Developing Dune: Awakening poses a unique challenge due to the potential for environmental fatigue inherent in the desert world of Arrakis. Creative Director Joel Bylos shared more insights on locations and interesting environments during recent interviews at GDC and PAX 2024, highlighting how the team ensures that Dune’s harsh, arid landscape remains a compelling and varied environment for players to immerse themselves in.
The Green Core
The Ecology Labs in Dune: Awakening are ancient stations initially built by the first imperial explorers, and the Fremen later rediscovered some. Compared to Fallout‘s themed vaults, these labs offer unique environments and purposes, from studying Arrakis’s species adaptations to conducting unconventional research. Players will find more water, flora, and fauna inside, enhancing the game’s environmental diversity. Some lab entrances may appear after sandstorms and shifting sands in the deep desert. Although a preview article by RockPaperShotgun.com mentions that each lab is designed to provide about 15 minutes of gameplay, I hope there will be larger ones tied to story events, as the potential of these labs could be underutilized with such short playtimes.
Beyond the Desert You Know
In an interview with WCCFTech.com, Creative Director Joel Bylos addressed the potential for biome variety. He highlighted a misconception caused by the movies, noting that Frank Herbert’s descriptions of Arrakis include diverse landscapes beyond the typical desert visuals portrayed on screen. Bylos emphasized that Herbert’s vision encompasses areas resembling southern Arizona-style deserts with more vegetation, such as Saguaro cactuses and the presence of polar caps. He confirmed that the game will feature these varied biomes post-launch, especially the polar caps.
In multiple interviews, Joel Bylos hinted at the possibility of players venturing to other planets in Dune: Awakening‘s expansive universe. However, he emphasized the team’s current focus on fully realizing the wonders of Arrakis before expanding beyond.
Greetings From Outer Space
Shipwrecks stranding on Arrakis introduce an intriguing gameplay feature teased in the latest Survive Arrakis trailer and elaborated on in a video interview by ShackNews.com with Joel Bylos. These wrecks can be massive, and players can enter and explore them. In the interview, Bylos revealed a new survival element: radiation. This radiation acts as a form of soft gatekeeping, requiring players to obtain proper protective suits before venturing into heavily radiated wrecks. Exploring these wrecks yields valuable loot and unveils cultural and technological remnants from other planets in the universe. Bylos mentioned including e.g. Ixian technology before, so we can assume that discovering it within shipwrecks presents exciting opportunities for players to encounter diverse environments and expand their understanding of the Dune universe.
Welcome to Little Giedi Prime
In an interview with VG247.com, the Creative Director revealed exciting details about the game. One notable feature highlighted was the distinct settlements players can explore, belonging to the Atreides and Harkonnen factions. During a game presentation, a glimpse into the Harkonnen home planet was showcased through Harko Village. Bylos described it as “a brutalist depiction of what Harkonnens would be like in their place,” emphasizing the unique character of the faction. Interestingly, the village boasts Hanovars Bar, a roleplaying space intricately designed to immerse players in the Harkonnen atmosphere. The bar’s centerpiece, a massive whale skeleton adorning the roof, pays homage to the Harkonnens’ wealth from the whale fur industry, cleverly nodding to the source material while showcasing the developers’ commitment to authenticity.
First Look: Game Map UI Design
This might be our first glimpse at the game’s map, a UI concept design crafted by Rick Stalder, a former Senior UI Artist, primarily focusing on the console version in 2022. Although Stalder originally showcased his design on ArtStation, it has since been removed. This map design features the Xbox controller’s button layout and includes various filter categories such as “Resources” (with Ore, Spice, Stone, and Ammo listed), “Political,” “Cartography,” “Social,” and “Transportation.” Notably, a single stillsuit is marked on the map, possibly dropped after the player’s death. The map also highlights a Harkonnen village, recognizable by its snail-like shape that is familiar from previous artworks. Another village is named “Graben”—a word that, to my surprise, also exists in English, though it is originally German for “trench.” I am particularly impressed by the 3D topographical appearance of the map and hope the final version maintains this aesthetic. However, I wonder how the game will generate 3D maps for the procedurally created deep desert.
Link: WCCFTech.com – Dune Awakening Q&A – Creative Director Clarifies MMO Size, Hints at Beyond Arrakis
Link: ShackNews.com – Dune: Awakening Creative Director on gameplay and sandworms
