Sticking a media playtest for a Dune recreation within the frigid depths of a Norwegian January is peak comedic irony. But there I used to be, layered up, exploring the unforgiving Arrakean desert from Oslo’s former multiplex-turned-gaming hub, Eldorado, having been invited by developer Funcom. Whereas the venue might serve a special objective these days, I nonetheless witnessed moments of absolute cinema throughout my six-hour Dune Awakening preview as I wrestled with raiders, legged it from sandworms, and familiarized myself with the legal guidelines of the desert. God made Arrakis to check the devoted, and Funcom’s making Dune Awakening to check the avid gamers.
Dune Awakening is a survival MMO recreation constructed round Spice, and I’m not simply speaking in regards to the psychedelic tremendous substance everybody and their grandma’s tussling to get their mitts on. ‘SPICE’ is an inner acronym that describes its 5 core gameplay pillars: Survival, Politics and intrigue, Infinite exploration, Mixed arms, and Expression and customization. Whereas politicking is a proponent of the late-game expertise – one thing I didn’t get to see – a full-fledged Dune survival expertise is a kind of ‘how hasn’t this been achieved earlier than?’ kind beats, and getting hands-on with its different main tenets has solely strengthened that feeling.
Having been bequeathed the IP rights to set the sport within the cinematic universe by Legendary Footage, albeit with a number of big restrictions on what could be included narratively (as if the long-lasting e-book sequence isn’t 60 years outdated at this level), Funcom’s needed to pull the plug on Paul Atreides fully. Dune Awakening takes us down an alternate historical past the place Woman Jessica remained loyal to the Bene Gesserit and had a woman, Ariste. Suffice it to say, the butterfly impact is sort of one thing.
With out Paul within the image, Woman Jessica stays a truthsayer. As a truthsayer, she sees by Dr. Yueh’s treachery and ensures the Atreides survive the Battle of Arrakeen. A put-out Emperor Shaddam IV deploys the Sardaukar to Arrakis to make sure Spice shipments arrive on time, ‘eliminating’ the Fremen within the course of. Leto I is alive, Duncan ‘the GOAT’ Idaho is alive, all the things’s Gucci. Nicely… not fairly. As artistic director Joel Bylos explains within the pre-playtest presentation, the Atreides and Harkonnen are nonetheless at one another’s throats from the shadows, and assassins and subterfuge have changed all-out battle. A chilly battle on a (principally) blistering sizzling planet. How pleasant.
Crafting an unique story throughout the confines of the well-established Dune canon seems like a frightening process. In any case, ‘bastardizing sci-fi’s golden youngster’ isn’t one thing you wish to pop in your resume. Nonetheless, the narrative staff at Funcom is taking particular care to spin a yarn that brings one of the best out of Arrakis with out spinning uncontrolled creatively. It’s a fragile balancing act on a strand of twine, however I’m impressed by Awakening’s opening act.
As Dune Awakening begins, I’m introduced earlier than the Reverend Mom who provides me the selection of 4 finally interchangeable courses: Bene Gesserit, Swordsmaster, Mentat, and Trooper. Choosing the Bene Gesserit grants me thoughts management powers and a capability that makes me dash sooner (what extra might I want?). I then proceed to lock in my caste, a Bondsman from Giedi Prime, earlier than the Reverend Mom duties me to search out the Fremen and “wake the sleeper” on Arrakis. As soon as I’ve shoved my hand within the field, I’m despatched on my merry means.
After rudely being shot down by assassins throughout my descent into Arrakis, I acquire management of my considerably raveled, stone-broke character; a beautiful, bald Harkonnen sporting eye make-up Chappell Roan would approve of. Awakening’s character customization isn’t so huge that it’ll allow you to punch within the precise shades of coloration you’re after (RIP, making my face the proper PCGN #F65002 orange roundel), however there’s sufficient to delve into for character creator mains hoping to wile away the hours tweaking proportions.
Say what you need about tutorializing survival video games and providing a linear narrative, however Awakening’s innate approachability makes it a dream to get caught in with. Traditionally, I’ve disengaged from survival video games fairly shortly because the tedium of ‘pick up a stick, mine rock, make axe’ with little or no macro course doesn’t compute for me. This, although, I can stick to. There’s a truthful quantity of hand-holding to begin, however it’s merited contemplating the variety of methods it’s essential study and grasp to not die – be it from thirst, the surroundings, or the desert’s inhabitants.
As soon as I’d develop into the king of hydration, morphing right into a human mosquito as I extracted blood from raider after raider for sustenance, it was time to construct my first base or ‘fief.’ Whereas the person expertise wants some additional polish, Dune Awakening’s development is strong sufficient for now. There’s a plenitude of components to construct your dream condominium, and you’ll even take a schematic scan of it to copy elsewhere or promote to others.
