Sandworms, Storms, and Survival: Is Dune: Awakening the Ultimate Desert Nightmare?

Without a doubt, “Dune” is one of the most impactful science fiction books ever written, with its influence spanning six decades and appearing in movies, TV shows, and video games. Funcom, the developer, is preparing to join this legacy with their upcoming survival-crafting MMO titled “Dune: Awakening“. This game will transport players to a revamped Arrakis when it releases on June 10, 2025, with early access starting on June 5. Although there are numerous survival MMOs available, “Dune: Awakening” seems promising as it combines resource management, political machinations, and exploration, all within a universe where Paul Atreides never existed.

We had the opportunity to test an early version of Dune: Awakening, which roughly showcased the first 20–25 hours of gameplay, but we found ourselves exploring its captivating environment for approximately 30 hours. The complete game promises over 100 hours of gameplay, and from the initial 30 hours spent in Dune: Awakening, it seems like a rich and challenging survival MMO experience is on the horizon.

Dune: Awakening Tells a Different Story

Instead of happening within the universe that ardent fans have come to know as Dune, the game titled Dune: Awakening is set in an alternate timeline. In this alternate reality, Paul Atreides was never born, causing Arrakis to be embroiled in a conflict between House Atreides and House Harkonnen. The Fremen, who were once inhabitants of Arrakis, have vanished under mysterious circumstances. The player assumes the role of an unnamed prisoner who is sent to Arrakis by the Bene Gesserit, with the mission to discover the reason behind the Fremen’s disappearance and revive a dormant entity referred to as “the Sleeper.

When you begin playing “Dune: Awakening“, you find yourself standing before Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam in a dimly lit chamber. She calls out to you with a soft, “Step forward, child.” This initiates the character creation process where you can customize a vast array of features – such as Voice, Height, Facial Structure, Age, and an extensive range of options for your character’s physique, hairstyle, eye color, and numerous other details. While not the most expansive character creator available, it still provides ample opportunities to personalize your character in this survival-crafting MMO. If you find the selection overpowering, there are also numerous pre-set options for players to select instead.

After finishing the creation of their character, players input their names and commence a character development dialogue with the Reverend Mother. In this interaction, she poses questions such as “Where did you originate?” and additional customization options emerge. During the conversation, players select their home planet, social class, and mentor, each decision bestowing them with a unique characteristic, advantage, or skill. The player’s homeworld selection provides them with a distinctive dialogue trait and emote, their chosen class grants another dialogue trait, and their mentor influences their training and initial ability.

Once you’ve set up your player character, a scene unfolds featuring the Reverend Mother who assigns you a mission during the renowned Gom Jabbar test. This startling introduction in Dune: Awakening is particularly engaging for franchise enthusiasts. Moreover, the character customization part of this sequence offers ample depth for a survival MMO, ensuring that you embark on your Arrakis journey as the character you’ve chosen to be.

The Basics of Dune: Awakening’s Survival and Combat

Dune: Awakening Has Some Unique Survival Mechanics

After that, a cutscene unfolds, followed by a guided experience where players navigate through a sequential stage specifically designed as an introduction to Dune: Awakening’s fundamental mechanics. During this part of the game, standard survival-crafting aspects such as crafting basic weapons and items are explained, along with certain features exclusive to Dune: Awakening that are also highlighted here.

In this game, much like how Link can scale walls at will in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players are given the freedom to do so, provided they have enough energy for it. On the other hand, Dune: Awakening introduces a dehydration mechanic that necessitates players to stay hydrated constantly. If not, their endurance, health, and mobility will suffer. Additionally, there’s a Sunstroke aspect linked to dehydration, which discourages prolonged sun exposure and encourages staying in the shade. Should Sunstroke take effect, the rate of dehydration will escalate until players find some respite from the heat.

In the game “Dune: Awakening,” the Hydration meter is divided into three parts, signifying various benefits or drawbacks for the players. Maintaining the Hydration Level above one-third of its total capacity grants a bonus to the player’s maximum stamina. This advantage becomes more significant if the level remains above two-thirds. However, it’s important to note that Dew Flowers can only restore up to one-third of the meter, making them less reliable for long-term use.

