If you are looking for a battlefield simulator look else where. This game is underwhelming and is a challenge to enjoy even when playing with friends.
Controls for ever facet of the game is clunky and akward. There is little freedom in the game and most fights are just a subpar mix of CS and BF merged into a badly sitched together game. the game has more features than what is really needed forcing you to be a noob till you have had a account active long enough to catch up skill wise (they train in real time) forceing casuals to use real money to try and even the playing field.
Look somewhere else your time will be better spent playig another game.… Expand

Played the Beta.... tried very hard to give it a chance, hated it. Decided to download it when it came out Tuesday for free and give it a second chance (this time playing it online with my girlfriend). We both tried very hard and gave this game a fair chance to impress..... it is junk. I guess this isn't really much of a review as much as it is just an honest score. I actually did quite well too, I had many more kills than deaths and my team won most of the matches I played. No wonder the game is FREE... you get what you pay for.. or don't pay for.… Expand

Its a very nice game a very nice improvement from the Beta

but some weapons dont have a good aim and also there's alot of bugs and lack of maps dont know about EVE Online has those maps but yeah) it almost everything are microtransactions and the weapons are consumables like the dropsuits, but hey its free and if u like games like Battlefield and Planetside 2, then u should totally try out this game especially since it can go up to 16 vs 16. But this game is almost Pay to Win because the advanced/mid items and consumables involves Aurums, which u can get more in real cash.
Overall this game has a lot of potential and since i heard that all their expansions will be free then i see this game can even be better then the Planetside series… Expand

The game is awesome. After years of hard working, CCP give us (IMFO) a really good online shooter on PS3.
Long life to you- CCP!

Игра

A Free to play game, that links two games together in a huge universe, with Intense Corporation battles, Skill tress, and a dynamic First Person Shooter experience, makes this game one of the most innovative games in the past few years.

The games fps mechanics are really bad in combination with the lag and bad hit detection. CCP has sooo much on their plate just in terms of fixes, that I am not sure they can pull it off in the next year or whenever they make the game good again.

There is so much positive but too much negative that after playing the beta for a year I am now (after release) not playing anymore, im just sitting in the mcc gaining free sp untill it gets good again.

Hope this game gets gud before ps4 or it is a gonner.… Expand

Good game, good mechanics, needs a little more work. Still some issues with matchmaking in some rounds that makes one team clearly better than the other, but this game really shines in the corp v corp battles, not the instant action. People shouldn't judge so quickly if they haven't experienced all that this game has to offer.

Such wasted potential. A lack of maps and game-modes, horrible controls, blurry graphics, and terrible weapon balance. Will the game eventually get better? Of course, but the game is now out of beta and in full release so there is no point holding back anymore. Everyone should download this game and give it a shot (it is free after all), but CCP blew it on this release.

All that being said, the game is somewhat fun if played in a squad. The gameplay is full of hiccups but for the most part it's polished. I am only giving this game as high a rating as I am because of it's "potential" for future growth, which right now seems pretty bleak considering that this last patch was a downgrade in terms of gameplay and weapon balance.… Expand

So much promise for the future of this game. Cant wait to see what this game would be like in 10 years and with the community we have now, we have a chance to get there.

A half baked attempt to jump into the FPS market. Frustrating awkward controls, poor frame rate, graphics that look last generation. Lag and hit detection are also sub-par. This comes off very much as a poor man's FPS. Mediocre at best and a flaming wreck at worst, despite all the EVE fans trying desperately to up-rate it. Mediocrity combined with the pay to win monetization system. The touted link to EVE is really just a gimmick and that won't save this game when the core gameplay is so poor.… Expand

This game is average at best. It is a free to play but pay to win type of game. Avoid it unless you want to be paying $60-$200 in order to survive. It is free to download though so I say give it a try. Who knows, you may just love it.

For potential, 10/10. For concept, 10/10. For the revolutionary formulary of tying it into a persistent universe with pre-established lore in EVE Online, and connecting the two games together, 10/10. Why 8? As it is now, it has bugs. But so did EVE. As it is now, it has balance issues. But so did EVE. As it is now, it lacks content. But so did EVE. The biggest disappointment is the lack of a 'solo' experience, and I use that term loosely as you are never truly solo in EVE Online, but the difference is, you can still go and make something of yourself without the need to engage in direct PVP combat in EVE. DUST, for the moment, is purely PVP with no PVE elements in it, and that's where it loses points for me. But, I expect they are on the drawing board, and continue to enjoy the game as it is for the moment. Without that PVE content however, it will eventually just become the same old thing match after match. Hell, it already is, but it's still an enjoyable "same old thing", especially if you've got a good solid team.… Expand

Finally a persistent game where wins and losses matter and mean something! easily one of the most ambitious titles ever on console. needs compartmentalized team communication, bigger battles, more game modes and slightly better framerate in close firefights but the foundation is amazing. If you liked MAG you will LOVE this game.