No sooner had I constructed my prime actual property did I spot my new neighbor – a neighbor who had constructed their little piece of paradise a narrative taller than mine. I added one other story… and a balcony. Feeling the burning urge for home one-upmanship like a determined housewife within the throes of suburbia, besides it’s in the course of desolate Arrakis, won’t ever not be humorous.
Cautious design issues are to be discovered at each stage in Dune Awakening. As Funcom has achieved its due diligence with its world-building to this point, so too has it made some fabulous artistic selections in terms of gameplay. Bylos has informed the staff “Make your designs fit Dune, don’t make Dune fit your designs,” and it exhibits. Even the place the staff has needed to make compromises, it doesn’t really feel prefer it’s cheapening the expertise. That is greatest exemplified by Funcom’s method to shields.
In contrast to Denis Villeneuve’s movies, shields aren’t fully impervious to massive portions of gunfire from a number of enemies or particular weapons. Moreover, your defend drops whereas firing weapons, opening you as much as counterfire. This method may not strictly adhere to the supply materials however, in a 1v1 state of affairs, a killing blow from a sluggish blade stays essentially the most environment friendly strategy to bypass them.
The absence of melee fight has been closely criticized as just lately as Gamescom final yr, however Bylos assures me throughout an occasion Q&A that it’s just because it hadn’t reached a type price showcasing on the time. Gunplay nonetheless takes priority, and melee fight nonetheless isn’t as weighty as I’d like, however it’s taking form. What’s extra, the fight triangle of ranged, melee, and talents begins to steadiness itself out when you get into the meat of the sport, and shields begin to develop into a extra distinguished fixture (simply not within the desert itself, sandworms hate shields).
I’m additionally impressed extra broadly by the trade-offs every shiny new piece of utility comes with. The standard improve loops in its related genres seldom include drawbacks, however out within the open desert, your possibilities of getting devoured up by a worm can enhance exponentially. For instance, utilizing the suspensor belt to hover creates an enormous quantity of sound, as does roving the dunes on a motorbike. You’re all the time buying and selling effectivity for security, which is precisely the way it ought to really feel to be on Arrakis.
My largest concern coming into Dune Awakening was Arrakis itself. It’s sand on sand – coarse, tough, and it will get in all places. How do you make limitless exploration charming when its sole biome is an ocean of beige? Although I can’t communicate for long-term gameplay, Funcom’s managed to dig into the mysticism of the sands and supply early recreation locales price exploring. They’re not fairly Aladdin’s Cave of Wonders, however the loot on the finish of crashed ships and testing stations is suitably shiny for fast gratification magpies like myself to get our beaks into. The desert, I’m informed, will get even wilder the deeper you get, and I can’t wait to see how Arrakis expands within the mid-game and past.
The opposite factor that ensures you’ll by no means get bored in Arrakis is its most threatening denizen, the sandworm. I discovered by scripting this preview that worms aren’t truly bugs, however as a result of I like my headline a lot I’m merely going to disregard this inconvenient fact – I’m a author, not an entomologist. The sentiment that they’re one of the best half about Dune Awakening rings true, nonetheless. Sandworms are fucking superior.
Image it. You’re out within the desert, en path to your fief after amassing a ton of uncommon goodies to improve your gear with. The quickest means again is a direct line by the open desert, and also you fancy your possibilities. You slowly transfer throughout the shifting sands, being cautious to not alert the worm, however it comes for you anyway. The music adjustments abruptly, an ominous trill ringing out, signaling that loss of life is on the horizon. You start sprinting – warning is a pointless pleasantry at this level – your boots heaving sand as you thrust them by the dunes. However it’s on you just like the extension hose of a vacuum sniffing out a spec of mud. The very last thing you see is a path of sand and an rising maw earlier than you respawn, bare, with out a pot to piss in.
Sandworms epitomize the interaction between security and effectivity. They drive you to take the scenic route and admire even essentially the most mundane components of the surroundings. That’s not only a primary rocky outcropping; it’s a lifeline. Their fixed menace, alongside the opposite survival dangers, ensures a continuum of pressure and calls for your full consideration. That stated, I do want they had been a smidge extra threatening, although the worms I acquired to play hen with within the early recreation areas are, apparently, nothing in comparison with what lurks within the deep desert. I’ll reserve my judgment for now, then.
Whereas I barely scratched the floor of what Funcom is crafting with Dune Awakening, I, alongside many others in my group, left the playtest itching for extra (we might have formulated a plot or two to sneak again in). There are definitely tough edges to be sanded down, as a few of us fell prey to the odd glitch right here and there that required dev help, however that’s what the sharpening section of its improvement is for. If the devs can iron out the creases in time for the Dune Awakening launch date, then I don’t doubt it’ll have the legs to make it out of the dreaded new launch cycle unscathed. I by no means thought I’d yearn to return to Arrakis, but right here we’re.
