The Old West hasn't found much of a home in the computer game world, but Dust: A Tale of the Wired West gives every console cowpoke reason for hope. An interactive western story, Dust puts you in the boots of a nameless spaghetti-western stranger who has drifted into the lawless desert town of Diamondback, New Mexico, circa 1882. Broke, weaponless, and on the run from a vengeful gunslinger, you've got just four days to arm yourself, scare up some cash, restore order to the town, and solve a mystery. Add to that the 40 or so characters you can meet, aid, or thwart - plus the serious cowboy business of drinking, gambling, and posturing - and you end up with a mighty satisfying game experience.
Like a good gunslinger's holster belt, the game's approach is spare and versatile. Diamondback's townsfolk are stuffed with opinions and agendas. That's important to remember, because after you converse with characters in the game, they continue about their business, interacting with each other behind your back. Make waves with the wrong person, and you may find you've got more enemies at dusk than you had at dawn.
Dust: A Tale of the Wired West CD-ROM: US$50. Cyberflix Inc.: +1 (615) 546 1157.
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