So much promise in this game. The large scope and massive immersion into the game is really rewarding. Looking forward to the game mechanics getting better. Great start to a FREE game! I also agree that if you enjoyed MAG, you will love this game.

The game as a whole is great fun. Find a corp, run with a squad, this is where Dust 514 shines. Decisions and battles actually matter in this game.

Pros:
Persistence
Team Work Focused
Real consequences for actions

Cons:
Controls

This is the best shooter I've played in years. It's still a work in progress, but this game has more potential than any other game out there right now.
Take it from someone who was in the Planetside 2 Tech Test, and still plays it occasionaly today: THIS is the MMOFPS you want to be playing.

a great and unique F2P concept that is already a good shooter with depth and customization never seen before in a FPS. Dusts connection with eve will push it past what shooters have ever attempted as long as they set a good foundation. the game still badly needs a solid new player tutorial [a must with the high learning curve] bigger and better grouping, better corp tools, proximity chat and a command structure similar to what MAG had [right now allied squads are completely cut off from each other and 16 voices in teamchat is a nightmare] with free updates this game can grow to be great if it tackles its few hiccups in the next two updates.… Expand

A fun fps, very in dept Skill system that appeals to the hardcore gamer, but with room for the casual. the only draw back that really need mentioning is the rather steep learning curve for a player new to the game. But once core elements are understood a very satisfying experience is to be had. well worth checking out.

Ive been playing this game since the closed beta, and just frankly....wow. The game's developers have actually listened to there beta forums which i'm sincerely impressed with, having an input into a genre I love has been pretty cool. This game has come on in leaps and bounds. Don't get me wrong, there are still some issues, but with the game being set in an already well established universe and CCP's already sterling record with their persistent MMORPG, EVE, this game has the potential to outlast the current clone FPS's available.

The fact that this game is F2P, and with CCP doing there level best to ensure that this is the case by not allowing gamers to buy there way into something that isn't achievable by the hard slog of gaining skill points and earning the in game currency called isk is great. (Trivia fact: also Iceland's national currency, the home of CCP)

I think i'm safe in saying that this game will impress anyone looking for something more meaningful than the 7th time they've just unlocked the AK47 (i think you know which game i'm talking about).… Expand

One of the worst shooters I've ever had the misfortune of playing. Gameplay is so bad, it makes you wonder what the eff the developers were thinking when they were making this game. How anyone can think the actual core gameplay of this game such as shooting, movement, and driving vehicles is fun and not broken is beyond me. Guess they've never played one of the approximately 3,282 other shooters on the market that are mcuh better than Dust 514. Even at the low price of "FREE", I will not be playing this game. Life is too short to waste it on really bad video games.… Expand

Awesome game. Loving the progression, complexity, longevity, graphics. Tip: Please join a corporation. You will love this game even more. Voice chat is always fun and dynamic with good people and you will always enjoy matches and planetary conquest then!

All the people that gave this game a 10 are going off of it's potential. A potential that has yet to be realized. Fanboys are trying there best to save the game from getting bad scores or from being seen negatively by the public the game is bad plain and simple. Besides a 10 would mean it's perfect and you and anyone else who would rate Dust a 10 are lying to yourselves so you can feel better about Dust.

While I would realistically rate this game a 6 to 7 maybe 7.5 on a good day it's core shooter mechanics are not tight at all it's a mess, graphics improved while I'm not looking for BF3 graphics this game is as poor on graphics quality as MOH:WF, frame rate never goes over 15, lag, poor hit detection.

Maps are to big for player count, maps are to big for the current weapon ranges, things don't render properly, SP takes to long to accumulate to earn better gear, game modes are uninspired and not original Skirmish is basically BF conquest, no true weapon variety all weapons with in a certain class all look the same but they do different things...

Instead of making an AR with single shot, semi auto, and full auto variants wouldn't it have been easier to make one gun with a select fire switch? They then could've focused on actually making more weapons different designs.

Lack of weapon customization! This is a big one not only does my weapon look exactly like the guys standing next to me I can't make it my own. Fitting the way I want no I'll have to wait 6 months to a year for that and this game has been in beta for 1 year but in development way longer than that things like that should be here already.

