Dune is a long and historical franchise that was born just prior to the Star Wars era. A canonical series that holds a fanatical fan base that is as invested in the universe as any other Science Fiction audience.
Dune: Awakening takes a step away from the well-known storyline, instead creating an alternate timeline. What if Paul Atreides had never been born? How would the world of Dune and its battles have changed?
Funcom has taken an interstellar move to preserve what makes Dune so special, and has gone in a direction that grants far more freedom with the IP. These changes have led to a much more grounded, hero-born-from-nothing approach to the story.
You'll still see the classic House-against-House political turmoil and battles, where the player will decide who they'll lend their futures to. It's in this world that you'll battle for supremacy and power in the world of Dune: Awakening.
Without giving any story spoilers, let's dive in.
Building and vehicles — Done right
First, let's talk about building. Something every survival fan is well aware of is that Funcom's history with Conan Exiles. They've taken that beloved building system and expanded upon it.
The fundamental basic square and triangular foundations still exist, but the system itself is a polished system that other survival games should take note of. Planning a build through hologram-like technology feels fantastic.
While you can click and quickly build any structure, you're able to "pre-build" an entire base from the ground up without ever using resources. It's so nice to lay it all out before committing to any design; as a result, I was able to build a grand archway myself.
I also saw quite a few impressive bases that went well beyond Conan's systems. I wasn't dealing with physics-based building; instead, you could build inverted wonders and stretch your imagination without having to worry about the best raid-proof base.
You can also build one heck of a garage for your vehicles!
In this beta, we were technically only allowed to build the sandbike. By itself, it's one of the most satisfying experiences in vehicle traversal. Crossing large swathes of desert dunes felt like a dopamine hit, which is precisely what you want from a video game.
Carving threaded marks through the landscape triggered a certain sense of awe when I first jumped on. I never grew tired of crossing the massive map we were allowed to explore. From beginning to end, the vehicle movement was an enjoyable experience.
Another vehicle I was able to get my hands on was the MK3 Buggy, something that wasn't buildable but findable. In Dune: Awakening, NPC areas can potentially contain vehicle parts or entire vehicles.
While I'm not sure what the spawn rates for these items will be, I was able to find a couple of bikes and a massive buggy lying around inside a scientific lab. Getting it out of an underground bunker might sound difficult, but with the vehicle backup tool, it was a piece of cake.
My favorite addition to Dune is that vehicle backup tool. Hop out of your vehicle and give it a quick scan to store it right on your belt or inventory. This tool gave me the opportunity to claim ownership of the buggy, allowing me to scan it and walk it right out of the facility, strapped to my waist.
Here's to hoping the rest of the autos, including the Ornithopter, feel just as good crossing these massive maps. Speaking of...
Map and Exploration — The Sands will consume
We were given access to just the first map. Not only were we only allowed to explore the first map, but we were only allowed to explore one-quarter of it.
My play zone was restricted to three of the twelve total zones in Hagga Basin. I spent 30 hours in these three areas, and I can tell you this game is massive.
Amongst these areas was a general starter zone, known as Hagga Basin South. It was here that I gained knowledge of my surroundings and the tools I had at my disposal. This location was the perfect habitat to learn the fundamentals of Dune: Awakening.
A low-threat area where most enemies are shieldless, and the sandworms aren't nearly as threatening; I was out of this zone in around 6 hours of gameplay. Other players' times will vary, but I took a little time exploring the building system and the surrounding area.
The location spanned small enemy camps, a trader zone, and a science lab. These science labs are infrequent, but easily findable on the map once you've surveyed the area. Inside are vehicle parts, rare resources, and other delights.
Once out of the start area, things took a dangerous turn. The sands bore red, and columns of rock struck from the earth to reflect the hostile environment I encroached upon. I had to negotiate drum sands, sand worms, quicksand, and far more challenging enemies in hostile encampments.
Drum sands are terrifying. If you're not carefully checking your map, coming across one while out in the middle of the desert could spell doom. They beckon sandworms to your location, giving you roughly 10 to 15 seconds to escape once spotted.
The entire area felt like an enemy, as it morphed into something nefarious and out to get me. Zones of enemies would quickly overpower my solo person if I aggravated too many at once.
Each locale has its own unique features, including distinct enemy types, mineral nodes, and story progression. It's meticulously laid out, with some traders in both areas and representatives from the Houses in the second zone. You can also pick up missions, or contracts, in these locations for solaris (Dune's currency) and other items.
Exploring is worth it, too, as many areas carry Intel points. These points are used to unlock blueprints for player crafting. These include, but are not limited to, vehicles, weapons, and miscellaneous tools.
Other areas provide specialized blueprints that are a step above the usually unlocked items. These areas can also contain uncommon components that players need to craft a variety of items, such as specialized sands or blueprints.
Progression is intricately intertwined with the story and environment in such a way that it feels perfect for pacing. I'm eager to discover how the rest of the first map and the other maps unfold.
The maps I have yet to experience include Arrakeen and Harkonnen's social hubs, as well as the Deep Desert. A PvP-oriented end-game map where the Coriolis Storm regenerates the desert each week. Factions will vie for control of spice zones, a resource that will become increasingly valuable as the game progresses.
