Just another day on a deadly dune
By Paul Hunter
Dune: Awakening throws you onto the brutal planet of Arrakis, where water is currency and sandworms are more common than friendly neighbours. Developed and published by Funcom, this online survival MMO leans hard into its iconic desert setting—offering a harsh, expansive world where only the strong, smart, or very sneaky survive.
The game draws from Funcom’s experience with Conan Exiles, and you can see the DNA of that survival system almost immediately. You’re not handed anything. From the moment you’re dropped in, it’s about scraping together enough materials to build, upgrade, and maybe just stay alive long enough to avoid being swallowed whole. It’s raw, often punishing, but strangely satisfying if you’re wired for the grind.
What makes this game stand out isn’t just the sand or the spice, but the way it layers those survival mechanics onto the political chaos and danger that defines the Dune universe. The choice to set this in an open, faction-driven world where anything can go sideways feels like a good match—especially when you’re trying to drag a spice harvester home without getting ganked by another squad.
It’s ambitious. It’s intense. It demands a lot. But is Dune: Awakening worth diving into the sand for? Let's find out!
In Dune: Awakening, you’re tossed onto the sands of Arrakis as an ex-prisoner with more questions than answers. Soon enough, the Bene Gesserit have plans for you, and you’re off chasing whispers of the Fremen while unlocking the secrets of the desert. The story rolls out in chunks, mostly to nudge you forward through survival tech trees and desert exploration.
This isn’t a tale told with sweeping drama. It’s a backbone for the grind—a string of objectives that hand you tools, recipes, and gear blueprints. If you’ve read the books or watched the films, there’s satisfaction in recognizing key pieces like stillsuits and spice harvesters as more than just references. They’re useful. They matter.
The writing doesn’t try too hard. It leans on what Dune already does well: existing lore. There’s no over-explaining or lore dumps to bog things down. You learn as you go, and the story knows when to step back and let the sand do the talking.
What’s here won’t knock you over with surprise twists or layered characters, but it sets a rhythm. The missions give purpose to the hours spent gathering and upgrading. You might not care about every objective, but you’ll care about what they unlock. That’s a fair trade.
Besides, you’ll remember when a sandworm popped up mid-mission and turned your plan into a sprint for safety. That’s the kind of story Arrakis tells best.
Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO that doesn't ease you in—it shoves you into the desert and dares you to figure it out. From the start, you're juggling heat, thirst, and resource scarcity while hunting down crafting stations and gear blueprints. The systems run deep, but they’re presented cleanly. You’re constantly building toward something useful, whether it’s a better stillsuit, a faster harvesting rig, or a more defensible base.
Combat blends melee, ranged, and ability-based tools. It’s not flashy, but it works. You’ll dodge, block, and cycle through weapons while trying not to get ambushed by a sandstorm or something worse. The third-person controls are tight enough to support skirmishes without feeling clunky, even when you’re switching between tools mid-fight.
There’s a weight to every decision. Venturing too far from shelter during peak heat is risky. So is overextending your spice runs. That tension gives each trip across the dunes real bite. The PvP Deep Desert, in particular, raises the stakes. Death there means full backpack loot loss—and yes, it hurts every time.
One moment that stuck with me: I’d finally finished building a new orthocopter after hours of grinding. I took it out for a spin, pushed too far, and got wiped by a group hunting the same rare materials. Watching my orthocopter crash and burn was brutal—but it taught me to be more cautious with my runs.
Progression feels fair. Missions, discoveries, and unlocked tech feed into a loop that keeps pulling you forward. Even when you're just grinding out spice or stockpiling solar panels, it never feels like wasted time. It’s all building toward survival—and maybe unlocking even sweeter gear. There’s no hand-holding here. But when it clicks, it’s hard to stop.
Online survival in Dune: Awakening isn’t about quick shootouts or shared quests—it’s about territory, control, and the constant pressure of knowing someone might be watching your every move. The multiplayer systems aren’t tacked on. They shape everything.
At its core, this is a social sandbox, where groups can band together to build bases, manage spice harvesting, and trade for essential resources. But peace is fragile. Alliances shift. One moment you’re splitting loot with another crew, the next you’re locking down your silo because they want it for themselves.
It's neat watching the social structures emerging among the community. You’ll see informal economies, shared outposts, and coordinated patrols forming. It’s not chaos—it’s survival with a shared goal: stay alive longer than the others. Communication is key, and those who work together usually last longer.
One night, I joined a caravan to guard a spice haul. Halfway through, a rival squad ambushed us. It was fast, messy, and full of shouting over voice chat. We lost half the cargo—but somehow, it still felt like a win. The shared panic bonded us more than any reward could.
Graphically, Arrakis sprawls before you in all its fierce glory—endless dunes roll like waves of sand, gleaming under a merciless sun. The lighting burns bright and sharp, casting stark shadows that remind you this isn’t a place for the faint-hearted. Every grain of sand seems to whisper danger and challenge.
The characters wear their battles visibly, with weathered armour and dirt-streaked faces that tell stories of survival. While some animations stumble, the visuals do not hesitate—they scream grit and determination. You feel the weight of this hostile world with every glance at their gear.
Dust storms rage and blur the horizon, while heat haze warps distant objects, twisting the landscape into something almost otherworldly. The palette of scorched golds and deep browns paints a world where only the tough survive, and the visuals drive that message home hard.