Dust has promise but it's a half baked FPS with no soul. If CCP would've tried to actually develop the game before putting it in beta it would probably be in a much better place right now! The only thing unique Dust offers is PC but who wants to fight over planets if the core of the game is sloppy?!… Expand

Finally a fps shoter that does not treat you like you're a moron. Tons of customization options and battles actually MEAN something. Took me a few days to learn the upgrade system but now tht i have it is like a game in itself!I recommend this game to anyone who like me was feeling like there was no point in playing BF3 or COD. In all honesty I had premium for BF3 and I sold it once I got into DUST! So to summarize try this game out it may take a few days to learn but once you do you may never go back, I haven't! PS THE UPRISING UPGRADE CAME OUT ON MAY 14th THE GAME IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NEW GRAPPHICS NEW CONTROLS STREAMLINED INTERFACE. If you tried ths game before and didn't like it come back download the update and give her another shot, you've got nothing to lose besides that burnt out feeling you get from most FPS's...PEACE! I'm out.… Expand

This game is a poor mans FPS. Literally since it's "free" Now here is 2 major things you need to know about this game. It's free as long as you love the grind. And I mean korean mmo grind! You can shorten that grind by getting boosters, and boosters cost REAL CASH.

Now you can play the game without paying a cent. but it will take awhile to unlock anything. like EVE kinda while. Yup, and here's the second thing.. If you never gave a rats ass About EVE ONLINE, or found it BORING then this game will be boring to you as well.

As a FPS it's has some horrible mechanics. As a mmo. It does shine tho. Like a nerd is staples you'll love how much you can customize. EVE lore for one that cares nothing for it, will leave you playing a game thats a 4 out of 10.… Expand

I have been playing this game for nearly a year now I would probably be described as a fan boy but i will be objective

this is a game for people who want something new and are bored of killing for killings sake the sheer number of skills and items available make almost every player different in some way, It was worked out that is will take about 6-8 years to max out the current available skills so don't expect to be top dog quickly it will take you maybe 5+ mouths to get the stuff you really want.

Gameplay is fun it is not a "smooth" as COD or BF3 but get your self into a corp(clan) and work with them this is a team game

Map number are "limited" and yet bound less I will try and explain currently there are 6 basic terrain maps each of these can have 1 of 6 skins (grass,rock,desert) and then the building on the map are socketed so on big maps there are 1 main building and 2/3 small buildings, these are currently 3 main types of main building (not sure about the small ones) and each of these has 4 rascal versions.

as it stands there are 3 levels of battles, public battles, factional warfare is affects EVE online players, and planetary conquest this is where corps can take planets over and try and hold them. PVE will be added but there is no confirmed time fame for this yet.

this game is worth a try but just go in expecting something different from your regular run and gun FPS and don't expect that just because you can go 15-0 in other game that you will be going this straight of the bat here.… Expand

Since this game is forever evolving hopefully your first few weeks of play, you can look past the clunky movements and inconsistent aiming mechanics, Maybe by the time you read this the developers may have improved on the in game mechanics as well as adding forever free updates, (As they will continue to do for years to come).. CCP is an amazing developer, and this game has huge potential, especially with the new Instant battle academy, that came with uprising, even as a new player you will be going up against people of like skill and gear lvl.. Spend a few weeks in the game advance your gear and find a good corporation/squad to gun down your enemy with! Soon you may be able to experience the Corp Vs Corp battles for planetary conquest!… Expand

An Free MMOFPS that is part of a persistent universe shared by another MMO, where your battles actually count for something?

Sign me up!

The EVE online formula has translated well, we finally have a multiplayer FPS with RPG elements with enough depth and motivation to last us a long time. Also take into account that the game is continuing to be expanded (another thing take from EVE) so you never will run out of content.

The fact that it can be played with a mouse and keyboard on the PS3 (which does seem a bit overpowered) plus the fact that it was free was what bought me into it (other then the reasons stated above)

Gone are the days of "run-and-gun unlock everything and quit" FPS'. Dust 514 is the future.… Expand

The gameplay itself is average. The part that makes this game REALLY shine is the complexity of the fittings of the suits and the vehicles. I can spend so much time tweaking what I want. When I "test" my fits I earn skill points so I can train for other things I want to test. It is an endless cycle of fun. Also the Planetary Conquest is AMAZING! It just came out and already my Corporation and a few others are fighting for control over these planets to gain more power. It is awesome… Expand

I'll start off saying this is not a well polished game. It has plenty of hiccups that need to (and will) be worked out in future updates. Currently the issues include clunky controls, the occasional game-crashing bug, and uneven matches where experienced players simply crush relatively new players (though CCP fixed this somewhat with yesterday's upddate).

Now the reason I gave this game such a high rating is because CCP can be trusted to spend the next decade or so improving the game and adding content, and I consider its cross over with the EVE universe to be a truly innovative concept.