Combat and abilities
Now, combat. It's the mechanic that holds any good PvE and PvP game together. An essential component of a well-oiled machine. So far, I must say that combat feels pretty good when averaged out.
Melee is the first to be introduced. Shown early in the beta and demonstrated against shielded enemies. Dodging and staggering around a foe is the gist of most melee-oriented combat scenarios.
In a one-on-one combat situation, melee becomes quite the bore. While I can't speak to later PvE combat or PvP melee scenarios, taking on a single enemy can be done with your eyes closed.
Most melee-situated enemies will have a shield that needs to be penetrated by a slow strike. This slow strike replaces the standard "heavy" strike you'd see in most games. Hold the attack button to generate a slow stab with a knife or other bladed weapon.
To get that hit in, players need to stagger an enemy. This is accomplished through quick, short swings. This becomes a fairly predictable pattern, to the point you won't even need to pay attention.
Click three times to stagger, and hold the click once to slow down the hit. Repeat until dead. It really is that simple, but again, this is only for the opening area and single enemies.
As you venture into other enemy-dominated confines, you'll meet a mix of melee and ranged opponents, with some shielded enemies even wielding miniguns. Combat against a group becomes a strategic dance of tackling certain enemies before others.
You won't be able to take out all ranged foes before becoming overwhelmed by shielded melee strikes. Nor will you be able to take out the melee users free of gunfire. Baiting enemies behind cover and utilizing abilities effectively becomes an essential component of victory.
Ranged combat, again, in single scenarios, is simplistic. But mixing pistols, rifles, shotguns, and more in combination with abilities allows for quite the variety when it comes to tackling clusters.
A regular combat event will involve dropping your opening abilities to mitigate or annihilate the immediate threats, followed by a support tool to finish the job. The abilities and how they're obtained also allow for a variety of combat options.
There's no doubt a meta will exist early once the game drops, but each class has subsequent strengths that allow them to all neatly fit a role. Four classes, or disciplines, are available at character creation.
- Trooper - Focused on ranged weapon damage, explosive delivery, gravity devices that orient to attract or redirect attacks, and movement abilities like the Shigawire Claw.
- Mentat - A technology discipline that can rely on a placeable turret, deployable shield, poison attacks, or other tech devices like hologram copies.
- Bene Gesserit - Powered by the voice, you can command enemies to halt their movements, direct them toward you, appear behind them, or even reach unimaginable foot speeds to close the gap on your opponents.
- Swordmaster - A melee-oriented class that adheres to counter-play and precision.
- Planetologist (Can not be learned during character creation) - Has only one ability, while the rest of the discipline offers passive traits and techniques. The one trick it possesses grants a suspensor pad for quick vertical navigation.
As for how combat applies itself to PvP, well, we know where that will theoretically take place. Within the Hagga Basin, I was unable to find anyone brave enough to explore the small, limited PvP zones.
The majority of the Hagga Basin map and other maps are PvE only, with restricted wreck zones marked for PvP. These zones have an abundance of resources, making a coordinated group attack a worthwhile investment.
The main PvP area, as noted before, will be the Deep Desert. It's here that players will flex their array of abilities and numbers to face off against others. Attack, defend, or run are the options a player will have when exploring the Deep Desert for the charge of spice it offers.
Overall, Dune: Awakening is turning out to be exactly what I wanted
Since my time with the beta has come to a close, I can say easily that this has become one of my most anticipated upcoming games. As a Conan Exiles player with over 700 hours, I am eagerly awaiting June 10.
What gets me the most jazzed is the support and love Funcom has continued to pour into this product. I've played some earlier portions before, and let's just say they've brought this game to an otherworldly state compared to where it's been.
While the base product we'll be getting appears to be fantastic, the determination and continued growth provided by the developers is what gives me hope that the future of this game will expand beyond these already high expectations. With an IP like Dune, there are numerous possibilities and exciting opportunities that I dream they will take advantage of.
To me, there are three things Funcom will need to nail to give this game its best hope. First, the endgame. We know it currently revolves around the Deep Desert and House-to-House politics.
These House conflicts will be carried by the Landsraad Board, which represents the political will of the Great Houses during weeklong Landsraad terms. As per the ingame description:
Each House on the board will have specific requirements that can be met to secure their vote in the Landsraad Voting Session that precedes each term.
A Faction that gains control of the Landsraad Board can select a Decree that will take effect in the upcoming week, affecting conditions server-wide for the duration of the term.
A Faction gains control of the Landsraad Board by securing a Sysselraad, which is achieved by completing House requirements by the start of a voting session.
Basically, fight for your House to determine the benefit your House wishes to obtain for the next week. A cool little push for players to take part in the everlasting conflict on the planet.
This means PvP will also need continued support and growth. Players need reason to fight, with consequences and bonuses for doing so. Continuing to expand upon that reason will give PvP players a reason to return over and over again.
While PvE content will be seen through continued map expansions, I hope something similar to a raid system is brought into play, forcing players to join forces on a larger scale rather than soloing a lot of content by themselves. Having that optional social gathering to push bosses and fights would be a thrill in the Dune universe.
If you have any other questions related to the content I played, make sure to comment below and I'll answer every question! I'll also make sure to check out the comments on social media. Where ever you are, I'll find you!
Dune: Awakening releases on June 10, with early adopters getting their hands on the game on June 5. It releases on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
