BrownDust2 Review
BrownDust2 is an adventure RPG made by GAMFS N and published by NEOWIZ. While NEOWIZ is often remembered for Bless Online, a PC MMORPG that had a rough history and was shut down, BrownDust2 takes a different path. It is not an MMORPG but a story-focused game with several separate storylines to explore.
The game features high quality 2D graphics that feel close to what you might expect from a console game. It officially launched worldwide on June 22, 2023. Gameplay mixes turn based strategy with deep storytelling. Each chapter takes place in its own world with new characters and events, keeping things fresh and engaging. With polished visuals and a strong focus on tactics and narrative, BrownDust2 is a clear step forward for NEOWIZ and a solid choice for fans of strategic RPGs.
In early 2025, BrownDust2 was struggling to keep momentum. Despite a strong launch in 2023, the player base started to shrink, and interest began to fade. To stay relevant, the team behind the game shifted gears. They started leaning into a more softcore direction, adding lighter themes and visual content that appealed to a broader mobile audience. This move brought mixed reactions, but it definitely got people talking again.
Combat
BrownDust2 uses a turn based combat system built around smart planning rather than quick reflexes. You always go first in battle, which gives you the chance to set the pace and shape how the fight plays out. Before each round, you can drag and drop your characters in the turn list to decide who acts when. This matters more than it sounds.
Fights play out on a three lane grid where positioning is everything. You can move your units freely on your turn, which lets you dodge enemy attacks or aim your skills more effectively.
The deeper layer of combat comes from its chain system. Hitting an enemy more than once in a single turn builds chains, and each chain boosts the next hit by 10 percent. Stack them well and you can melt tougher enemies before they even act.
Buffs, debuffs, and skill effects all play into this. Some characters are better at support, others shine when chained into a damage burst. Knowing how to arrange and move your team is just as important as who you bring to the fight.
BrownDust2 also makes things easier with some QoL features. For regular battles, you can turn on auto combat, so the game plays itself using your team’s abilities. There’s also auto-route for quests, which lets your character walk to the next objective on their own. Once you finish a storyline, you unlock the option to replay it on a harder difficulty through the Autoplay Panel. This mode lets you farm stages quickly without needing to wait for your character to move to the location, which is great for finishing higher difficulties for diamonds.
Elements
As one would expect from any kind of collecting gacha games, BD2 includes a simple but important elemental system. It works like a rock paper scissors setup, where each element has something it’s strong and weak against:
- Fire is strong against Wind but weak against Water.
- Wind is strong against Water but weak against Fire.
- Water is strong against Fire but weak against Wind.
- Light and Dark are strong against each other.
Hitting enemies with an element that has an advantage gives you bonus damage. On the flip side, using an element they resist will reduce your damage. Building a balanced team with the right elements makes a big difference, especially in tougher fights where small bonuses can decide the outcome. Unlike some gacha games where the Dark element is clearly overpowered and a must-have, BrownDust2 rewards players who build flexible and well-rounded teams.
Player Versus Player
BrownDust2 features a PvP mode called Mirror Wars, where players test their team setups and strategies against others. It’s more than just raw power, timing, team synergy, and smart planning all play a role. Here’s what makes Mirror Wars worth jumping into:
- Character Costumes Matter
Each unit can wear different costumes, and in PvP, you can use all the costumes a character owns. Some outfits offer unique skills or buffs, and certain combinations work better together. Building around costume synergy can give you a big edge. - Tier Rankings
Characters and their costumes are ranked based on how well they perform in attack or defense teams. Keeping an eye on the tier list helps you stay competitive, especially when planning upgrades or investing in new heroes. - Shifting Meta
Like most PvP games, the meta changes over time. New characters and costumes get added regularly, shaking up strategies. Players who adapt quickly tend to stay at the top. - Strategic Gameplay
PvP isn’t just about power levels. You’ll need to think carefully about your lineup, skill timing, enemy counters, and buff usage. It rewards thoughtful players who experiment and plan ahead.
Rewards
With Mirror Wars, players can earn various rewards based on their performance. You can expect the following rewards be to constantly available each season
- Seasonal Costume Rotation
Each season, a new costume is available in the shop—perfect for collectors or players looking for a meta shift. - Daily Participation Rewards
Just play one battle per day to complete your daily PvP quest and earn extra items. - Static Rewards
No matter the season, you’ll always find useful goodies like Slimes, rank-up materials, costume contracts, and even guaranteed SR or UR gear tickets in the PvP shop.
Competitive Balance
A free to play player will suffer terribly in BrownDust2’s PvP arena mode. The impact of the cash shop on competitive balance becomes incredibly noticeable as an upgraded roster from the cash shop (or a very long time player) provides a clear edge in the following ways.
Multiple Costumes & Roster Depth
Unlike many games, BrownDust2’s characters have multiple costumes (forms) and you can deploy several costumes of the same character in one PvP formation for synergies. For example, a character like Justia might have a base form and alternate costumes, each bringing different skills; top PvP players often field a combination of those forms together. Acquiring all these costumes is easier if you pull from gacha or purchase offers. Free players will gradually collect costumes but may lack specific limited ones. Spenders can complete a character’s costume set and thus unlock powerful combos. Some costumes that are mediocre alone become much stronger when paired with other costumes on the same character, so having the full set is advantageous. Naturally, paying to obtain a missing costume or fully maxxing out a costume puts you in a huge advantage over someone with only the base or 1 set in PvP.
Cash Shop
As with what you will expect from any gacha game, BrownDust2 cash shop provides a range of purchasable items and packs that cater to both cosmetic collection and faster progression. Including but not limited to
Premium Currency (Diamonds) & Subscriptions
Players can buy Diamonds (Dia) in various bundles as the primary premium currency. Two Monthly Diamond subscription packs are available, delivering an upfront sum of paid Diamonds plus daily login Diamonds over 30 days.