What makes Dust 514 special is the meta-game that comes with it. Being able to band together with other mercs to fight for control over planets in the EVE universe adds a layer of strategy and political intrigue on top of the normal shoot-the-other-guy-in-the-face excitement of an FPS. I also love the fact that making dropsuit fittings requires some careful consideration. Having to fit weapons and modules that maximize performance while remaining within the powergrid and CPU limitations of the suit, and keeping costs down enough that I can still profit from the fights definitely has kept me nerding out over this game.

If you are considering this game, be sure to look into player corporations, where you can squad up with people. This is a game that rewards teamwork.… Expand

DUST 514 is schizophrenic. It has awoken, nominally, on May 14th, not knowing who or what it is supposed to be, and as a result, is an unfortunately mediocre experience. Before I get into the meat of the discussion, let me give the following disclaimer:

I want to love this game, and I want to see it succeed.

The PS3 was, in my opinion, one of the worst decisions. Not because I dislike the console, or Sony, or because I prefer other platforms. It is at the end of its development cycle and lifespan, with the PS4 on the near horizon. More importantly, the core audience of people who would be receptive to a game like DUST don't own a PS3, or weren't willing to purchase one on the hope they would like one free to play game. I think it is fair to state that a hardcore, complexity-craving, long term audience is most likely to be found on the PC platform, a platform which is incidentally the most receptive to a FPS game.

The game on the PS3, with controller or KB and mouse just does not handle well. The movement is not visceral, the gunplay is stiff, and you feel as though you're struggling against the controls rather than the opponent you're fighting.

The game is set out to be a sort of a hybrid of MMO and FPS, and it excels at neither. Character progression in an FPS doesn't work in an MMO styled system, and it shows in DUST. Your starting mercenary will scantly be able to spec into a worthwhile build with the 500,000 SP that you are granted. You can specialize into a decent weapon or suit; not both simultaneously. This as been somewhat addressed with the introduction of the instant battle academy,a special match making queue for "new" players, but the problem runs deeper. Being objectively weak compared to older players is fine in say, EVE Online, because you don't contend with those players until you're ready, and EVE functions on an asymmetrical basis, where a dedicated swarm of new pilots could easily topple a more established player or players. That doesn't work in a 32 v 32 setting, simply put. If the other team has an SP advantage, they are objectively better suited to victory than you, something which does not sit well in the palate of an FPS player, where skill, tactics, and reflex should determine the winner.

Additionally, weapons have vertical progression. The militia variant is outclassed by standard, standard outclassed by advanced, and advanced outclassed by prototype. The seeming variety in the weapon and skill trees than is little more than flat upgrades with two possible "side" upgrades, usually an assault or tactical variant.

With the release of the game and the addition of Scrambler rifles, Flaylocks, and a few other toys, the weapon diversity has improved, but it is still the case that a the assault rifles rule supreme. They offer more versatility and damage than any other weapon class, and this imbalance stifles the unique and innovative weapon categories that CCP built, developed, deployed, and then decidedly handicapped.

Though the game doesn't have a class system, it does have specializations you as a player will move into, basically: Light, Medium, or Heavy, with sub groupings, such as Scout, Logistics, and Assault. Simply put, it's a long long road to end up into any reasonable specialization, which would be okay if you wouldn't be fighting players in these roles in the more meaningful factional warfare and planetary conquest game modes (which don't offer disparate gameplay from instant action, I might add).

Vehicles are present, though the ceiling to access them is quite high, except for a light scout vehicle which every player may employ for free. It is a testament to the poor fundamental gunplay that in public matches, it is often more effective to ram opponents to death with a free car than shoot them with the gun you've spent 500k SP to get to a playable level. Tanks have received a much needed buff, but along with the consistently nonperforming dropships, are basically only playable as luxury items a single HAV or Dropship loss can cost as much as 10 matches worth of rewards to replace.

I would continue, but am rapidly approaching the limit for this review. I will finish by stating the following:

DUST 514 tries to be an MMO with the depth and complexity of EVE, as well as a tactical "battlefield" shooter such as BF3 or Planetside, and in doing so excels at neither.

The gunplay will leave you wont to hop onto a more polished game, and MMO aspect is still shallow compared to EVE.

The reason I give this game a very very generous score of 7 is because of the promise. It is my hope that a lukewarm reception will for CCP to look long and hard at this game, and create a new niche that thrives on both the hardcore nature of their player base, buthas rewarding, enjoyable, and meaningful core gameplay.

