With the release ofDune: Awakening, fans of the franchise have been taken on an adventure they will not soon forget. Funcom has recreated the dunes of Arrakis in glorious fashion and filled them to the brim with everything that one would expect from them. From the factions that litter the world to the terrifying sandworms that lurk around every corner, everything is here. This has led to what some may feel is the most immersiveDunegame to date. And while that is great to see,Dune: Awakeningmay have also put futureDunegames in a bit of a tough spot.
With the massive success ofWarner Bros currentDunefranchise, there will likely be plenty of adventures set within Frank Herbert’s universe on the way. Already, players have been treated to a couple of exciting titles through bothDune: AwakeningandDune: Spice Wars, among so many others. They may have been great, yet because of them, the future forDunegames feels a bit less clear. Not only do they have a high bar to clear thanks to Funcom, but it also feels like they may be running out of genres to explore.
Dune: Awakening Has Delivered the Perfect Dune Experience
Dune: Awakening Sets a High Bar for Other Games to Follow
One of the biggest reasons that futureDunegames may be in a bit of a tough spot is due to the massive scale and qualityexperience that Funcom has created withDune: Awakening. From the second the game starts, players know they are in for a very faithful recreation of Herbert’s work. They are walked through character creation by the Reverend Mother, are given so much control over who they are within the world, and then are tossed onto Arrakis to fight for their survival. There, they will spend hours scavenging for resources, fending off against Sandworms, and doing everything that they might expect withinDune.
The open-world and game mechanics really help suck players into theworld ofDune, and through post-launch content, Funcom will likely take that adventure even further. While this has made for a very immersive experience, it also means that futureDunetitles have a lot to live up to. The studio has already delivered what some may feel is the perfectDunesimulator, so it is not entirely clear how another developer could shake up that experience further, as there is just not much else that has not already been explored. It could always lean more into combat, or take players to another planet within the universe, but since the primary focus ofDunehas always been Arrakis, that may not be what fans are looking for from this franchise.
There Are Only So Many Other Genres Dune Can Explore
On top of this, the next genre that a studio could bringDuneto is not entirely clear.Dune: Awakeninghas brought the series to the MMO survival landscape, and2022’sDune: Spice Warsgave players an RTS with 4X elements. Both did a good job of adapting the universe within those genres, but they also seem to have hit the best two genres for the series. At first glance,Dunedoes not really work within the likes of an FPS, co-op adventure, platformer, or so many other concepts. Unless a studio crafted a fully-fledged action-adventure project following Paul Atreides, it may be hard to deliver something else to fans.
That being said, it is likely not impossible. With the right studio and genre, there could beanother fantasticDuneexperienceon the horizon. An action-adventure could lead to something special, as previously mentioned, and there may also be room for a more in-depth simulator or another strategy/survival game. As long as it maintains the essence ofDune, and delivers a fun experience, players would likely love another game - even if it could struggle to feel truly fresh. Since Warner Bros. has plans to expand itsDunefranchise with more movies and more seasons ofDune: Prophecy, this likely won’t be the end for video games based on the IP. Fans will just have to wait and see what is on the cards, though creating another game as faithful asAwakeningwill be a real challenge.
