Ubisoft's From Dust launch trailer shows what it's like to play God

Ubisoft's launch trailer for From Dust makes it pretty clear that you ought to know Eric Chahi's a big deal: while the director's output has been quiet since the early 90s, being the guy behind the groundbreaking Another World is enough to justify the title of “visionary” twenty year later. However, if the clip opens with high praise for Chahi, by the time it’s finished, you'll be thinking pretty highly of yourself too: if you're having a bad day, why not just listen to the clip a few times and be reminded that “you are the breath of God”? Beats a motivational poster. Here's the clip for your own inspirational and/or game-buying purposes.

From Dust has just launched on Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available for PC via Steam, GamersGate and cloud-gaming service OnLive on August 17. We called it “a singular experience that deserves a lot of credit for presenting something entirely unique... unfortunately bogged down by excessively frustrating later levels,” a fault which doesn't stop us recommending it to adventurous gamers.

Asked about the inspiration for the game, Chahi tells Ubisoft: “In Vanuatu in 1999, I was near the Yasur crater and it was strongly active. I could see its explosion; the sound was incredibly loud, like an airplane breaking the soundwall. Bombs were falling everywhere and sometimes really close to us. I was at the same time fascinated by this breathtaking beauty and really scared. I remember I had two thoughts at this very moment: 'I want to create another game before I die' and 'in the game I want to convey this ambivalence of Nature, beautiful and potentially violent at the same time.'”

He adds: “Populous had also a big influence.”

Jul 26, 2011

From Dust has just launched on Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available for PC via Steam, GamersGate and cloud-gaming service OnLive on August 17. We called it “a singular experience that deserves a lot of credit for presenting something entirely unique... unfortunately bogged down by excessively frustrating later levels,” a fault which doesn't stop us recommending it to adventurous gamers.

Asked about the inspiration for the game, Chahi tells Ubisoft: “In Vanuatu in 1999, I was near the Yasur crater and it was strongly active. I could see its explosion; the sound was incredibly loud, like an airplane breaking the soundwall. Bombs were falling everywhere and sometimes really close to us. I was at the same time fascinated by this breathtaking beauty and really scared. I remember I had two thoughts at this very moment: 'I want to create another game before I die' and 'in the game I want to convey this ambivalence of Nature, beautiful and potentially violent at the same time.'”

He adds: “Populous had also a big influence.”

Jul 26, 2011

From Dust has just launched on Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available for PC via Steam, GamersGate and cloud-gaming service OnLive on August 17. We called it “a singular experience that deserves a lot of credit for presenting something entirely unique... unfortunately bogged down by excessively frustrating later levels,” a fault which doesn't stop us recommending it to adventurous gamers.

Asked about the inspiration for the game, Chahi tells Ubisoft: “In Vanuatu in 1999, I was near the Yasur crater and it was strongly active. I could see its explosion; the sound was incredibly loud, like an airplane breaking the soundwall. Bombs were falling everywhere and sometimes really close to us. I was at the same time fascinated by this breathtaking beauty and really scared. I remember I had two thoughts at this very moment: 'I want to create another game before I die' and 'in the game I want to convey this ambivalence of Nature, beautiful and potentially violent at the same time.'”

He adds: “Populous had also a big influence.”

Jul 26, 2011

From Dust has just launched on Xbox Live Arcade, and will be available for PC via Steam, GamersGate and cloud-gaming service OnLive on August 17. We called it “a singular experience that deserves a lot of credit for presenting something entirely unique... unfortunately bogged down by excessively frustrating later levels,” a fault which doesn't stop us recommending it to adventurous gamers.

Asked about the inspiration for the game, Chahi tells Ubisoft: “In Vanuatu in 1999, I was near the Yasur crater and it was strongly active. I could see its explosion; the sound was incredibly loud, like an airplane breaking the soundwall. Bombs were falling everywhere and sometimes really close to us. I was at the same time fascinated by this breathtaking beauty and really scared. I remember I had two thoughts at this very moment: 'I want to create another game before I die' and 'in the game I want to convey this ambivalence of Nature, beautiful and potentially violent at the same time.'”

He adds: “Populous had also a big influence.”

Jul 26, 2011