Thanks for your time, and I hope this guides your decision before deciding to reward CCP with your hard-earned money.… Expand

I have been playing Dust for almost a year. the progress with every update has been quite amazing and right now it is a pretty imprezsive shooter. What i think is the best part is the customization and the persistance, i feel like my character is real, not just unlocking items in a row, decoded by the developer.. ccp is not launching this game intending to get dlc down the road, it will all be free. and for a free game, it is quite amazing. it is definitely not pay 2 win, i welcome the fact that i can keep up by buying sp boosters because i cant play every day and still keep up. all items are available in isk, there is not a single item that can only be bought for real money. what it lacks in polish, it more than makes up for by being free and fun. if you dont like the game right now, just wait 3 months, and come back, it will be better, and you will have accumulated sp to spend on new skills and items. you cant lose.… Expand

The main game-play of Dust is ruined by terrible, frustrating controls. The rest of the game becomes irrelevant because it is all based around the player's ability to enjoy the FPS aspect; which is made impossible by the sluggish, syrup-like aiming mechanic. It could have been great, but potential does not make a good game.

Free. Deep. and a lot more than just running around in circles pulling the trigger at the first thing you see. Its incredibly addictive. While a few areas still need to be ironed out, you can be sure they will with constant free updates.

the postive of of this game deep customization and depth
the negatives very gear based, very poor aim mechanics, frame rate is horrible graphics takes forever to render, poor hit detection and core gameplay sucks

this game is so bad reasons why poor gameplay hands down this game feels so broken even the worse fps made in history makes that game look 10 times better

This game is amazing its lagfree and its shooting mechanics are great. Just kidding this game is awful because it is laggy and the shooting and movement are very clunky. Not only that it is hard for new players and casuals to enjoy because they will go like 1-11 because of gear disadvatage. The only thing enjoyable about this game was the inertia dampener.

The pros: inertia dampener

The cons: everything… Expand

just horrible lack of core mechanics in shooting and just lags such a grind to win game

pros: nothing
cons: lack luster, poor hit mechanics, you get stuck on every thing.

Ground breaking concept merging console and pc fps & space mmo into one universe.
Takes the FPS model and adds meaning and value into the effort. You're fighting for something, with someone, leaving a lasting impact.

this game flawed in some many ways the hit detection is so bad its just bad the textures takes 10 years to load paid to win concept not noob friendly and baddies look good in this game just because they get to wear op gear because this game is the most gear based game ive ever played.

This game, just like anything CCP will ever make, has great promise. Unfortunately, it was released way too soon (even after having been announced on August 18, 2009). I don't know what CCP was doing with the nearly four intervening years, but they certainly weren't playtesting their own game on anything but their RAM-equipped developer hardware. The game is all but unplayable using either controller or mouse, and this is before you consider the unspeakably bad framerate you experience whenever you commit the sin of merely look towards an empty battlefield. Worse than this is how obvious it is that they are already upscaling the game's resolution from something pitiful.

These criticisms aside, I would go so far as to say this game is important to the industry. I am not aware of another game that attempts to merge two games from the same universe in such a way that adds such depth to both. Having the fortune of being a CCP customer in the past, I am completely confident that CCP will iterate the hell out of this game (and for free, no less) while continuously working to fix what needs improvement. 9/10 for CCP, 5/10 for releasing this late-stage beta as a supposed "AAA title".… Expand

The concept of what DUST 514 could be is amazing, but the game is pretty bad, to be honest. Many of these positive reviews seem to be based on what DUST 514 *could* be, not what it actually is, and after more than a year of beta, the plans and hype are clearly *very* far away.

Hit detection is magically screwed up with the latest build. Gun ranges are bad, you don't reach cover to cover on most maps so someone has to be standing in the open for a fight to take place. Draw distance also got screwed up with the latest build, people popping in and out at what feels like random. You can de-synch from other players, making their actions fully invisible to you.

Maps are pretty boring and uninspired. A lot of open area with nothing going on other than requiring you to travel across sniper territory, or just waste time, to get anywhere useful. Practically no enclosed spaces to promote a need for infantry, instead vehicles and snipers can reach pretty much anywhere and one- or two-shot ground players.

There's a lot of item variety, but it's all misleading. There's a lot of things, but each one essentially fits a specific role with very little to no overlap. So there's a lot to choose from, but if you want to do something specific, you have very little choice which item to take for that something. Item balance (or lack thereof) creates "best item" cases, making most variants obsolete, unless you want to be "that guy" who runs worse gear because you think it makes you a tough guy for fighting at a disadvantage, or if you want to RP, or if you just don't have the pre-knowledge or do the homework yourself (new players likely fall into this category and then compete at a disadvantage).

The game modes are pretty lacking. There's 2. Well, there's 4, but no, seriously, there's 2. Ambush is team deathmatch. Ambush OMS is also team deathmatch, but it has installations and supply depots drop from the sky every now and then. Skirmish is king of the hills, plural. And, Domination is king of the hill, singular.

