There is a nice line when adapting one thing to the online game medium: a balancing act between making an expertise that is pleasing to play, however retains issues according to the supply materials. Making a Dune sport is a activity fraught with peril, particularly at a time when love for Dune’s reputation – due to each the unique novels and theatrical releases – is at an all time excessive. Dune Awakening walks that tightrope with grace, for essentially the most half. However there are a number of wobbles right here and there.
Taking part in on an early press server over the previous two weeks was my second hands-on expertise with Dune Awakening, my prior preview in a managed preview atmosphere with a tough time restrict. The content material I received to fiddle with is not a lot totally different, although the enjoying at residence allowed for the actual MMO expertise to shine by. Late evening periods, quick meals, and the added exploration and depth the dearth of a time restrict permits.
It is a moreish journey; a cycle of researching a brand new mining laser or tier of armour, then heading out to assemble the requisite supplies essential to assemble these upgrades. Stronger weapons, a harder bike, a sturdier vitality protect. A well-recognized expertise for anybody who has performed round in a survival MMO, although draped in nice Dune-ery. Sure sources require treks to previous Fremman hideouts, bandit camps, or sprawling dungeon-like analysis services. All whereas darting between islands of stone, lest the worm take you.
What was crystal clear to me on this preview construct is how the problem ramps up. The beginning zone is, as you’d anticipate, introductory. Not more than a handful of enemies come at you directly, providing you an opportunity to familiarize your self with how the sport’s primary fight and survival mechanics really work. When you journey north, Dune Awakening turns up the warmth a little bit. Melee fighters will leap at you with flying knees, ranged riflemen will decide away at you from afar, whereas shielded heavy weapon fellas unload barrages at you. It is right here that you just’re compelled to take advantage of the instruments accessible to you and, really, the place Dune Awakening’s greatest flaw lies.
Funcom has created a sport true to its roots right here. As any Dune lore goblin will let you know, shielded foes are greatest taken out at shut with the sluggish knife. How this translated in sport is a repetitive means of slicing away at enemies till they stagger, then thrusting as soon as by the shields for a bit of injury. Towards harder enemies, this have to be repeated a number of instances. When taking out packs of murderous ne’er-do-wells, what ought to be a tense battle can shortly devolve right into a slog.
Now, it is price noting a number of issues. My time enjoying Dune Awakening was largely performed solo. In analysis services, the place this downside bares its fangs most ferociously, one other participant aiding you could cut back the slog. However the flip aspect of that coin is that this; all the pieces I performed did not really feel as if I wanted one other participant to assist out. I can solely hope that, within the sport’s later areas, the problem continues to extend in such a means as to encourage collaboration. In any other case anticipate prolonged runs of those stab periods that even I – a British individual! – felt was a bit a lot.
Even throughout these much less pleasing intervals, although, I discovered myself totally impressed with the point-of-interest design, and the broader world itself. When the Funcom staff talked of the numerous biomes (promising me the entire sport would not simply be a bunch of sand,) I reckon I shared the opinion of many: Yeah, positive.
However, imagine it or not, the varied wrecked ships and ruined bases are distinct sufficient to maintain the sands of Arrakis recent and wealthy for exploration. The perfect work is completed inside analysis services, the place uncontrolled plant development affords candy succor for its madened inhabitants, or the bones of a cavernous set up are hollowed out and retro-fitted right into a salvaging base for raiders. Diving into these areas open up the setting in superb vogue.
Quests, or relatively duties supplied from bounty boards, are the most important call-to-action for such exploration, and whereas these aren’t particularly spectacular by way of what they have you ever do, they do provide some glimpses into the broader narrative. A lady will ask you to enterprise into a gray market hub stuffed with goons to seize some gizmo or information. That is your typical fetch quest, positive, however the considered in any other case lacking this pretty instance of world-building makes it definitely worth the journey.
Now. Let’s speak in regards to the worms. I just like the worms. They continue to be an ever-present power of nature that have to be taken into consideration always. Whereas the map itself is open, you may’t simply zoon throughout the open desert willy nilly. The worm will get ya’, so natural paths that join every island reveal themselves naturally. As you improve your bike with a booster, these open up drastically in a vogue that proves fulfilling. It doesn’t, nonetheless, take away the risk altogether. Sources like Flour Sand (solely harvestable within the desert), require some fast pondering. Drive out to the harvest location, leap off your bike, harvest the sand, leap again on the bike, then rush again to security. Each time I did this, the worm practically had me. It is exhilerating.
This fixed risk is a serious boon for Dune Awakening. The price of dying to 1 is a whole stock loss, versus the push to enterprise out and courageous the worm for candy loot. But it surely’s price it. It is at all times price it. I virtually want that Sardukar patrols, nightly ships that patrol the world, have been as large a risk.
I am left with the identical questions following this preview than I had throughout my first time enjoying the sport. I used to be locked out from the remainder of the world, and whereas I may take a look at the Lansrad display screen (the top sport mechanic that enables participant factions to struggle over affect of the server), I couldn’t work together with it. All of what I performed is the early sport: studying who your character might be, studying whether or not you will go Atreides or Harkonen, touchdown on what talents and passive expertise you want. This ought to lead into an endgame the place you can additional dive into your participant expression, land on a loadout that works for you, and construct a base that is not only a field within the sand.
I’ve not seen nor skilled any of that. The one individuals who have are the closed beta testers, who cannot convey their experiences to the broader public. Why is that this vital? Properly, it is the juice: it is the a part of the sport that retains people round, that results in friendships and rivalries. Scripting this, I can say that I had a good time exploring Arrakis, however the one sensibile conclusion I can take from totally different combating kinds, participant backgrounds, and base constructing is to say it is all constructing as much as an endgame I have not seen.
Whether or not on a regular basis spent getting immersed on this planet, staying loyal to the Harkonen or getting invested within the narrative will blossom superbly 30 hours later is a thriller. A thriller that I am guessing a large variety of individuals will not be keen to guess $50 on.
My takeaway from my time rotting in my chair and sinking days into Dune Awakening is that it appears like a stable begin to an important MMO. I can say that Dune followers ought to get pleasure from this depiction of the universe, and that the Funcom staff is clearly captivated with making this sport the correct means. I’d advocate it to individuals, with the understanding that the a part of the MMO I actually look after is shrouded in mist.
I do hope that, within the subsequent month or so earlier than the sport’s launch, we really see this a part of the sport in motion. In any other case, Funcom might be asking gamers to take a leap of religion with Dune Awakening. I will be taking it, however praying I land softly on a sport that is as compelling at its eightieth hour as it’s whenever you begin.
