Dust & Neonis the latest in a long series of indie roguelikes to hit the PC and Switch. It does have some unique properties as itis a Westernat its core, which is rare. The plot follows a resurrected cowboy who has become a cyborg to aid in the destruction of all robots on Earth.
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That’s what Dr. Finkel wants at least inDust & Neon. The player character is aided by other NPCs as well such as an AI companion, ROB.OT. That’s the basic gist of the plot, but the gameplay comes first in this latest roguelike, so let’s go over some quick tips.
6The Difficulties
Despite this being a roguelike, the game does have multiple difficulty levels. Players can begin the game on either Easy or Normal, but they can’t change it after the fact, unlike most games. Even on Easy, the game is not going to be forgiving. This is a true roguelike through and through meaning that it will be a grind. So, even for the most hardcore, Easy is not a bad way to go.
The difficulty choices overall should feel like a big win for beginners to the genre as they are often some of the most challenging games on the market. Most roguelikes tend tohave assist optionsin favor of difficulty levels which would have been fine forDust & Neontoo. Perhaps the game will get some more accessibility later down the line with patches.
5Upgrades To Mainline
On a run, players will collect experience points that then convert into ability points to feed into a skill tree back at home base. Unlocking these abilities will be permanent and it should be stated that these points cannot be lost in deathunlike some roguelikesout there. Players can either put points into Combative or Defensive slots in the skill tree.
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ForDust & Neon, and most roguelikes, it’s best to stick with Defensive. Be sure to unlock skills to get more health, skills that will heal players more with healing kits, and skills that return damage with a counter shield. Power level through this Defensive wing to unlock the final tier which has a skill that can have a chance of reviving the player. That is the ultimate ability in the game and should be unlocked and upgraded to the max as soon as possible.
4Don’t Waste Cores On Chests Or Doors
There are twotypes of currenciesin the game besides the ability points to level up the character. Money can be used at various shops in the HUB world to purchase things like guns and mods. Cores are another type of currency that can unlock new facilities in the HUB world or increase their potential. One example will allow players to keep a certain amount of money after they perish on a run.
Typically roguelikes reset all progress, but dumping money into facility upgrades will make the loss of life less damning. Be sure not to waste Cores while playing in a level to unlock certain chests and doors. That will be a waste of good Cores as tempting as they may be to unlock.
3Weapon Tips
There are three types of guns players will unlock inDust & Neon. There are pistols, shotguns, and rifles. All three gun types use different capacities of ammo. Each gun also has its particular uses while on a level. Pistols are the overall most well-rounded gun of the bunch, which should be used for individual encounters.
Shotguns are useful to take out swarms of enemies that are about to attack. The spread of the bullets will eliminate groups of enemies quicker in this way. Rifles then are often the most powerful, meaning they are good against the highest-ranking robots in the game. This includes bosses as well, which should be obvious. Overall, the game has a nice variety of randomly generated guns for a roguelike although not as much asEnter the Gungeon.
2Be Sure To Explore
Gunning down enemies is the most important thing to keep in mind inDust & Neon. However, players aren’t going to get far if they don’t explore. So don’t simply start every level by following the arrow blindly. Go into facilities, look behind places, and turn over every rock.
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Players will find cash, health deposits, and sometimes new weapon drops. When picking up a new weapon it’s important to keep in mind the best stats. Power and ammo capacity are two of the best things to keep in mind, for example. It can be hard to strike a balance sometimes, but that is thenature of a roguelikewith randomized elements.
1Prepping For Bosses
Players have to play a few levels before the boss will be drawn out. It’s important to note that players do not need to fight the boss right away once it does appear. They can play levels infinitely and the boss will not run away. So, before tackling the first boss, players should at least make it to level ten.
That’s one step. Another is to get their three guns as powerful as possible. Even for the first bossof a roguelike, it is a brutal encounter and players are going to need every bit of help they can get. Before entering the boss fight, be sure to buy a Mind Blower at HQ.
Dust & Neonis available on PC and Switch.
