When you walk out of the small granite cave with the most basic generators, manufacturing machines, refiners and the most basic furniture, facing the endless desert, I wonder what you will think of. And this scene may be what most players look like when they first start playing Dune: Awakening.
Since the game was officially launched in June, it has been full of countless topics, whether it has broken the sales record of game developers or the game experience of many players.
But in any case, it is based on the most classic science fiction novel Dune series. So whether it restores the original to a certain extent and whether the way it is presented is reasonable is a very important issue worth discussing.
Discussion On Dune Adaptation
As we all know, it is very difficult to change the works of the Dune series, whether it is traditional film and television adaptation or current game adaptation. Because it is difficult to present a grand Dune universe within a certain structural limitation, not to mention the complex character relationships, various items, imaginative and magnificent scenes in the novel, etc.
Before this, there were countless changes to the Dune series, not only huge investment in film and television works, but also related games. But there is no doubt that, so far, Dune: Awakening, as a game adapted from the Dune IP, is the most popular and the most widely read one.
How Does Dune: Awakening Perform?
According to the current gaming experience of the majority of players, Dune Awakening has done a great job in simulating the original. In the original book, readers were given a relatively cold opening, and they were not immersed in the construction of a novel world before understanding a certain depth of content.
Similarly, Dune: Awakening also gives players such a beginning. Just like Paul Atreides, it gives you very few hints at the beginning, and puts you in a test of a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother and her Gom Jabbar. This narrative method perfectly simulates the original.
Simulation Of Many Small Details
Not to mention the vast desert environment and huge sandworms, some extremely detailed items such as Chaumas poison, crysknifes, elacca narcotics, Holtzman fields, pentashields, etc. They all occupy a very important part of the game.
From fighting sandworms to planting in the desert, mining spices, etc., a series of important activity details are well presented in the game. In addition, in a live broadcast by Creative Director Joel Bylos, it was described how the way to collect dew in the game was constructed through a detailed description in the original book.
He also said that in the process of developing the game, the team's idea was to think about how to combine the survival mechanism with Dune, rather than rigidly putting the story of Dune into the game.
Not Only Simulation, But Also Innovation
As a game, a primary innovation is the mechanism. Not only in the simple narrative process of the original book, the theme is the survival and exploration of the player, but also a lot of teamwork and online game content has been added, integrating social attributes into Dune.
At the same time, the game's unique currency, Dune Awakening Solari, was introduced. Players can use Solari to get different items in the game, giving players the motivation to explore the vast desert and meet different game tasks and challenges.
In terms of aesthetic design, Dune Awakening incorporates a variety of styles, such as minimalist and baroque. At the same time, the film and television features and the ideas of the game team itself are also involved, giving players a rich and colorful visual experience.
Overall Excellent But With Some Flaws
As a survival game that only experiences dune, it has done a good job. But if you want to deeply experience the more grand and abstract story themes of dune, Dune Awakening is far from enough. One of the core reasons is the lack of Paul Atreides. Although the game itself is set on a parallel timeline, there is room for more unique innovation. But Paul Atreides is the soul of the original work's grander philosophy.
At the same time, as a game that has just been released, there are still many details and mechanisms of the game that need to be improved. These also require the joint efforts of developers and players to make the game more perfect in both directions!
