“What If?” is a powerful question in any fandom, sometimes leading to headcanons of unique events, changing character arcs, and creating radically different worlds. Oftentimes, though, these questions are complex and out there. For example, Marvel’sWhat If…?series asks “What if T’Challa Became Star-Lord” or “What If The Avengers Assembled in 1602?” WithDune’s premise around the Kwisatz Haderachand abilities such a prescience, it’s a good franchise to ask “What If?” about. Instead of something complex, however, the upcoming survival MMO gameDune: Awakeningkeeps it simple: What if Jessica did not disobey the Bene Gesserit and had a female child instead of Paul?
Paul, and thus the Kwisatz Haderach, has not come into the world inDune: Awakeningand that simple change drastically changes events on Arrakis. Leto Atreides' lives, for example, and a “War of Assassins” has broken out on Arrakis between the Atreides and the Harkonnen. The conflict creates the backdrop for Dune: Awakening, which Game Rant saw a brief presentation of during Summer Game Fest. The game’s presentation focused more on the gameplay than the story, but what’s clear is how much this world looks like Dune - but isn’t. Thankfully,Dune: Awakeningtakes from both the books and movies to create a more involved game world that isn’t just endless sand.
The World of Dune: Awakening
Anyone who has watchedtheDunemoviesis likely aware of Arrakis' depiction: endless sands, few civilizations, and lots of ways to die. It is a standard depiction of sand through and through, butDune: Awakeningadds some variety thanks to the books. The sand’s color changes depending on the minerals in the region, while things like Drum Sand (noise-emitting sand) and quicksand are also prevalent throughout the space. It’s all sand at the end of the day, but it features more variety and more hazards than the recently-released movies. Of course, the greatest wildlife threat in Dune is the sandworms.
Traversing across the sands can attract sandworms that will devour the player, taking all their gear, items, and - if nearby - their vehicles.Dune: Awakening’s sandwormsdevour and destroy everything, while standard deaths in conventional combat lead to minor losses. It not only helps realize the dangers of Arrakis, but ensures players are mindful of what they are carrying where. The demoist showed us a couple of vehicles players could use, all derived from theDunefranchise obviously, and losing them in such a vast world is no doubt a serious loss, alongside any high-level gear. Players could craft that gear again, but it requires finding the schematic, necessary materials, and so forth. Gaining anything inDune: Awakeningis an investment, and the sandworm can just wipe that all clean.
The Factions of Dune: Awakening
Because of the War of Assassins, House Atreides and the Harkonnen are both on Arrakis. Players can work with these factions, against these factions, or even play both sides for a time - alongside other factions like the Bene Gesserit. Factions can have mentors to teach players new skills and combat maneuvers, while allying with certain factions can unlock special buildables, weapons, and so forth. These factions all have a big role inDune: Awakening’s story, as well as how players create and progress their own characters. And of course, this translates to gameplay.
Some quests will see players enter PvP and PvE zones to acquire items, complete objectives, and otherwise fight for these factions. The demo showed a player fighting through the remnants of a ship to acquire profitable salvageable, engaging enemies with weapons and abilities based on their character build. It was pretty straightforward and a lot of fun, with our demoist nearly dying in the process a couple of times. Fitting to the franchise is the ability to drain defeated enemies of water or blood. These conflicts go a long way in helping the MMO gameplay stand out, but there’s a lot more to it.
For example, there are various random and world events set to trigger in the game. Our demoist was at a Harkonnen base, and we got to see some Harkonnen soldiers preparing to executeHouse AtreidesPOWs. While some MMOs can have lifeless worlds because of the emphasis on a player and their faction, that doesn’t appear to be the case here - though that’s not to say players won’t have a huge impact on the game world.
Coriolis Storm Wipes
Spice plays a major role inDune, so it logically does inDune: Awakeningas well. Players will be able to enter entire Deep Desert regions dedicated to acquiring Spice, but both factions obviously want this resource. Players will need to construct bases, acquire Spice, get it safely, and otherwise face others in PvP over this valuable resource. There will be environmental conditions, story elements, and plenty of gameplay tied to acquiring Spice, but it’s also whereDune: Awakeningtruly comes into its own as an MMO. Once a week or so, a Coriolis Storm will sweep through these areas - destroying everything both sides have constructed and acquired. A new location will open up, and the fight for the Spice begins anew.
Our first look atDune: Awakeningwas brief, but special. It taps into everything that makes the franchise great, explains it all well in its narrative and MMO underpinnings, and offers plenty of opportunities for players to engage with the world around them. TheDunefranchise is only going to become increasingly popular, it would seem, and it looks likeDune: Awakeningis prepared to ride that wave like the Fremen ride sandworms.
Dune: Awakening
WHERE TO PLAY
Rise from survival to dominance on the most dangerous planet in the universe. Dune: Awakening combines the grit and creativity of sandbox survival games with the social interactivity of a large, persistent multiplayer game to create a unique and ambitious Open World Survival MMO.Awaken The SleeperYour journey begins on Arrakis, with its vast deserts and colossal sandworms. Meet characters from the movies and books as you follow your story across Dune. Discover new allies and enemies and exploit your relationships to uncover the mystery that lies just beneath the surface of the sands.Choose Your IdentityCraft your identity and build your prowess, from deep character creation to skills and abilities taught by specialists like Mentats and Bene Gesserit. Declare your loyalties by what you wear and become known by what you do, whether you are a specialized master or multi-talented adept.Explore Arrakis Like Never BeforeDune: Awakening brings the epic landscapes of Arrakis to vivid life. Explore boundless rolling dunes, ancient underground Ecology Labs, and deep canyons pockmarked with caves, where bandits seek easy prey. Wander the bustling villages before braving the lawless and ever-changing deep desert.
