Summary
WhenDunecomes to mind, whether it’s the mind of a fan or a casual passerby who simply saw a poster for the movie, it’s likely to conjure images of the monstrous sandworm. That’s because these creatures are famously the face of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi universe, perhaps even more thanPaul Atreideshimself. For Funcom’sDune: Awakening, that has largely been true as well, as the enigmatic sandworm has occupied the pixels of the majority of the game’s marketing. However, while sandworms are certainly a significant part ofDune: Awakening’s world, they aren’t necessarily the mostDunething about the game.
As they traverse the open landscape ofDune: Awakening’s Arrakis, players are likely to find themselves either greeted by the explosive emergence of a nearby sandworm or attempting to outrun them — which is almost never successful. To be fair, they are one of the most terrifying elements ofDune: Awakening’s gameplay, but the aspect of the game that is most reflective of its namesake is much broader than the creatures that lurk beneath the sand. Rather,Dune: Awakening’s most authentic feature is how small it makes the player feel in its relentless and unforgiving Arrakis.
Dune: Awakening’s Most Authentic Feature Is Arrakis Itself
Survival as the True Antagonist
WhileDune: Awakening’s marketing leans heavily on the cinematic appeal of sandworms, the real threat is far less theatrical and unspoken. Even when players are nowhere near a sandworm inDune: Awakening’s Arrakis, they are still faced with the ultimate goal of survival, which is arguably an even greater threat and stronger antagonist than the sandworms themselves. Sure,Dune: Awakening’s sandwormsfactor into that survival, but it’s still possible to avoid them altogether and still be faced with death that quickly approaches from multiple angles.
Dune: Awakening’s most authentic feature is how small it makes the player feel in its relentless and unforgiving Arrakis.
Dune: Awakeningmay not featuretraditional survival mechanics, but those it has implemented are true to the world ofDuneand are no less forgiving. These systems are constantly working against the player, turning exploration, harvesting, even standing still into a massive risk. Dehydration, Sunstroke, resource scarcity, and time are persistent forces that ensure players are rarely in full control of their fate. Survival itself becomes the enemy, then, reinforcing the idea that Arrakis is not meant to be overcome but simply endured.
Powerlessness as a Core Design Pillar
Beyond the desert’s tactics is a core design pillar of bothDuneandDune: Awakening, where those who populate Arrakis are made to feel small as every force relentlessly moves against them.Dunehas always been about forces that are larger than any one person, andDune: Awakeningmakes players (and every NPC, for that matter) exist within that structure.
Most notably, players have no narrative importance to fall back on. They are not a chosen one or a hero, but just another warm body trying to live another day.Dune: Awakening’s many featuresand systems are designed to make players feel exposed and insignificant, with unavoidable risk designed to be a major consideration of every choice. That constant sense of vulnerability is what ties the experience so closely to the soul ofDune, thereby increasing its worth as an extension of the beloved IP.
In other words, yes, players are strongly encouraged to stay off the open sand when traversingDune: Awakening’s Arrakis, as the sandworms that lurk below have no prejudices. However, even more than that is the desert itself and the wayDune: Awakeninghas been designed to ensure players never feel safe. In the end, that is what makes it feel likeDune.
