If you’re anything like me, you probably spent way too many hours in the early 2000s obsessed with isometric tactical games. There was just something about that gritty, top-down perspective and the “pause-and-plan” strategy that felt so much more rewarding than a standard shooter.
While many people start at the beginning of a series, my introduction to this world actually began with the sequel, Dustwind – Resistance. Taking command of Jake and his loyal dog, Diesel, was a trial by fire that immediately hooked me on the series’ brutal “Active Pause” combat. It felt like a modern evolution of the Fallout Tactics DNA I grew up loving.
However, after successfully leading that insurgency, I felt compelled to go back and see where the console journey truly began. That led me to Dustwind – The Last Resort for Xbox.
Going Back to the Start: The Last Resort
Stepping into The Last Resort after playing Resistance provided a fascinating perspective on the wasteland. Set in 2075 after the rogue AI “Mainframe” decimated humanity, this game follows a nameless heroine on a 16-mission revenge quest.
Even though I played this second, the core gameplay that makes the series so addictive is all here. The tone is dark, the world is unforgiving, and the humor is just as twisted—nothing beats the absurdity of firing a toilet plunger from a bow into a raider’s face after a tense tactical standoff. It serves as a perfect companion piece to the story I had already started in the sequel.
Expanding the Wastes: The Canyon Cross DLC
To round out my time in the Badlands, I dove into the Canyon Cross DLC. This expansion is a “must-play” if you’ve finished the Resistance campaign. It adds four massive new missions that feel like a direct challenge to everything you’ve learned across both games.
In Canyon Cross, you’re defending an allied settlement from a ruthless raider general. The DLC introduces some high-tier “toys” that make the late-game grind even more satisfying:
- The Scraptrack: An armored vehicle that lets you go in guns blazing.
- New Elite Weapons: Including a Flamethrower and a Plasma Axe.
- The Orbital Laser: There is nothing quite as satisfying as reawakening an ancient military satellite to rain fire down on a horde of raiders.
Why This Series Still Captures Me
The transition of these PC-style RTS games to the Xbox controller is handled surprisingly well. The UI is dense, sure, but once you master the radial menus, the flow becomes second nature.
Dustwind isn’t for everyone. It’s “crunchy,” unforgiving, and requires the kind of patience that modern “spray-and-pray” shooters have largely moved away from. But whether you play them in order or—like me—tackle the sequel before heading back to The Last Resort, this series is a refreshing, brutal homecoming for fans of tactical RPGs.
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