xIn some way or another, all video games ask you to solve a problem; they just do it in different ways. Some do it with high powered weaponry, some do it with fast cars - hell, some even do it with mushrooms. From Dust though is different; it asks you to solve problems for a group of villagers with natural elements including fire, water and Earth. In theory, it's a novel idea, but in practice, thanks to a series of control and path finding issues, the game doesn't reach its full potential. Still though, it's a game that should be experienced if for no other reason than its novel approach.

In From Dust, you are The Breath, represented on screen as a small cursor, The Breath has the ability to pick up natural resources like water and land and deposit them elsewhere. You start with a small version of this ability, like being able to use the land you grab to build a bridge over water, or in contrast using water to put out a fire. Your first few times using your new breath ability, you're not quite sure how to use it; for instance I initially thought I was supposed to pick up an element and instantly move it, but it's best to think of The Breath as a balloon that you fill up with whatever element you need, and then deposit however much you need wherever you need it. This adds a unique depth you may not expect with From Dust, the ability to overuse an element.

"...you're free to experiment and find other ways..."

In the game's story mode, your main goal is to lead your villagers to a totem so they can create a village and move through a stone passageway to complete the level. During most of these story missions - especially those early in the game, there's a clear way that the game wants you solve the issue, but you're free to experiment and find other ways, and at times, that's the most fun part of the game. Take for instance one mission where I was supposed to save a villager who was stuck atop a ready to erupt volcano. The obvious answer would be to manipulate the earth so he has a safer passage to the bottom, but in an attempt to buy time by cooling off the lava (yeah, I know), I was able to use a bit of water and let him float straight down into a lake near the totem. It's in this sense of discovery that makes From Dust work so well.

But From Dust doesn't always work, and the game starts to fall apart rather quickly. The biggest issue is the fact that the villagers don't always seem to be as intuitive as they could be. It's incredibly frustrating to figure out a solution that should work, but when you try it, the villagers don't seem to know what they're doing at all. Say for instance you're supposed to get villagers across a raging body of water, and you use the breath to grab land and make a bridge, but the villagers don't seem to know how to cross it, frustrating right? The worst part is that it's usually the smallest hitch that sets them back, the smallest bit of uneven terrain or unused water.

"...From Dust could last you a long time, especially with so many different solutions to try."

Aside from the story mode, there's also the challenge mode, which will give From Dust some sort of legs to stand on. These challenges range from the simple physics based missions that take mere minutes to solve to more intense missions where you'll more than likely finish with mere seconds left. There aren't a lot of missions (roughly 30), but if Ubisoft can deliver DLC with more missions, From Dust could last you a long time, especially with so many different solutions to try.

From Dust's environmental effects look so stunningly good, that it's sure to relieve some of the tension of failing as much as you probably will. The water effects in the game are some of the most fluid and impressive you'll see in this or any other console generation, and the weather effects aren't bad either.

From Dust isn't a perfect game, and could have used a bit more time to in development, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a charming and fun experiment in gaming. Like nothing else you've ever played before, From Dust will challenge you to think from a new perspective. At the very least, it lays great groundwork for the eventual sequel.