- One example is a, monthly pack grants a total of ~3,200 Diamonds and the larger ~6,250 Diamonds over the month.
These subscriptions are popular for steady value. There is also a Newbie Pass (and a follow-up Newbie Pass 2) for new players. Essentially a beginner mission pass that rewards Diamonds and materials, with an option to unlock extra “Premium” rewards by paying, similar to a battle pass. Then there are variations of the Newbie Pass when collabs and events hit too.
Character Costumes
Characters in BrownDust2 are obtained as “costumes,” which function as alternate versions of units. Most high-rarity costumes (especially 5★ ones) are acquired via gacha Draws that cost Diamonds or tickets. New costume banners are frequent, but the game gives 1 free pull on each banner daily as a courtesy which is seriously generous compared to other gacha games like Genshin Impact.
There is also a pity system currency called Powder of Hope: every costume or gear pull yields some Powder, which can be saved and spent in a shop for a guaranteed 5★ costume (the shop’s selection rotates monthly). This means even without spending, persistent players can eventually buy a top-tier costume after ~200 pulls’ worth of currency.
Costumes are a major draw for spenders, as they not only change appearance but also provide unique skills/loadouts for each character.
Exclusive Gear
In BrownDust2 comes in tiers up to UR (Ultra Rare). The best gear is often farmable through gameplay, but each character also has an exclusive weapon obtainable via a gacha banner. The cash shop lets players spend Diamonds on Gear Draws or buy gear draw tickets (sometimes included in packs). However, these come with gacha randomness. Check below for my personal rates out of all my draws so far to date.
Misc Consumables
To progress faster, players can purchase extra stamina and entry items with Diamonds. Key consumables include Blood Cocktails, Cooked Rice, and Torches – each costing 170 Dia and capped at 10 purchases per day.
- Blood Cocktails are used to restore PvP attempts in Mirror Wars
- Cooked Rice refills energy for Path of Adventure stages (used to farm gold, upgrade mats, etc.)
- Torches refill attempts for specific dungeons (e.g. elemental crystal farming)
- Keys of Salvation for extra Evil Castle (roguelike tower) entries.
These items regenerate slowly for free, but buying them lets you grind more in a day. A clear advantage for spenders who want to progress, level up characters or gather resources faster.
Other convenience items include a Nickname Change Ticket (200 Dia) in case you want to rename your account. Overall, these time-savers do directly increase character power as let paying players accelerate the farming of coins, exp, and materials by doing more runs than a free player can in the same time frame.
This effectively makes Brown Dust 2 extremely pay2win. However, I personally have enjoyed BD2 without needing or wanting the need to spend and is able to fully enjoy myself as the game is seriously generous with the diamond gem currency by just playing the game.
State of Game
BrownDust2 continues to offer a polished experience, especially on PC. The official PC client, available directly from the BrownDust2 website, delivers smooth performance with high-quality visuals and stable frame rates. While the game isn’t available on Steam, this standalone client provides a seamless experience for players
Collabs
A highlight in recent content was the collaboration with Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link, which ran from October 2 to October 31, 2024. This event introduced four playable characters from the Senran Kagura series: Yomi, Hikage, Yozakura, and Yumi. Players could acquire exclusive costumes and participate in themed events, including two seasonal challenges and mini-games like “Dance with Shurikens” and “Ninja Art, Super Rush.” Additionally, participants had the opportunity to earn free UR and SR gear tied to the collaboration
Looking ahead, the developers have hinted at upcoming collaborations, though specific details remain under wraps. These events are anticipated to bring new characters, storylines, and rewards, further enriching the BrownDust2 experience.
Artwork
Chibi
During battles and exploration, BrownDust2 uses a chibi-style art for its characters. These miniature, cartoon-like versions are animated with fluid motions and expressive reactions that give the game a light and playful feel, even during intense fights. Despite the simplified look, each character still keeps their unique visual identity, making it easy to recognize your favorite units in combat. The animations are sharp and detailed, with smooth skill effects and flashy ultimates that add excitement without overwhelming the screen.
High-Detail Character Art
Outside of combat, especially on the main menu and character pages, the game showcases high-resolution, full-body character illustrations. These are rich in detail, with dynamic poses, elegant linework, and vibrant coloring that give each hero a distinct personality. The designs range from dark fantasy and traditional armor to modern, casual outfits and seasonal themes. Every costume variation comes with its own unique splash art, often used in banners, loading screens, and story events, helping to make the game feel alive and constantly evolving.
Seasonal
BrownDust2 regularly features seasonal events that come with themed costumes and art. These include everything from school uniforms and sports day outfits to summer swimsuits and holiday-themed designs. Each seasonal set brings fresh illustrations and updated chibi models to match the event’s theme. These designs are not only visually fun but often come with limited-time abilities or exclusive event missions, making them both stylish and functional. The seasonal artwork is a major draw for collectors and adds a refreshing variety to the game’s visual landscape throughout the year.
Fun
I’ve really been enjoying BrownDust2. The storylines are interesting and the turn-based combat has just the right amount of strategy to keep things fun. Collecting characters is super satisfying, especially with how good the 2D graphics look. I also really like both art styles in the game. The cute chibi models during gameplay and the detailed character art on the menus make it feel like a two-in-one for me. One thing I appreciate a lot is how quick and manageable the daily tasks are. It never feels like a chore, and I can easily fit the game around my day.
My favorite game mode is Tower of Salvation. It’s what really keeps me playing. You climb through levels using a random team of characters, even ones you don’t own yet, which makes it fun and fresh each time. It’s also a great way to test out different units and see what works before investing in them. If you’re looking for a polished and engaging game with long-term potential, BrownDust2 is a great pick.
