"Dune Awakening" played: See Arrakis and die
Funcom sends fans into the popular sci-fi universe with the survival adventure "Dune: Awakening". A game for patient adventurers.
(Image: Funcom)
Ever since the successful film adaptations with Timothée Chalamet, “Dune” has been one of the biggest brands in the world of science fiction. No wonder that a development studio like Funcom has snapped up the license for a video game. The result is an enormously extensive survival adventure that can keep genre fans entertained for weeks.
Desert, desert everywhere, endless sand. It's the first thing players see of the planet Arrakis and probably the last. A world without mercy, crammed with bandits, despots and other dangers. Every cave is a safe haven, every plant a source of water. If you don't get to safety quickly enough, you will either be fried by the sun or swallowed by giant sandworms.
"Dune Awakening" angespielt (5 Bilder)
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)The story takes place in an alternative timeline: civil war is raging on Arrakis between House Atreides and House Harkonnen. The indigenous population of the Fremen has disappeared, and Paul Atreides does not exist. As an agent of the Bene Gesserit, the players land on Arrakis and quickly learn about the dangers of this desert planet.
Unlike other “Dune” games such as the classic “Dune 2” by Westwood or, most recently, the computer game conversion of the board game “Dune: Imperium”, “Awakening” is not a strategy game, but an MMO survival adventure in which players can explore Arrakis alone, with each other or against each other. For our playthrough, we explored Arrakis alone. There was hardly any interaction with other players, as the servers were probably still too empty during our test phase. This could change significantly with the official release.
Extensive survival adventure
The gameplay loop of other genre representatives also works here: Mine resources, refine them and craft even better equipment to explore more dangerous areas. As is so often the case, the beginning is tough. Important resources are difficult to find, and it takes a few hours to build the first building with a small production cycle. If the adventurers die in the process, they can collect equipment and resources again after respawning.
The most important game element will be familiar to fans of the indie hit “V Rising”. Instead of having to keep the base running with blood as in “V Rising”, the generator here has to be constantly fed with energy cells. If they are missing, the base disintegrates with every storm. This is an annoying game principle, as it forces players to constantly grind the simplest of resources. The same applies to the sun. If our hero spends too long in the sun, he will eventually suffer fatal injuries.
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Apart from this, “Awakening” offers extensive opportunities to expand the base and increase the production cycle. Houses transform from ugly blocks into complex structures, several refineries convert raw materials, and anyone who wants to can furnish their home with furniture. Later, vehicles such as the sandbike make long journeys easier. Clever: vehicles can be easily stowed away with a scanner so that they can be restored at another location.
Every excursion must be well-prepared. Players need to make sure they have enough water and space for resources in their backpacks. Crossing larger desert areas is exciting, as the giant sand worms lurk beneath the ground. A sprint across the plain quickly becomes a thrill because once digested by such a worm, the equipment is lost forever, unlike normal desert death.
Disappointing action
There is always something new to discover or explore. Every hill, every mountain can be explored. Sometimes there are bandits' nests or larger bases where players can trade or join a house. Longer distances can be covered with an ornithopter, a kind of air cab. To survive, players even have to pay taxes or can invest their money in a bank.
Apart from the fight for survival, the game is driven forward with missions. This is somewhat reminiscent of typical Ubisoft open-world adventures. Missions pop up everywhere, in which we have to smoke out enemy bases or kill targets. The action is disappointing: hardly any hit feedback, poor enemy intelligence. Perhaps this will change as the game progresses, as players can use talent trees to acquire new skills in character classes such as swordsman or spiritually gifted Bene Gesserit follower, which could make battles more varied.
The graphics are just as dull as the battles. This is partly due to the scenario, but the animations in particular are not state of the art. The character controls are awkward and imprecise. This is particularly noticeable in the battles, but sometimes we also got stuck in the crevices. Spectacular action scenes in the style of the movies are lacking. “Dune: Awakening” is a game of intrinsic values.
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Interim conclusion
If you want to enjoy “Dune: Awakening”, you have to love the survival genre and have staying power. The beginning is tough, the presentation largely sober. Funcom does little to make it easier to get started and, apart from the basic game mechanics, the action scenes are not much fun. However, the game has a lot to offer in terms of “survival combat”. Countless crafting options make the game a feast for genre fans. If you take your time, you can look forward to one of the most extensive survival adventures of recent years, which will probably continue to mature over the coming months.
“Dune Awakening” has been released for Windows. Console versions for PS5 and Xbox Series are to follow. It costs around €50. There are no monthly costs. USK not tested.
(emw)
