In an effort to cheer myself up and reconnect with gaming, I picked up Dune: Awakening. Developed and published by Funcom, Dune: Awakening is a survival multiplayer game inspired by Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction epic, Dune. As a teenager in the ’90s, I watched the 1984 film adaptation, but I never considered myself a fan of the universe and I still haven’t seen Dune: Part One or Part Two. That said, after spending over 45 hours in Dune: Awakening, I can confidently say that I am a fan now.
I enjoy exploring the different biomes, gathering materials, building a base, and crafting items and vehicles to push into the next zone, but these mechanics are fairly standard for the genre. What really sets Dune: Awakening apart is its futuristic, harsh, dystopian atmosphere. The constant threat of sandstorms, patrol ships searching for you at night, hostile enemies on the ground, and of course, the iconic giant sandworms all keep the tension high and the heart racing. The world itself is massive, specifically the Hagga Basin, which is filled with enemy camps, factories, crashed ships, testing sites, and more. At times, the soundtrack is excellent, and it occasionally reminds me of the Blade Runner 2049 score. I’ve never been great at the creative side of base-building in games, so for now, I’ve settled on a simple box for my home.
Instead of playing on one of the public servers, which I believe can host up to 40 players, I decided to rent my own private server through xREALM. It’s the first time I’ve ever rented a private server, and I have to say, I’m impressed with how easy it is to set up and use. I was given a control panel with clear instructions on how to connect and manage the server, and sharing it with friends is simple. I paid £13.99 for a month’s rental, which I think is reasonable considering it lets an introvert like me enjoy the game solo or with a small group. The server stays online 24/7, is frequently updated, runs smoothly, and saves me the hassle of hosting locally. Honestly, I wish more games offered this kind of third-party hosting option. I’ve shared the login with my friends Jamie and Shadey in case they want to jump in, but I doubt they will, they’re both into other games at the moment.
Looking ahead, I plan to spend a lot more time in Dune: Awakening. I’m hoping to complete many of the quests and follow what promises to be an intriguing story. It’s far too early to add this to my list of completed games, but I do hope that one day I’ll be writing another blog post to say I’ve seen it through to the end, and that it was every bit as good as it feels right now.
Leave a comment