The game is supposed to be such that every shot and every kill matters (most items are consumed upon death), but they've released so many infinite-use items through events and real-money purchases that much of the public match play has no point. The infinite-use items aren't top level gear by any means, but it ultimately costs you nothing you use, so many people run it for 100% profit from matches. No risk to them at all, and they can cause all kinds of financial damage to you if you choose to run fits that aren't free. Risk vs reward is wildly screwed up when the reward is the same for zero and maximum risk.

Skill progression has slowed to a crawl where it will literally take you months to specialize in a single role. They're supposedly working on fixing this to some extent, but with no details given yet, it's hard to know how player-friendly it will be. Player ability does factor into encounters, but higher level skills and gear will definitely set people apart. If someone is at or close to your level of skill, and has been playing longer than you, chances are they will perform better than you. Note: CCP is willing to sell you the ability to level faster, and you will need this to be competitive (at least before the playing-for-a-year mark), since your skill points have a maximum amount you can earn each week, and boosters you can buy with real money allow you to get more than that maximum.

It's hard to know how interesting Planetary Conquest will turn out, but there are already groups dedicating themselves to avoiding conflict and just using the mechanics to passively earn money.

The interaction with EVE is minimal, and people not-in-the-know wouldn't notice it if it was gone. It amounts to the text/voice chat rooms and EVE players being able to orbitally bombard a fraction of the matches (those that take place through Faction Warfare and Planetary Conquest). In order to do this, an EVE player needs to know when the battle is happening, where the battle is happening, and be there with special ammo, while the DUST players have to acquire enough War Points within the match to request the strike. Currently, there is a Precision Strike (weak Orbital Bombardment) that you can call in that doesn't require an EVE player, and "gets the job done" well enough that the EVE one isn't all that necessary (you don't need a bigger gun when the smallest gun kills 99% of things already).

The concept is amazing, and the talks of what CCP hopes and plans to do is very interesting. It's just disappointing how far off most of it is from being delivered. Not to mention the poor FPS mechanics.… Expand

Its complexity will likely turn Call of Duty fans away, but for a free game there isn't really any reason not to at least try the game. There is a micro transaction system in place, but instead of being pay to win, its more of a pay to get it faster situation. Buying mercenary packs isn't necessary to survive a fight. Being in squads and using team work is more important. CoD fanboys wouldn't understand that. … Expand

My review may be a little biased, but I will try to be as neutral about this as possible.

Dust 514 is a game in which you are a cloned mercenary payed by the highest bidder whether it is an entire faction owned by NPCs, or a Corporation or Alliance run by players, to fight on the planet-side of EVE and assume control of the planet.

In this, you start out with 500,000 skill points and four free militia suits which are infinite, but highly unwieldly and not nearly as efficient and as deadly as the prototype variants. The four variants are Militia (MLT), Standard (STD), Advanced (ADV), and Prototype (PRT).. In order to use STD, ADV, and PRT, you must get your skills for the corresponding item to I, III, V in that order. This process can take a while, but the reward is great, in my opinion.

As you travel up the ladder of skill points, you fight a very hard battle. But within one million skill points I was already dominating the field in a Semi Standard-advanced Assault suit using an advanced weapon with standard suit modules.

- To say that you stand no chance against a prototype suit in a lower tiered suit is completely false. Granted, the challenge is greater but not impossible. The feeling of reward that you get when you've killed someone who you know is running a proto suit with proto weaponry while you're in a much lower tier with much lower skill points is amazing. Knowing you cost them a good 100k ISK (Game currency) for their one suit, whereas your suit only cost 10k ISK.

The game has four modes which are similar. Ambush (50 Kill Team Deathmatch), Ambush OMS (80 Kill Team Deathmatch with turret and module support), Skirmish (King of the Kill, with 3-5 points to control, or you can wipe out the enemy teams 150 clones (whichever comes first). and Domination (Skirmish with one control point.

Having played a Heavy and an Assault both, I can say that this game does offer some level of customization where you can completely specialize into one weapon, or specialize somewhat in a few weapons or just become able to use everything. The latter isn't recommended, but that's the beauty of it. The choice is yours.

Soon to come, the battles you fight will decide the sovereignty of solar systems in EVE. EVE and DUST will form a mutual symbiosis where one will depend on the other in a healthy way. The Economies of both games will be merged, and CCP talks of more integration between both games. But that's not what makes the game great.

It is true that the game has many flaws, you can get stuck on some surfaces, the loading screen will fail to initialize into battle, there are balance issues, sometimes things will not render completely, and the controls are a little sluggish as well as an aim assist issue. The range specialization of weapons was completely dropped and I agree with this move as it made MANY other weapons worthless at any game mode unless you were able to draw your opponent around the corner. Which if you waited for, was a bad idea as you will be flanked, and the person you hoped to kill will just get better positioning on you.

