The Dune franchise has been dormant for decades, but the recent film reboot has brought the IP back into the spotlight. The announcement of two new games, Dune: Spice Wars and Dune: Awakening, has set the gaming community abuzz. While Dune: Spice Wars seems to be a return to the best strategy games ever made, Dune: Awakening takes the series in a different direction. As a survival MMO, it promises to offer a unique gaming experience that will appeal to a different audience.
So, what do we know about Dune: Awakening so far? The game is set to release on PC in early 2025, with console versions to follow. The game will be exclusively available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The first trailer, a CGI-only announcement trailer, gives us a glimpse into the game's world. We see a man in the desert, armed with hook-like weapons, facing a massive sandworm. The trailer ends with the narrator declaring, "Only I will remain."
The game's official website provides some additional details. We know that Dune: Awakening is a survival game that aims to combine the gritty, crafting nature of the genre with the social elements of a large-scale MMO. Players will build shelters, maintain stillsuits, and kit themselves out to venture further into the desert. The game also features exploration, where players can discover ancient ruins, shipwrecks, and abandoned sietches. The coriolis storms will alter the landscapes over time, adding an extra layer of challenge to the game.
The trailer also shows off the game's multiplayer features. Players can form factions, trade, subterfuge, and engage in combat. The game also features a player-driven faction system, where players can choose which guilds to align with. The trailer also hints at a dynamic PvP system, where players can attack and be attacked at any time.
But what about the game's story? Unfortunately, there's not much to go on. The game's website simply states that players will begin as a nameless prisoner on Arrakis, which they can fully customize. The game's story is left up to the player to shape themselves. This lack of narrative focus might be a turn-off for some players, but it also leaves room for creative freedom.
