The first Dune: Awakening Direct livestream captivated fans with the stunning “Survive Arrakis” trailer and offered an exciting glimpse into the game’s core survival features, including base building and crafting and the intricate combined arms combat system. We learned more about Arrakis, its sandworms, and the dynamic shifting sands of the deep desert and got a sneak peek at the political landscape of Dune. The “Creating Worlds” video feature highlighted how the developers are honoring the source material and showcased the visual splendor brought to life by Unreal Engine 5.
As we eagerly await the next Dune: Awakening Direct, here are five significant topics we hope to see covered in the upcoming episode.
Lend Me Your Sword
Dune: Awakening allows players to mix and match skills and abilities from different classes, creating a unique character experience. To help players get started, Funcom has introduced four starting classes to choose from: Mentat, Trooper, Swordmaster, and Bene Gesserit Acolyte.
While the anticipation for the game builds, the developers have only teased these starting classes without delving into detailed showcases, notably leaving the Swordmaster class shrouded in mystery. Despite the game’s inclusion of ranged and melee combat options, no sword fights have been depicted in screenshots or trailers.
One preview article noted that Funcom has refrained from emphasizing sword fights due to their previous game, Conan Exiles, which was heavily focused on close combat. However, this decision is a missed opportunity. The audience for Dune: Awakening extends beyond MMO players familiar with Funcom‘s past work; it includes a wide array of fans drawn in by the popular Dune movies, many of whom will be eager to experience intense sword fights as part of the game’s allure.
I really hope to watch at least a little video with all four classes in action in the next Dune Awakening Direct, because they all sound super exciting.
Take Me on a Journey
In Conan Exiles, the Journey system serves as a comprehensive guide and progression tracker. It helps players navigate the expansive and brutal world of Hyboria by breaking down the game’s activities into chapters, each with specific objectives and milestones. This system not only aids players in understanding the game’s mechanics and rewards them with valuable items and experience points.
Based on screenshots and interviews with Joel Bylos, the Journey system will return in Dune: Awakening. This raises exciting possibilities about its implementation in the Dune universe. Could it guide players through the vast deserts of Arrakis, offering quests that reflect the intricate political and social dynamics of the Dune lore? It may provide milestones tied to the unique skills and abilities of the starting classes, as well.
Overall, I believe the next episode of the Dune: Awakening Direct should place a stronger emphasis on exploration and PvE content. Funcom could for example leverage the contracts that players can accept at outposts to showcase various world activities that are not PvP-focused. This would not only highlight the richness of the game’s environment but also provide a more diverse gameplay experience, appealing to a broader range of players who enjoy immersive and cooperative adventures.
Show Me Signs of Life
Arrakis would be little more than a vast sandbox teeming with sandworms without humans. The impact of people on the planet and how the hostile conditions and the spice have shaped the life and culture of its inhabitants is one of the most fascinating aspects of Dune lore.
Dune: Awakening has the potential to transcend being just a survival MMO with a Dune skin. For many fans, it could be the ultimate Dune game or experience. While elements like sandstorms, ornithopters, stillsuits, bases, and sandworms are iconic, they alone are not enough to fulfill that promise.
It’s crucial to satisfy not only Dune enthusiasts but also MMO fans in general. We’ve discussed environmental fatigue due to the expansive deserts. Funcom has already proposed solutions to diversify the landscape, such as incorporating more vegetation in certain areas, different biomes introduced through ecology labs, or the polar caps. Nevertheless, the desert of Arrakis may still feel monotonous compared to other games with vibrant, varied alien biomes.
Therefore, NPCs must enrich the game, countering the barren stretches of the planet. We need captivating man-made structures, towns, markets, and outposts. Ritual sites, festivities, and customs should underline the world-building of Dune. Denis Villeneuve’s films understood the importance of contrasting the sands of Arrakis with exotic and sometimes vividly colorful costume designs, offering a striking visual variety.
NPCs should also have compelling stories that anchor players in Arrakis’ daily life. A world brought to life by NPCs, rather than relying solely on player-driven stories, is crucial. Many MMOs, like Final Fantasy XIV and Fallout 76, struggled at launch due to a lack of engaging NPC interactions. Dune: Awakening must excel in this area to succeed.
The signs from Funcom so far are very promising. Concept art showcases exciting locations I can’t wait to visit: trading posts, villages, the massive spice refinery-town of Windsack, the intimidating House Harkonnen exteriors, and the majestic House Atreides interiors. Last year’s PC Gaming Show highlighted the beautiful outfits of the population (pictured above), and reports from the latest behind-closed-doors presentation of Harko village demonstrated Funcom‘s ability to build a world true to the books. Now, it’s time to show more of it to us in-game in a Dune: Awakening Direct.
Outside of the Direct livestream, the community team has started releasing environmental videos on social media, allowing players to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Arrakis. I would love to see more, such as the hustle and bustle of the Arrakeen market.
Give Me More Spice
In Dune: Awakening, spice isn’t just a valuable resource to sell for wealth; it plays a crucial role in character development. Consuming spice unlocks the ability to level up skills, while a lack of spice limits your access to skill training. High spice levels in your blood grant you enhanced powers, but also increase the risk of spice addiction. I’m particularly curious about how spice will interact with the skill tree and how the developers will handle the theme of drug addiction in the game.
Joel Bylos has teased several times that Funcom has ambitious plans for the consequences of spice addiction, suggesting we can expect some wild and immersive experiences. In an interview with WCCFTech.com, he mentioned a discarded example that hints at the potential depth of this mechanic:
Joel Bylos, Creative Director, Dune: Awakening:
“The higher the amount of spice in your bloodstream, the more things you see. One of the things we talked about originally was just making mental trips in which they would just turn into a sandworm and roam around on the map, but we decided not to do that.”
I’m excited about the potential for spice addiction to create unique and wild experiences in the game. Imagine starting with whispers in your head, progressing to visions of burning bushes speaking to you, or even seeing the entire desert turn snowy white. These hallucinations could have such a profound impact on your character that you must battle the monsters created in your mind.
From a gameplay perspective, there could be various penalties to consider if your character can’t maintain their spice levels. Will you revert to lower versions of your skills? There are many questions yet to be answered, but the inclusion of spice as a drug is one of my favorite features. It has the potential to truly set this game apart from other MMOs.
Let Us Meet Again
I’m looking forward to the alternative timeline in Dune: Awakening, which will give developers more creative freedom and allow us to see beloved characters from the books who met early deaths in the original narratives. I’m particularly excited about the prospect of meeting Leto Atreides in the game and hope for reunions with characters like Duncan Idaho and Thufir Hawat.
Funcom has not revealed many specific details about the game’s setting and story. While I don’t need a fully developed introduction to the new narrative, brief appearances in the Dune: Awakening Direct by famous characters from the books would be enough.
The inclusion of these iconic NPCs raises some intriguing questions. With the partnership with Legendary Pictures and the game’s strong visual ties to the films, will Funcom model these characters after the actors from the Dune movies? Will the actors provide the voices of their digital counterparts? Or will Funcom take a different approach and introduce fresh faces and new interpretations for Dune’s VIPs?
What do you like to see in the next Direct? Tell us in the comments below!
The details for the next Dune: Awakening Direct livestream and the game’s release date have not been announced yet. The game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.
Link: VisitArrakis.com – Dune: Awakening Direct – Episode 1 Released
Link: WCCFTech.com – Dune Awakening Q&A – Creative Director Clarifies MMO Size, Hints at Beyond Arrakis
Link: DuneAwakening.com – Don’t Miss The Dune: Awakening PC Gaming Showcase!