As the game progresses, players will eventually have the option to extract blood from vanquished enemies. They can choose to consume this blood to boost their Hydration Level or use it in a Blood Purifier for even more effective hydration.

During my tutorial session in Dune: Awakening, I was introduced to a handy device called the Cutteray, serving as my main mining tool. With its Analysis Mode, I can scan resources to spot secret vulnerabilities within them. Once a flaw is found, it’s marked by a jagged line across the node, and I trace this line using the Cutteray until the resource cracks and the materials magically end up in my inventory. The Cutteray can even slice open specific locked doors, making it an incredibly handy tool. However, what truly sets it apart is that it’s not just a matter of pointing and clicking to harvest resources.

Dune: Awakening’s Combat Is Fairly Straightforward

The sequence in Dune: Awakening delves into its combat system, focusing initially on melee fights. In this game, you can make enemies vulnerable to further attacks by repeatedly slashing them, a move that causes stagger. Enemy assaults can also be defended against, and a well-timed block results in a parry attack that similarly staggers the adversary. However, if players are staggered themselves, they can swiftly escape the situation by pressing the right key at the appropriate moment.

In the game Dune: Awakening, there are protected foes that can be quite challenging to handle, particularly for those who favor distant combat tactics. These protected enemies barely take any harm from regular attacks; however, executing a Slow Blade attack (which is similar to a charged attack) not only disables their shields but also frequently results in their demise.

In addition to the combat mechanics, other elements are also introduced in this game, such as colored Pentashield Barriers and Wristband Keys. The barriers can only be passed if a player has the corresponding key of the same color. This setup presents an opportunity for puzzle-solving and we encountered instances of this during our preview. However, it appears that these elements lean towards being gimmicky at this early stage in the game. Some areas within Dune: Awakening resemble mazes because of the Pentashield Barriers, which restrict movement and require players to follow specific paths before accessing others. This suggests that as the game progresses, these elements could become more intricate and interesting.

Simultaneously unfolding is a storyline that we won’t delve into here to preserve surprises for those who wish to experience it. However, it’s pertinent to mention that players meet a character called Zantara during their adventure, who serves as their guide throughout the game. In the initial stages of Dune: Awakening, Zantara offers regular guidance, but these tips become less frequent as players advance through the game. After completing the tutorial, players are introduced to the open world of Dune: Awakening, starting with the first significant region: Hagga Basin South.

Dune: Awakening’s Open World Is an Unforgiving Desert Landscape

Putting Footprints in the Sand

Once players gain access to the open world in Dune: Awakening, the game undergoes a significant transformation. Instantly, it becomes apparent that this world is merciless, even with Zantara’s guidance throughout. Although some of this harshness stems from being out in the open without a clear path forward, much of it is due to the presence of Dune’s feared sandworms, which turn the endless desert into a daunting place to tread upon.

Despite the challenges ahead, we persevered, amassing whatever resources we found along the way until we accessed the Research menu – a common feature in survival-crafting games. In this menu, players can spend Intel points to unlock blueprints for Dune: Awakening’s extensive collection of craftable garments, items, and gear, as well as locate the components needed to create these items. Utilizing the Intel we had accumulated, we researched designs for a makeshift armor set, constructed it, and donned it for our journey ahead.

Afterward, Zantara directed us to construct an improvised Mula Pistol, a weapon we could pair with homemade Light Darts and utilize against any adversaries we might meet. Since we opted to follow Zantara’s lead instead of venturing off on our own, we didn’t come across any enemies immediately. As the game progressed, though, the Mula Pistol turned out to be a reliable ally due to the fact that the enemies in Dune: Awakening are perpetually vigilant, making it challenging to surprise them for an advantage during close combat.

Afterward, Zantara guided us through the essentials of thriving in the vast open world of Dune: Awakening, including constructing shelters and invading Scavenger Camps. Essentially, this survival-crafting gameplay loop in Dune: Awakening revolves around attacking Scavenger Camps, then utilizing the acquired materials to gradually enhance your base and create superior weapons and armor. Some Scavenger Camps are quite small with only a few enemies, while others are more extensive, necessitating additional firepower and skill. Despite their size, the larger camps yield better rewards, making them worth the effort.

