Reasons to Play DUST 514 (Part 1)

In response to a comment I left on his rejection of next-gen consoles, Thanks But No Thanks, Microsoft & Sony, GameSkinny contributor Ben Sipe asked me why I played DUST 514.

In my comment, I had agreed with Ben’s assertion that neither the PlayStation 4 nor the Xbox One offered any compelling reason to become an early adopter. In fact, it is part of the reason I had just invested in my first PlayStation 3.

The other part of the reason was to play DUST 514.

Here’s why:

The EVE Brand

I have a great affection for New Eden, the universe of EVE Online which it now shares with DUST 514. I find the science fiction and the art style deep and compelling. The distinct flavour of the four major powers; Amarr, Caldari, Gallente and Minmatar, complemented by the many other frontier organisations and cartels, show that a science-fiction setting can be engaging and varied without the need to imagineer outlandish alien races. I love the gritty believability. Setting a first-person sci-fi shooter in this world makes so much sense, it’s amazing it’s taken CCP Games 10 years to do it.

Speaking of whom…

CCP Games

Ten-year CCP veterans awarded Viking swords at Fanfest 2013. 

As a development studio, CCP Games has personality. It is the rebellious-but-lovable-rogue-turned-reluctant-leader of the video games industry. CCP has a unique approach to delivering games and working with its community. CCP isn’t without its flaws and history has seen the Icelandic outsider receive a bloody nose and egg on its face on more than one occasion. But the plucky staff always pick themselves up, dust themselves off and get back to it (or “HTFU” as they might say).

They aren’t afraid to take risks and when they’re good, they’re brilliant. EVE Online wasn’t a complete shot in the dark – fundamental design precepts conceived in the 90s set EVE Online on a path only now being adopted by competitors who look enviously at EVE’s stable and loyal community and unerring growth.

CCP is a culturally bold, canny and creative organisation. Just look at the overwhelmingly positive buzz coming out of E3 regarding EVE-VR – a first-person space dogfighting simulator for the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset – made by a handful of CCP developers as a side project.

If that’s what a few CCP guys can do in seven weeks and EVE Online is what the organisation can do in 15 years, I’m excited by where they can take a console-based FPS they’ve linked into the EVE Universe…

NEXT: Part 2 – The Persistent Universe and Depth with Convenience