Dune : Awakening - Trailer Reaction and MMO Reveal
If you're a fan of the Dune universe, the trailer for Dune: Awakening might have already caught your eye. The MMOG (Massive Multiplayer Online Game), developed by Legendary and Funcom (Mutant Year Zero, Dune Spice War, Age of Conan), has made a strong impact in the gaming community by unlocking the first phase of marketing a few weeks ago. This included a teaser trailer, early gameplay preview, promotional podcast interviews, companion articles, and behind-the-scenes looks at the studio at work.
This video and transcript article offer a first view of what Dune: Awakening has to offer, as well as some of the risks and challenges that might be part of this large multiplayer experience. While my experience with MMOGs is somewhat limited, I will attempt to strike a balance between the promise of gameplay and the narrative experience promoted at this stage of development.
Every piece of visual content displayed in this article comes from official sources (either the official website of the game or IGN), but should be taken with a grain of salt, as the game, visuals, and playability will continue to improve until the point of release (and certainly after via a series of patches).
Dune : 'What If'
The trailer of Dune: Awakening opens with Paul Atreides having a vision—a vision of an alternate life and reality where he, the liberator of Arrakis, was never brought to life.
The branching of reality feels very much like Loki Season 2 (Marvel) and the different timelines of the Marvel Universe splitting under the impact of a nexus event. A similar trope can be seen in the revisitation of iconic Marvel heroes in the 'What If' animated series, offering a hybrid and unexpected revision of our favorite heroes if life was somewhat different.
Regardless of motives and franchise strategy, Dune: Awakening carries the promise to be a fun (yet safe) idea that will please fans of both MMOs and the Dune fandom. Yet, to be a true success, the game will have to bring something truly unique and remarkable to the table beyond its gameplay.
You Are the Hero
Paul envisions what could have been if his mother had given birth to a daughter, as the Bene Gesserits originally requested. Who would have risen against the Harkonnens? Who would have helped the rise of the Fremen? Who would have protected the spice melange? In Dune: Awakening, the answer is — YOU.
Paul's destiny is now yours to embrace - you are the gifted one, and the future of Arrakis relies heavily on you. As you step into this vast and harried world of Dune, you are given the chance to choose your own name, house, expertise, mentor, physical appearance, and more...
While the possibility to customize the backstory of your character brings a form of narrative variation and contributes to creating alternative storylines unfolding in the deep trenches of the lore of Paul Atreides, I think the players will have a bigger appetite than just re-exploring what they already know. I am curious and excited to find out what the studio is preparing and how they will enrich and contribute to the narrative experience of the iconic IP.
An Open World Experience
Dune: Awakening promises to offer a large multiplayer experience across a variety of environments, all subject to different gameplay and specific types of interactions.
As you move back and forth in different parts of Arrakis, you will be changing servers to embrace a new game experience specific to this new locale - bring diversity of gameplay, exploration, challenges, encounters, and more.
The world of Dune : Awakening (Arrakis) is divided into different sectors, each of them hosted by independent servers. As you move back and forth across different parts of the planet, you will be transferred across servers to embrace a new segment of the game experience specific to this area / arena.
Depending on your location, you will be able to engage in PvP (Player Vs Player combat), make alliances, trade, or fight on a large scale with armed vehicles. At this point in time, details about game mechanics still remain a little elusive. The same goes for the calendar of events that will keep players engaged over time.
With Dune being a desert land with, in fact, very little to do beyond harvesting, crafting, scheming, and fighting, I am a little sceptical about how interesting and sustainable the game will be over the next few years. I am hoping players will enjoy a rich calendar of events shaking the routine of Arrakis and offering the discovery of new uncharted regions as the game expands.
Hopefully, the scope of the Dune: Awakening experience will gradually expand to other planets of the Imperium - offering the exploration of diverse biomes, cultures, and unique gameplay opportunities.
Challenges and Considerations
As the game experience is segmented by servers dedicated to home-base houses (Habbanya Basin) and other visiting areas of Arrakis, server saturation can be an issue to access the next locale / phase of your game. While I (think I) understand the approach behind this server segmentation for battle arenas and social hubs, Dune: Awakening already feels like a very phased experience from the outset.
From a narrative standpoint, it's important the game brings something new to the table - Dune is a very well-known IP that has had many derivatives over the years. Players and fans of pop culture will come expecting to embrace the world of the books and films — but will also ask for more than just saving Arrakis and ensuring the prosperity of their own house. While the possibility to customize the backstory of your character brings variations and contributes to creating 'unique' storylines in the narrative path of Paul Atreides, I think players will have a bigger appetite than just re-exploring what they already know. I am curious and excited to find out what the studio is preparing and how the quests will enrich the narrative experience of the title.
Access to a next-gen console (PS5, Xbox Series X|S) or a recent PC with a solid internet connection will be required to run the game, which will create accessibility barriers from day one - I wish the game was more compatible and could offer a solo mode to those who cannot afford (or simply do not want) to join multiplayer gameplay.
Regardless of the above, I want to celebrate the ambition and vision behind this project. Dune: Awakening is clearly a very unique game at its root, revisiting some of the core elements of the MMO experience whilst making the best of today's technology to offer players a exciting online gaming experience.
Fans of MMOs and the Dune franchise will be very likely give Dune: Awakening a real shot. Yet, I believe sustaining players' interest and ensuring the game's longevity will be the next challenge for the studio to tackle once the title is available to the public.
I remain hopeful and optmistic about Dune: Awakening beyond my natural scepticism, and look forward to seeing how the first couple of years will help convert players like myself to walk in the distant sand of Arrakis.
Mentioned and featured
: Dune: Awakening Team
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