The German gaming website, Eurogamer.de, has recently released a video preview of Dune: Awakening, featuring an interview with Natascha Röösli, Funcom‘s Global Senior PR. We got interesting reveals and bad news for Hans Zimmer fans.
Beta Now and Then
Since its announcement, there has been a significant interest in the beta test for Dune: Awakening. The closed testing via invite has been ongoing for several months now on PC. However, the game will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
When Eurogamer‘s Ana Kudinov asked Röösli about the current status of the beta testing and whether console players will be able to participate in the tests, she answered (translated from German into English):
“I am not completely sure, but it is so much easier to do a beta for PC than for consoles. You can patch the PC version super quickly with a new build and mechanics.
For consoles, each patch has to pass certification and that takes much longer, so as a developer you are less flexible…
Especially for a game still in development it makes much more sense to do it on PC only. Maybe, at a later stage it is possible to consider consoles.“
The certification process in the video game industry involves thorough testing to ensure that games meet specific standards set by platform holders (e.g., Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) regarding performance, stability, and compliance with platform-specific guidelines. This process often includes multiple stages, such as alpha and beta testing, to identify and fix bugs and ensure a smooth player experience. Additionally, certification may involve verifying content ratings, adherence to legal requirements, and compatibility with hardware specifications.
I think it is safe to say that the PC is the power horse of closed beta testing and consoles are an option for open betas and server stress tests much closer to the game’s launch.
So what do beta testers currently enjoy most about Dune: Awakening? It seems like they love the vehicles in the game, giving great feedback especially on the groundcars. Testers praise the graphic, the music and the overall atmosphere of the game world, Röösli told Eurogamer.de. The survival aspects of the game’s beginning like water management were mentioned positively, as well. Fans of the books seem to recognise the world they are familiar with. Balancing of mechanics like combat and crafting are mentioned as current objectives.
Giants in the Sky
Kudinov really got excited by the ornithopter fights showcased in the latest tailer and wondered, if aerial warfare will really be a major gameplay mechanic in the game. Röösli shared her excitement for aircrafts in the game and said:
“Of course! I personally love ornithopters and had a lot of fun with them during our internal tests. We really got a large variety of ornithopter sizes in the game and…other things I won’t tell you. For example, with one aircraft you can transport large things – so we really got a lot of stuff, fans can play around with…”
It seems like what Natascha Röösli is describing is similar to the Carryall, a large cargo aircraft used for transporting spice harvesters or tanks in the Dune universe. Piloting these planes could allow players to experience exciting activities such as witnessing a worm sighting, stealing or sabotaging harvesters.
Inspiration and independence
Since Legendary has been involved in the development of Dune: Awakening from the start, one might expect to see some assets from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies imported directly into the game.
However, according to Röösli, this is not the case as all of the game’s assets are produced entirely by Funcom. As mentioned in the interview, ornithopter designs and Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for the movie e.g. were studied before Funcom‘s artists and composers created their own concept art, 3D models or music for Dune: Awakening.
The absence of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack in the game is disappointing for fans of his work like me. However, I am curious to hear what the composers at Funcom have in store for us.
