My Thoughts On The Upcoming Open World Survival MMO Dune: Awakening

Dune: Awakening is an upcoming open world survival MMO developed by Funcom that throws players in the vast and treacherous world of the Dune Universe. While drawing inspiration from the iconic books written by Frank Herbert, the game takes place in an alternate universe. That being said, it is being worked on in collaboration with the Herbert family and Legendary Pictures (the media and film production company behind the movies).

Survival is paramount as players must navigate Arrakis, facing dangers such as sandstorms and sandworms. Crafting vehicles, seeking shelter, and managing water sources are necessary, while exploration beyond the shield wall offers opportunities for discovering hidden treasures. Social interaction and conflict are essential too; there’s guilds, factions, politics, and PvP. 

From what we’ve seen of Dune: Awakening thus far, I’m cautiously optimistic. The game looks beautiful, but that’s to be expected with new titles coming out thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5. I’m not a big fan of desert biomes in general when it comes to video games, yet I can’t deny that riding around on sand bikes and ornithopters looks awesome. Hopefully, there will be enough variety in the environment and atmosphere so we aren’t surrounded by sand only and always.

The same goes for the crafting and survival aspects of Dune: Awakening. How involved will both of those parts be in the gameplay loop? Like, I hate having to manage hunger and thirst in games…I play to escape reality, thank you very much. And crafting can be cool when it comes to vehicles, weapons, armor, and base building, but I don’t want to be a farmer in this world. Everything else seems solid though. I can’t say I love games based on existing franchises, especially in the MMO genre, yet I could totally see this game being worth $50 (give or take, if that’s the cost of entry).