What we learned in the deserts of ‘Dune: Awakening’ | PAX East Preview

With Dune: Part Two crushing it at the box office, audiences are primed for more from Frank Herbert’s epic. Given the success, we have some news from PAX East to add to the hype! Developer Funcom, known for the ongoing Conan Exiles, return Boston to talk about their new MMO, Dune: Awakening. Revealed at The Game Awards in 2023, Funcom presented the game to the industry and the media at GDC. The expo hall didn’t have much outside of giveaways like trivia and raffles for sacred boxes and crysknives. However, the private demonstration was a different story, and InBetweenDrafts got to attend this preview. Here’s a little of what we found out.

Put your hand in the box. Or don’t.

The presentation, which consisted of gameplay and cinematic that were still a work in progress, consisted of several sections. Starting at the game’s beginning, the player is faced with an interview with a member of the Bene Gesserit. This serves as the character creation, and shows off myriad customization options, with more to be added of launch. From the options shown, the rendering of these character models was very polished and solid looking, with deep facial customization. Part of this process is picking your character’s lineage and background. Not unlike those chosen in Mass Effect, these identifiers which changes the way that NPCs interact with you throughout. 

We then see our character crash landing on the planet of Arrakis and rescued by a member of the Fremen. The player then gets a survival tutorial about collecting and crafting supplies on this desert world. The Funcom rep noted that this Arrakis is more like the planet in the original books than the film versions. Notably, there are some sources of plant life and water here, unlike the film’s dry and unforgiving desert. Once the player gets to the open desert, we see an interesting game mechanic come into effect. Exposure to the sun affects the player’s stamina, displaying in the UI how much exposure the player has. If it gets too high, the player has issues recovering from the debuff. Siphoning water from plants, resources and bodies, and traversing in the darker hours are crucial to conserve your character’s energy.

His weapon of choice is a voice

The demo then jumps forward again, and we see a different character build that has been upgraded. This character has better weapons, armor set, grappling hook and a suspension belt that allows the player to briefly fly. These additions allow the player traverse faster and take on bigger challenges in this giant map. We get to see some combat situations where the player shoots using guns that were crafted or upgraded. We also see the ability to use explosives and dart weapons against enemies. The ability to use a drone to hunt down enemies (which is also included in the films and book). We also see the player craft a blood extractor like the Fremen’s water extractor in Dune: Part Two. 

We then got to see some examples of the robust base building mechanics. Players get the ability to build and improve a small area as a base that can interact in PVP servers. Building is encouraged in teams, with the ability to leave schematics open for friends to build it with you. Players can also craft vehicles such as a sand bike to traverse the desert faster and attract less attention.

Walk without a rhythm so you don’t attract the worm

Speaking of drawing attention, let’s talk about sand worms. The sand worm was shown off once in the presentation and presented very much like it did in the films. As you travel the desert and make too much noise, the worm can hear you and begins chasing you. If you can’t get away way, it rises from the sand and consumes everything in the area of its mouth. And to answer your burning question, sadly we didn’t see anyone ride sandworms… yet.

We then got to see what events looked like within the game. Funcom presents a scene where a ship crashes into the desert and has to take a vehicle out to investigate. These public events are visible to other players, who can also race to the crash and fight for the loot. There are also dungeon-like areas known as Eco Labs. In them, the player can find and raid for loot and crafting supplies. They then show the skill tree system and explain the abilities and weapons builds that players can upgrade with skill points earned throughout Dune: Awakening. The player can have three active and three passive abilities that can be mixed and matched depending on what the level demands. 

Please buy my wares. I have Duncan Idaho Potatoes

The final topic was the idea of Spice Hunts. There are areas throughout the desert in which spice can be harvested and collected by any player on the map. This can be used to upgrade and sell as well as give the player abilities later in the game. Like in Dune: Part One, two players transporting a harvester vehicle by way of an ornithopter into a spice area. As the harvester drives about collecting the spice, players need to be aware of opponents who also seek it. There is also the danger of sandstorms, which will destroy any player or vehicle in their way. The footage ends with the two players unfortunately unable to escape a sandstorm.

After the presentation, we were allowed to ask questions about what we had just watched. When asked if the game would share any likeness to Conan Exiles, the room was told it would use the same climbing system, but nothing else. We also were told numerous times that this game would have a supposed “political endgame.” We believe this infers that the player may interact with key characters, and possibly the prophecies, in Frank Herbert’s books.

Then came the use of sandstorms in the game. Its key function will be to wipe the server and procedurally reset the map weekly to keep the game fresh. Finally, it is stressed that single player experience of the game will be just as playable. Between crafting, building, pirating and executing missions, players will have plenty of missions and purpose. However, the presenter stressed that solo players would still be acting in a PVP environment.

Eternity takes back its own

While this footage of Dune: Awakening is still a work in progress, the room was genuinely impressed. There is a solid system in place, and the map looks massive and full of opportunity. We won’t know for sure just how populated it will be until launch. This will be key to its ongoing support post launch. As of now the game is slated for a PC release, but the developers are hard at work on console versions which they hope to release at launch. When asked when the game will be launching, Funcom replied “when it’s ready.”

Featured image credit: ©2024 Funcom. All Rights Reserved.