Massive multiplayer online open-world survival game
Dune: Awakening is an online multiplayer game that centers around survival within the harsh deserts of Arrakis. Based on the novel and film franchise of the same name, this game places you in an alternate Dune timeline where Paul Atreides never existed.
In Dune: Awakening, you play as a Bene Gesserit agent amid a brutal conflict between Atreides and Harkonnen, managing survival, politics, and deadly fauna. This action game shares many elements in common with other MMO platforms, such as Conan Exiles. These are then complemented by rich graphics and a highly detailed plot.
From survival to dominance
In Dune: Awakening, the Atreides family has recently arrived in Arrakis, and they are struggling to survive. A fair amount of resource farming and crafting will, therefore, be involved. Examples include obtaining protection from sandstorms, avoiding dangerous sandworms, and ensuring that all suits remain functional. Manage hydration, heat, stillsuits, sun exposure, water scavenging, base-building, and more. However, the repetitive grind for necessities can become stale after a while.
This action game is focused on player-versus-player battles. It is also possible to join online co-op communities when facing more challenging tasks, such as fighting rival factions. This may also be required to beat formidable foes when exploring newly unlocked areas. It combines melee, ranged, and lore-based powers (Bene Gesserit Voice, turrets, grappling hook), swirling around Holtzman shield tactics. While the combat is decent, the overall feel and animation feel slightly clunky.
Progressive character improvements
Similar to the original Dune storyline, the players must consume spice to unlock hidden powers. Having said this, many enhancements can be chosen based on the user's desires. Dune: Awakening, therefore, offers a highly customizable environment, allowing players to build their characters and their desired hub to optimize what gameplay they prefer. However, the inventory and in-game user interface need a bit of polish.
Speaking of character builds, level-ups are done via varied skill trees, melee, ranged, psionics, crafting, vehicle modifications, and mobility upgrades—leading to a true sandbox progression. Crafting extends from simple tools to vehicles (sand bikes, ornithopters), weapons, tunable parts like silencers or armor plating, but beware of sandworms that lie beneath. The game also captures the political rift between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, and you can choose with whom to side.
Notable improvements in patch 1.1.10.0
The Dune: Awakening – 1.1.10.0 update brings a mix of new features, balance tweaks, and quality-of-life fixes to improve the overall experience. Several technical upgrades have been added, including the ability to use Trading Post checkpoints as respawn points when traveling between maps. The main menu’s “Play Now” button now filters out private servers, making it quicker to jump into public games without extra clicks.
On the crafting and vehicle side, players now have more ways to personalize their gear, with three new weapon schematics added to Asmara Efendi. The Welding Torch info card now shows range, providing better clarity. Vehicle handling has also been improved—getting in feels more responsive from different angles, and the turret camera offers better visibility. Plus, ground vehicles now include a failsafe to prevent them from getting stuck when flipped.
The patch also introduces a few changes to world behavior and overall polish. Sandworms now remain longer around recently harvested spicefields, and the frequency of Harkonnen and Atreides attacks in the Hagga Basin has been reduced. These are just some of the highlights and key additions included in this update. Overall, this patch delivers better UI, optimized graphics, and a series of bug fixes that aim to make gameplay smoother and more immersive for everyone.
A bold yet uneven foray into the Dune universe
Dune: Awakening delivers an expansive MMO survival experience rooted in the harsh world of Arrakis. Its blend of deep customization, lore-rich storytelling, and tactical PvP offers solid appeal. However, optimization issues, repetitive grinding, and clunky mechanics hinder its full potential. Frequent updates and strong world-building show promise, making it a title worth following as it matures and refines its systems.