Thus, the range skills were removed, making the game once again currently balanced for all weapons to a much better degree than what it had previously been.

What is truly wonderful about this game is that all content releases are completely -FREE-. If ever there is a new map pack, or new gear or skills to use it will always be free. You will never need to pay to win in this game. Pay to win dictates that you must pay to use gear which is advantageous over the other players which in essence is not true in this game. You can pay for items which are of the standard grade that never run out. But you will never find proto gear that you have to pay for that will never run out.

There are weapons that cost Aurum (ingame real money currency) that allow you to use suits and weapons earlier if you lack the skills for their higher tiered variants, but this too, in time you are garunteed to attain. Whereas in Pay to Win, you MUST pay to ACHIEVE the desired result.

Once again, as you're skilling up going match after match with similar load outs, you, as the adaptive player, become better and better with that load out and as you get better, so does your gear.

I feel that this game, considering its origins, is very well put together and puts an adaptive learning curve for seasoned and new FPS players alike that challenges themselves to push their skills just a little further with every match. I find this game quite entertaining, and I look forward to the many, many content patches that will follow in the years to come with DUST 514.

PS, when EVE started, many players complained about how it played, back in the day in 2003, records were set for 5000 players on a single shard... Now, after many, many content patches, EVE today reaches 60,000 players on a single shard. If history repeats, DUST will be one of the bigger competing FPS's in the future which will receive a PS4 update.… Expand

This game is really amazing. It looks/feels like triple AAA game and what is more interesting is that the concept itself promises so many things can be done further with future expansions/patches. I especially like the part where you need to corporate with teammates to win the battle. It requires strategy/teamwork to win not with item purchases. This is truly a free to play game and love it! Thanks for CCP making this game! … Expand

Dust 514 is like a bad politician; Lots of promises, lots of ideas, and absolutely no delivery.

CCP promised a lot of things with Dust to date it's delivered on almost nothing. Supporters will tell you to give it time ect..... but after a year of development the end result is a barely functional FPS. Aiming and frame rate are awful. The skill system is artificially complex, trying too hard to mirror EVE Online without considering whether that's an appropriate design decision. To date there is no player market, no PVE and a huge skills gap for a new player. The graphics are last gen at best and the art design is vanilla sci-fi. It's nominally free, but you'll need to buy boosters if a new player wants to advance at anything faster than a snail's pace.… Expand

Just to clarify a bit more about the 'pay-to-win' it's not.

It's more like 'pay-to-have-a-gear-that-requires-lower-skill-level-to-use', the best gears can only be bought by in game currency which is ISK. With real money you can only purchase standard grade dropsuits blueprints and weapons that match the same tier (same stat), and you need to earn ISK to buy Advance and Prototype suits.

However the gameplay design (aiming, weapon balance) is still awkward compare to others FPS in the market right now, but the potential is clearly there.

If you are looking for a jump-right-in-and-shot-stuff FPS, Dust 514 might not live up to your expectation. Dust requires you to spend some time on browsing market, selecting your equipments, test dropsuit, plan skills etc. It WILL take you some time before you know what you're doing. However if you are someone that enjoy gear customization, roles on battlefield, teamworks, tactics, consequences, destroying other people's expensive gears with your starter gears, then Dust 514 is for you.… Expand

Simply put, DUST 514 tries to run before it can walk.

CCP needed to play-test and refine the FPS mechanics before adding any of the MMO elements into this game. It is now released, and the game feels like it runs at a peak of 15FPS. Meanwhile, the controls are maddening, and you feel like you're fighting the controller more than you are fighting the enemy. Add to it, a buggy, laggy, match interface, and extemely annoying map bugs, and you'll find yourself wanting to break your PS3, since there is no Disc to snap in half.

Currently DUST is pretty bad at what it is trying to accomplish, and CCP has failed to correctly identify and produce that which FPS gamers enjoy about their genre of choice. Most importantly, regardless of things like balance, and P2W arguments, the game fails entirely at being a decent FPS game, and this is the foundation on which everything else in the game rests on.

Conclusions:
I personally want DUST to succeed, but as it stands, DUST doesn't even deliver on the most basic elements of FPS gameplay. Maddening controls, clunky interface, poor optimization, and broken mechanics, all serve to frustrate and work against any experienced FPS gamer. These players are very unlikely to stay, and these seem to be the target market for CCP, considering their push to release on a console.

Positives:
-It is free.
-The Tranquility server.
-The potential is boundless.

