The near extraordinary revitalization of the Dune series in media has certainly excited fans of Frank Herberts sci-fi epic. One of the most surprising developments is Funcom's entrant into the series with Dune: Awakening. Last week we were invited to an event at Warner Bros studios in Los Angeles for a sneak peek at what's to come in this survival sandbox MMO, and what was shown was nothing less than a stunning portrayal of Arrakis.
Dune: Awakening (DA) has been in development for several years, and as many may surmise, as is often the case with MMOs, the game itself is long overdue. "It’s been a hell of a journey," Chief Creative Office Joel Bylos said. “It’s kind of funny because we sort of originally thought we’d be out before the first movie, that’s game development, that’s how it goes.” As the crowd chuckled along, it’s a surprising statement due to the game having only been publicly announced in August of 2022, while the updated film adaption, Dune: Part 1 released in 2021.
Nevertheless, with Dune: Part 2 having now released (and rightfully stunning critics with its fast-paced action and gorgeous CGI) and Funcom finally opening a virtual window for fans to scope what state the game is in, the most surprising revelation for me was that Arrakis holds more value than just the appeal of the Dune-faithful longing for a digital rendering of Herbert’s universe.
Dune But Not Dune
If you are a fan of the books and films, you may wonder where exactly Dune: Awakening takes place, as the developers have mentioned previously that you’ll meet many iconic characters during your journey. While not speaking of specifics here, Joel told us that DA is actually an alternate timeline, where the titular character Paul Atreides makes a branching decision which pushes us to where we begin our game. He also went on to say that some of the lore aspects (such as parts of the Dune Encyclopedia) are not canon in this version, but that won’t stop players from finding plenty of easter eggs from the beloved world they’ve come to know.
As the introduction ended and the video began to roll, what followed was a peculiar showcase that outlined some of the unique features that Dune Awakening holds. If you’re excited about the upcoming game, you’ll want to watch the full interview between Soe Gschwind and Joel Bylos, as they take you on a journey throughout Arrakis.
Where Dune Awakening Got It Right
In addition to the studio showcase video, we were also provided with a short in-game video depicting what it takes to survive Arrakis. A smattering of combat, building, and in-engine cinematics teased a wide variety of features. As a main focal point, Dune Awakening is a survival MMO, which can often get confusing as the survival genre gets skewed in ways that often aren’t as appealing for the large scale, wide appeal that MMO’s often try to garner.
“We took the survival genre as a starting point.” Joel said. “But we really want the political endgame of the Dune universe.” He went on to explain how you’ll start off alone in the desert, but the focus at endgame expands to a potential realization of your political power. Along the way you’ll battle with and against thousands of other players and compete for resources, while exploring the ever-changing world of Arrakis.
To make the world consistently appealing for exploration, Funcom has employed a feature called the Shifting Sands. This feature, as explained to us, is both the most exciting feature, and the aspect that breeds the most anxiety within me. Every week, in designated areas outside the shield wall, the sands of Arrakis will shift, wiping and changing the landscape to once again be explored anew.
These areas will also be primarily PvP zones, where the danger is more than just the harsh environment and unkillable worms, but other players that can not only kill you, but loot your hard-earned resources as well. The dichotomy of excitement and dread of the Shifting Sands has awoken a curiosity in me, to see how exactly it will all play out.
Due to the nature of the event, we weren’t given any hands-on play time, but the premise has me intrigued as an endgame loop that might keep players occupied, if the refreshed weekly maps are unique, and not just rehashed assets in pre-established places. The weekly wipes will also affect player buildings outside of the shield wall. That means that guilds will probably want to employ build teams to scout and find the best places to build once the sands have shifted, as location could be the difference between successful resource acquisition and utter failure. They did say that you can shield your bases, but to what extent, only time will tell.
Another choice that really struck me is the addition of trainers throughout the world. Combat is comprised of a system called Combined Arms, where you can mix and match melee and ranged weapons and abilities. In addition to that, if you want to learn special techniques, you’ll have to find specific trainers throughout the world and gain their favor to train in their special arts. While it’s probably going to be overwhelmingly common to find trainers in common areas, as you grow your character it could be exciting to find rare trainers, though nothing specific has been said to that degree yet.
Crafting also plays an integral part in your success. Players have a wide array of weapons and items that they can craft with a multitude of fabricators which they’ll use to bolster their chances of success. This includes a multitude of vehicles, from ground and air transport, like the Ornithopter that has been shown throughout the series and trailers.
The Fear of a Sandworld
Dune Awakening’s entire experience, at least up to this point, takes place completely on Arrakis. This planet is brown sand upon sand-colored rocks, sprinkled with swatches from brown to beige, and I would be remiss if that thought didn’t enter my mind more than a few times. After preparing for the event by catching up on watching Dune media, the bland color palette does get to you after a while.
“It’s a challenge, no doubt,” Joel began. “There’s a visual fatigue that sets in, you know, everything’s brown. But we do brown pretty well at Funcom, we’ve always done brown very well.” He joked. “We started Conan Exiles in a desert too. What we do have is desert botanical testing stations, and those give you a visual break. In a sense they’re like dungeons.”
Apart from these testing stations, where players will see different plant life and meet some dangerous folks, there are also shipwrecks that serve as a public dungeon where players will congregate to learn about the lore outside of Arrakis. These additions will hopefully break up the visual monotony of browns that make up the world of sand that is Arrakis.
The Wait is On
Dune Awakening’s hands-off event left me hopeful that Funcom might just have the right stuff to deliver on a survival MMO. They’ve certainly done a great job on Conan: Exiles, but the sheer breadth of an MMO just hits differently. Joel stated that Funcom isn’t in any rush to get the game out the door, and that it’s important that they get it right before launch rears its head.
Still, the game is currently in Beta, and the missed opportunity of no hands-on gameplay during the presentation at Funcom was curious, and a little worrisome, especially as a closed beta test is underway, with many players having already been invited. What I will say is that what Funcom has shown has piqued my interest in Dune Awakening. I look forward to seeing more soon.
