Dust 514

"Endless possibilities" 


Developer: CCP
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: TBA
Platform(s): PS3
Genre: First Person Shooter

After its display at Gamescom 2011, Dust 514 was considered one of the most ambitious projects throughout the gaming industry. The online first-person shooter is a PS3 exclusive and will have a direct link with the world of MMORPG, EVE: Online. EVE was launched eight years ago to PC, and has a base of approximately 370,000 active players, exploring the game world; keeping its economy constantly  moving and fighting in epic space battles. But during all this time, the franchise has suffered from a lack of ground combat, and this is where Dust 514 takes over. It is the next step in the evolution of the franchise, and is exclusive to the PS3. 


It is an online space war that lets you create and participate in virtual corporations fighting great battles with huge ships, all highly customizable. The investment of time is incredible, and players can turn their ships into real fortresses. EVE currently holds the world record for largest number of people playing online at the same time with 63,170 ships fighting each other simultaneously, and if they can get those sorts of figures going across two formats then it will truly be a remarkable feat.
 

An interesting question about the online gameplay of Dust 514, is the possibility of taking control of entire planets of the EVE universe - it would certainly be an interesting concept. Of course, the battles do not end, even in this hypothesis, because other players can attack at anytime and you would need to defend your domains. Economic impact resulting from these wars would be felt through the various galaxies in the EVE universe, demonstrating quite convincingly that this would not fit the mould of your common everyday shooter.


Although previous experience is not required in the EVE: Online franchise, it is obvious that there are several kinds of tricks in this type of community that can only be learnt over time and whether or not new PS3 players are willing to push past these barriers is yet to be seen. The game will offer the possibility of forming alliances between players from Dust 514 and EVE. If commanding the skies is your thing then the PC side is the where you need to be, whilst tackling things first-hand from ground zero is done from your PS3.


On the same scale that the PC has EVE, Dust 514 was made for to fulfil a similar purpose on the PS3, with the console being the more manageable format for handling the FPS perspective - with a database of social functions, almost unlimited customization and a PSN Portable market where you can buy equipment and upgrades at will. 
 

Dust 514 will offer a huge array of customisable options, from Dropsuits (which act as load outputs) , vehicles, weapons, armor and many modifications that can be tailored to suit your needs. The number of possibilities in how you set-up is very much at the mercy of your imagination and perseverance in obtaining what you need from the game.


Visually, Dust 514 is very similar to Mass Effect, which is excellent news. The producers promise that the game will be very different from anything that has been seen in other first-person shooter games. Analyzing what we've seen so far, it seems quite possible it will live up to those claims.




Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed