My very first PC gaming expertise was a Dune recreation, method again within the Nineteen Nineties. In truth it was Dune 2, from Westwood Studios, and my housemate had a 386 machine able to operating the sport. I misplaced numerous hours taking part in that recreation as an alternative of doing precise college work. In full distinction, I’ve by no means managed to learn any of Frank Herbert’s Dune novels, and even watched one of many movies.
However now Funcom and Shiro Video games have launched Dune: Spice Wars to the lots; a seeming non secular successor to the sport of my early years. Is it value taking part in? Let’s go and harvest some Spice…
I like to start out by wanting on the presentation of issues and with Dune: Spice Wars all the pieces is all tickety-boo. Issues look precisely such as you would anticipate, with an enormous map of whichever stage you might be on, crammed with numerous factors of curiosity. Nevertheless, earlier than you possibly can see what’s in a sector of the map, you need to ship a unit to analyze, as in any other case it’s only a mass of sand. Because the map is revealed, numerous factors of curiosity are additionally proven, after which it’s as much as you to determine what to do.
The items you management, from troopers as much as Harvesters, are all properly drawn and animated, and it’s all the time fairly straightforward to see what’s going on. The digicam might be zoomed in or out fairly a good distance too, however weirdly can’t be panned round, which appears odd. Nevertheless, you quickly be taught to adapt and I quickly received used to issues.
The sound is precisely as you’d anticipate, with the assorted items replying once you organize them round. From there, the sounds of battle – and even of the enormous sandworms once they pop up and eat your military – come throughout as nothing in need of nice. Even the briefings at the beginning of the missions are all acted very effectively, and all in all, I’ve nothing to complain about.
What a couple of story, then? Why are we caught on a desert planet known as Arrakis? Effectively, the reply to that’s easy – Spice. This substance can apparently prolong life and broaden folks’s consciousness. It additionally makes interstellar journey attainable. So, fairly helpful stuff, no? And as all the time when a substance is effective, there are individuals who want to management the commerce, and that is the premise of the story of the sport.
Mainly, at the beginning of Dune: Spice Wars we’ve to decide on which of the factions we want to play as, and our job is to ensure that by the top of the sport, we’re essentially the most highly effective of the factions, and management the move of Spice. Sounds fairly easy, proper? Effectively, it’s something however!
Usually at this level I’d scribble a few paragraphs about how the sport performs out, however this gained’t suffice on this case. The gameplay on supply right here is deep, multi-layered and really involving. Relying on which Home you select, it will probably differ the way in which that the sport is performed out. There are a selection of the way to realize victory in any of the modes that you simply select to play, from all-out navy domination, to successful by controlling the Landsraad, the political organisation on the coronary heart of the planet’s governance, by to utilizing a community of spies to undermine rival Homes. There may be a substantial amount of complexity to Dune: Spice Wars and it boggles the thoughts making an attempt to maintain all the pieces in stability. There’s no level being an superior navy power in case your enemy can win by controlling the CHOAM market, is there? I’m not fairly positive what a CHOAM is, however you should purchase shares in it, and for those who handle to regulate a majority, you win.
The gameplay is sort of such as you’d anticipate, with you having an space of the map that you need to attempt to dominate in a method or one other, as a way to achieve energy. As you begin a match, sending Ornithopters out to reconnoitre is a superb concept, as not solely do they take away the sand blocking the view, however they will additionally scan the bottom so you possibly can see what’s what; whether or not that be villages that may annexed (peacefully or in any other case), factors of curiosity like beneficial minerals, Spice fields or numerous wrecks to analyze.
This section of the sport performs out as I keep in mind, increase your forces and making an attempt to get the Spice, get the management and maintain on to it. As you seize villages, you possibly can construct numerous constructions that will help you survive, from dew collectors that will let you create water (very beneficial on a desert planet) by to missile batteries that shield your territory. In fact, each constructing comes with an repairs price, and you need to pay a tax from time to time as a way to keep away from penalties. All of the whereas it’s worthwhile to hold your financial system going by harvesting Spice and so forth. Spinning plates? Piece of cake in comparison with this.
Additional to all that, from time to time the Landsraad, the federal government for need of a greater time period, meets, requiring a vote on three proposals. These appear random, however apparently by having sufficient political clout, you possibly can change the proposals. I say apparently as I’m about as standard as Liz Truss, it seems. For those who can keep in control of the Landsraad for a sure period of time, that is one other path to victory, so it’s value making an attempt to make buddies and allies.
So, are there any downsides to what Dune: Spice Wars presents? Effectively, sure, and I’m positive it is going to shock nobody to be taught that mapping a keyboard and mouse to a controller has introduced just a few points. In truth, the controls are extremely advanced. There are some bits of the menus the place the D-pad is required, there are some bits the place you need to select choices with the left stick, and it’s all a bit overwhelming to be sincere. Finally you do be taught to make use of the primary controls, however I really feel like I’m lacking various choices.
The multiplayer is working effectively, even when the web world does appear about as sparsely populated as the remainder of Arrakis. If you do discover a foyer, there isn’t a distinction between taking part in on-line and taking part in solo, besides that the enemies you face are infinitely extra crafty resulting from being actual folks. I’ve been roundly spanked in just about each multiplayer recreation I’ve received into. The primary stumbling block appears to be that the opposite gamers play at regardless of the reverse of the pace of sunshine is – each Landsraad assembly takes the complete ten minutes to resolve, and till it’s, you possibly can’t make any actions, which will get tedious. Apart from that, the netcode is steady, there’s no lag and all the pieces is groovy.
All in all, Dune: Spice Wars is a satisfying 4X recreation, however it’s not with out its points. The controls are the one actual stumbling block, however the largest downside I’ve is within the sheer complexity of the techniques. It’s just like the builders have tried to shoehorn each little little bit of the books right into a recreation, and because of this issues are virtually as dense and impenetrable because the books.
With slightly streamlining, this might have been the sport to make me neglect Dune 2, however because it stands, Dune: Spice Wars is just too advanced for its personal good.
