Fans of Frank Herbert’sDuneuniverse have dreamed of stepping foot on Arrakis for decades. It’s a planet of endless deserts, colossal sandworms, and fierce political intrigue. While the books and films have offered vivid depictions of this iconic world, video games have often struggled to capture the sheer scale of the desert planet of Arrakis.Dune: Awakeningis attempting to deliver not only the most expansive Dune game to date, but one that redefines what immersion in the Dune universe can look like.
With its open-world survival structure, dynamic ecosystem, and complex political mechanics,Awakeninghas the potential to finally give players the feeling of truly being on Arrakis. Most previousDunegames have been real-time strategy games, whileAwakeningis positioning itself as anopen-world multiplayer survival gameon a massive scale. At the heart ofDune: Awakening,the intent is to draw players deeper into Herbert’s vision by throwing them in the deep end. With its full launch coming up in a couple of weeks, we might finally have a video game that does Arrakis and theDuneIP justice.
Dune: Awakening’s Deep Deserts Are The Closest We’ll Get To Stepping Foot On Arrakis Itself
The Deep Deserts In Dune: Awakening Will Be Enormous
InDune: Awakening, the deserts are not just a backdrop but a fully explorable environment. Funcom, the studio behindAwakening, is going to great lengths to simulate thedanger, mystery, and majesty of the open sands.From Coriolis Storms that reshape terrain to massive dunes hiding ancient secrets and spice veins, the game is attempting to bring the environmental storytelling of Arrakis to life in real-time. The planet’s ecology even reacts dynamically to player behavior, meaning exploration becomes a strategic risk. Done well, this should feel like a living, breathing desert ecosystem.
Players will traverse the Deep Deserts once they enter the endgame, which are reportedly way bigger than anything wesaw in theAwakeningBeta. The threat of Shai-Hulud will apparently be ever-present there, shaping how players move, gather resources, and build bases. This interplay between survival mechanics and the lore-accurate behavior of sandworms could make moment-to-moment gameplay feel deeply rooted in Herbert’s vision, which presented sandworms as threats that defined the very nature of desert navigation. In a way no previous title has achieved,Awakeningpromises playersa chance to truly experience life on Arrakis.
Awakening’s Endgame Promises A Fully Immersive Dune Experience
Awakening Is Easily The Most Ambitious Dune Video Game Ever Made
While we haven’t seen footage or been able to explore the Deep Deserts yet for ourselves, I’m optimistic about the information Funcom has released so far, and I’m looking forward to a livestream thatFuncomannounced for May 28 to give us a glimpse of the later stages ofAwakening.No previousDunegame has attempted the sheer scalethatAwakeningis gunning for. Past efforts likeDune IIorEmperor: Battle for Dunecarved out their own space in RTS history, but they were limited in their ability to represent the broaderDuneuniverse.
Awakening, by contrast, is aiming for the fences, with few limitations both in terms of technology and storytelling. The game is set inan alternate timelinefrom the beloved novels and films, allowing some breathing room in terms of narrative. In my view, this willallow players to experience the world ofDunein a new way, with an original storyline that doesn’t contradict or retcon anything from the canon, and even potentially get to better know beloved characters such as Gurney Halleck or Duke Leto.
“Dune: Awakening may draw in a whole new generation of players looking for a deeper, more connected experience with the iconic world of Dune.”
That said, the Beta was not without its flaws, raising concerns among players that the mid- to late-game might not be ready if even the early gameplay needs work. However, if Funcom succeeds,Awakeningcould redefine what’s possible with the IP. Rather than simply catering to fans of the books or movies, it could draw in a whole new generation of players looking for a deeper, more connected experience with the iconic world ofDune. If there’s one game poised to do justice to the sweeping scale ofDuneand the awe-inspiring deserts of Arrakis,Dune: Awakeningis it.
