feedback has been prevalent on social media platforms like Twitter/X and Facebook. There were not as many negative reviews on platforms like Steam, potentially because accounts participating in review bombing might have been banned.
Some reviews were notably peculiar. One review criticized the game’s aesthetic harshly yet gave it a positive rating, likely indicating a troll. Conversely, numerous positive reviews appear genuine. One reviewer, acknowledging the game’s heavy representation of diverse characters, mentioned how the representation mirrored real-life experiences for some, without affecting their enjoyment of the game.
Dustborn is available on multiple platforms, including Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, and PS5.