Negatives:
-Horrible, rage inducing, controls
-Poor optimization, 15FPS is not acceptable in a modern shooter.
-Uninspired maps, each cluttered with bugs.
-Cut and paste CoD game modes.
-Linear, and uninspired skill progression.
-The free player grind.… Expand

Being new to console FPS, I have no "drag" with controls learned elsewhere. In fact playing with the normal Dual shock controller felt so awkward, that I had to get myself a Splitfish controller during the closed beta, before the keyboard/mouse was an option.

I find the depth of the game exhilarating, having played EVE Online for years and stopped due to lack of time, this was an opportunity to sink back in to the world of New Eden without having to sink hours and hours into it. And I love it. After almost a year of game play, I still love it.

Oh yeah, New Eden. It's filled with lore and history. The EVE Wiki alone is amazing source of back stories, but they've also published three (3!) books based on the universe. And countless of Chronicles delving deep into the life of the citizens, soldiers and capsuleers of the various planets and star systems.

It is continually evolving and getting better, don't let the whiney kiddies tell you otherwise. See, you actually need to learn this game, spend time with it and get to know what works and what doesn't. After sinking some of your hard earned Skill Points into one of the various support skills, you go and buy the new modules you now have access to and then spend hours finding the best combination to fit them to your dropsuit. Did I mention there are several different kinds of dropsuits?

If you like depth and immersion, this is your game. If you have the attention span of a goldfish, try Crayon Physics, might be a better match.… Expand

DUST 514 is a mixed bag. On certain occasions, it will prove to be a fun and unique game on most occasions, it will feel like a chore to play. The game has it's enjoyable moments, but it's negative ones stand out far more. The balancing of much of the game's equipment helps cause this issue. Often times, you will feel like cannon fodder, who's sole purpose is for the enjoyment of DUST's veteran players being helplessly slaughtered, with very little chance for resistance. Of course, the equipment isn't the sole reason for this imbalance. Older players have far more perks and skills, that can effortlessly beat a player with lower skill points, into brutal submission.

From my own personal experience, I started playing late into the closed beta. Very little has changed, in the balancing of the game. While many weapons have been weakened, in the process, several of the previously-weak weapons, have become overpowered. A perfect example of this is the Tactical Assault Rifle. The weapon quickly went from one of the least used weapons in the game, to one of the most common ones. It doesn't help, that only skilled players have access to it as well. Along with a grotesquely poor balancing, the game itself suffers from a myriad of technical issues; for example, character movement is often impeded by invisible 'bumps' in the terrain. That is only one of the many common glitches, found within the game.

For the most part, the game has solid mechanics, if not unconventional. Aiming is incredibly difficult at times, as it often feels wonky turning the camera. This is only made worse, through a hectic hail of gunfire and explosions. Hit detection is also another issue, as some shots quickly register, while others practically bounce off your opponent. Equipment is handled as an expendable kit. For every life you have, your equipment will be expended in your custom 'fit'. Customization of fits can become very deep, allowing for a high number of possible combinations. Unfortunately, as you lose your fit with every death, this can make certain matches unbelievably frustrating.

Spawning only to be killed repeatedly, without any chance for self-defense, can be very discouraging you not only lose your fit, but the value of your end-of-match reward becomes increasingly less; giving a poor amount of ISK (the games currency) and skill points. Because of poor match mechanics such as this, the game practically encourages the losing side to give up retreating into defensive sniping positions within their own spawn, as those who actually make an effort to try, are consistently penalized, by being camped by the enemy team.

Despite many of these glaring issues, DUST 514 is not objectively bad. The game itself is still under development, and will continue to do so, for at least ten more years. CCP, the developers of DUST, have acknowledged many of these issues, and are trying to collaborate with the community to fix them. This doesn't exactly excuse the quality of the launch-day product, but it certainly softens its negative condition. While the game may declare itself to be 'finished', DUST is still very much a game in beta. Many speculate the sole reason it was released officially, was so it could launched on day of 5/14/13. It wouldn't hard to argue that it was a petty-marketing stunt.

DUST happens to be integrated into another game, called EVE online. The two communities can only interact in a very limited form, at the moment. But that is subject to change, further into development. Regardless, this has helped to provide most of the game's hype. I myself was initially intrigued by this concept. DUST's current implementation of this integration is currently very rough, as much of the game is. Yet, as it stands, it has a decent base for it.

For many people, the game's steep learning curve, (for a shooter), along with it's imbalanced and unpolished gameplay, will drive them away. For the few who do stay, they will find a frustrating yet somewhat enjoyable experience. The game is free, so it wouldn't be too difficult to try it. With all of its issues, DUST is still an endearing game a pure and utter vexation of a game, that just so happens to have an incredible amount of potential.… Expand

A fresh new concept that's very interactive and very exciting and engaging. Not to mention the enormous customization. So many dropsies and weapons.