Sandworms and Storms Are the True Threats of Dune: Awakening’s Desert

Indeed, the real dangers players will face in the open world of “Dune: Awakening” are the fearsome sandworms and treacherous coriolis storms. If a player is defeated by any means other than these, they have the choice to either resurrect themselves or choose to surrender to the harsh desert landscape. However, should they meet their end in a sandworm attack or during a coriolis storm, they will forfeit all of their possessions permanently, much like how things work in traditional survival-crafting MMOs when items are lost.

Navigating through “Dune: Awakening”‘s desert alongside rocky landscapes and human settlements is secure; however, when players venture out into the vast open desert, they’ll encounter an intimidating Sandworm Threat indicator. This gauge measures the noise produced by walking on sand. If the gauge turns red at any point, it signals that a sandworm is nearby. Moments later, the sandworm will rise from the ground and let out a roar, warning players that they have limited time to reach a secure location before the sandworm starts pursuing them.

In less time than expected, Coriolis-induced gales may suddenly appear, forcing players to quickly seek refuge in a natural formation like a rock, their established shelter, or any available structure to avoid being caught in them. A heads-up about an approaching storm will be given, but this might only provide a brief window of approximately one minute to find safety. Luckily, by the time they encounter their initial gale outdoors, they should already have built their own base for protection.

Without a doubt, the open world in “Dune: Awakening” is incredibly engrossing. The rumble of a sandworm traversing the terrain sends shivers down your spine; the atmosphere of the vast desert often feels tangible and lifelike; and the immense scale of everything makes you feel like you’re truly stepping into the world of “Dune” for an interactive adventure that stands alone in its immersion.

Moving On Up

During our beta playthrough, we had the opportunity to check out three different zones within Dune: Awakening. However, the final version of the game will boast a total of twenty-one zones. Each zone shares a similar structure and layout, offering numerous side missions, activities, and discoveries. These zones also feature Shipwrecks that double as Player vs Player combat areas with some of the best loot in the game. The narrative of Dune: Awakening gradually leads players from one zone to another, and the progression seems well-balanced for where the game is at presently.

In addition to Dune: Awakening, there are numerous abilities to master that not only enhance your combat skills but also impact aspects such as stamina, health, and Hydration Level. These additions can prove beneficial in the long term, although they may not be the primary focus of gameplay within Dune: Awakening.

While testing the beta version, we had an opportunity to explore three distinct areas within “Dune: Awakening”. However, the complete game is set to feature a total of twenty-one zones.

As players traverse the desert for hours moving from one place to another, they’ll eventually come across the chance to create a Sandbike. This vehicle can be assembled piece by piece and tailored to fit the requirements of its owner. It also has its own storage system, which can be beneficial for hoarders. Initially, the Sandbike provides some protection from sandworms, but as the game progresses, this changes. Players will eventually need to strategize carefully about their routes due to increased challenges. Nevertheless, there’s nothing quite like cruising through the deserts of Dune: Awakening on your personal Sandbike.

Just a heads up, hydration needs constant attention, but luckily, Dune: Awakening gives you an option to create a Stillsuit that helps retain water. However, these suits provide less protection compared to other armor sets. With numerous crafting opportunities, plenty of activities, and expansive desert landscapes to traverse in Dune: Awakening, those who stick around will find the rewards worthwhile for their dedication.

Final Thoughts

Following approximately 30 hours of gameplay, it’s evident that “Dune: Awakening” is emerging as one of the more ambitious survival MMOs in recent years. This isn’t due to it revolutionizing the genre, but rather by skillfully combining conventional mechanics with a vivid, perilous world steeped in the lore of the “Dune” universe. Despite not showcasing many aspects during the beta, particularly faction interactions and intricate long-term political structures, even within its initial 30 hours, “Dune: Awakening” already gives an impression of complexity, harshness, and at times, a meditative experience.

Awakening might shift from being a survival game to an enduring test of resilience.

2025-04-25 17:08