Sound-wise, the game knows how to set the mood. Wind howling, distant sandworm growls, and the mechanical buzz of ornithopters keep your ears busy. Dialogue keeps it short and sharp—no time for chit-chat when you’re dodging giant worms.
The UI is simple and clear. It’s not flashy, but you won’t get lost in menus either.
Performance is mostly solid. The massive world loads without much fuss, and swapping between building and exploring feels smooth. Sure, some animations are a bit rough, but they won’t trip you up.
Bottom line: the presentation feels like the desert itself—rough, practical, and unyielding.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Funcom
Publisher: Funcom
Genre: Survival
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Dune: Awakening throws you onto the brutal planet of Arrakis, where water is currency and sandworms are more common than friendly neighbours. Developed and published by Funcom, this online survival MMO leans hard into its iconic desert setting—offering a harsh, expansive world where only the strong, smart, or very sneaky survive.
The game draws from Funcom’s experience with Conan Exiles, and you can see the DNA of that survival system almost immediately. You’re not handed anything. From the moment you’re dropped in, it’s about scraping together enough materials to build, upgrade, and maybe just stay alive long enough to avoid being swallowed whole. It’s raw, often punishing, but strangely satisfying if you’re wired for the grind.
What makes this game stand out isn’t just the sand or the spice, but the way it layers those survival mechanics onto the political chaos and danger that defines the Dune universe. The choice to set this in an open, faction-driven world where anything can go sideways feels like a good match—especially when you’re trying to drag a spice harvester home without getting ganked by another squad.
It’s ambitious. It’s intense. It demands a lot. But is Dune: Awakening worth diving into the sand for? Let's find out!
In Dune: Awakening, you’re tossed onto the sands of Arrakis as an ex-prisoner with more questions than answers. Soon enough, the Bene Gesserit have plans for you, and you’re off chasing whispers of the Fremen while unlocking the secrets of the desert. The story rolls out in chunks, mostly to nudge you forward through survival tech trees and desert exploration.
This isn’t a tale told with sweeping drama. It’s a backbone for the grind—a string of objectives that hand you tools, recipes, and gear blueprints. If you’ve read the books or watched the films, there’s satisfaction in recognizing key pieces like stillsuits and spice harvesters as more than just references. They’re useful. They matter.
The writing doesn’t try too hard. It leans on what Dune already does well: existing lore. There’s no over-explaining or lore dumps to bog things down. You learn as you go, and the story knows when to step back and let the sand do the talking.
What’s here won’t knock you over with surprise twists or layered characters, but it sets a rhythm. The missions give purpose to the hours spent gathering and upgrading. You might not care about every objective, but you’ll care about what they unlock. That’s a fair trade.
Besides, you’ll remember when a sandworm popped up mid-mission and turned your plan into a sprint for safety. That’s the kind of story Arrakis tells best.
Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO that doesn't ease you in—it shoves you into the desert and dares you to figure it out. From the start, you're juggling heat, thirst, and resource scarcity while hunting down crafting stations and gear blueprints. The systems run deep, but they’re presented cleanly. You’re constantly building toward something useful, whether it’s a better stillsuit, a faster harvesting rig, or a more defensible base.
Combat blends melee, ranged, and ability-based tools. It’s not flashy, but it works. You’ll dodge, block, and cycle through weapons while trying not to get ambushed by a sandstorm or something worse. The third-person controls are tight enough to support skirmishes without feeling clunky, even when you’re switching between tools mid-fight.
There’s a weight to every decision. Venturing too far from shelter during peak heat is risky. So is overextending your spice runs. That tension gives each trip across the dunes real bite. The PvP Deep Desert, in particular, raises the stakes. Death there means full backpack loot loss—and yes, it hurts every time.
One moment that stuck with me: I’d finally finished building a new orthocopter after hours of grinding. I took it out for a spin, pushed too far, and got wiped by a group hunting the same rare materials. Watching my orthocopter crash and burn was brutal—but it taught me to be more cautious with my runs.
Progression feels fair. Missions, discoveries, and unlocked tech feed into a loop that keeps pulling you forward. Even when you're just grinding out spice or stockpiling solar panels, it never feels like wasted time. It’s all building toward survival—and maybe unlocking even sweeter gear. There’s no hand-holding here. But when it clicks, it’s hard to stop.
Online survival in Dune: Awakening isn’t about quick shootouts or shared quests—it’s about territory, control, and the constant pressure of knowing someone might be watching your every move. The multiplayer systems aren’t tacked on. They shape everything.
At its core, this is a social sandbox, where groups can band together to build bases, manage spice harvesting, and trade for essential resources. But peace is fragile. Alliances shift. One moment you’re splitting loot with another crew, the next you’re locking down your silo because they want it for themselves.
It's neat watching the social structures emerging among the community. You’ll see informal economies, shared outposts, and coordinated patrols forming. It’s not chaos—it’s survival with a shared goal: stay alive longer than the others. Communication is key, and those who work together usually last longer.
One night, I joined a caravan to guard a spice haul. Halfway through, a rival squad ambushed us. It was fast, messy, and full of shouting over voice chat. We lost half the cargo—but somehow, it still felt like a win. The shared panic bonded us more than any reward could.
Graphically, Arrakis sprawls before you in all its fierce glory—endless dunes roll like waves of sand, gleaming under a merciless sun. The lighting burns bright and sharp, casting stark shadows that remind you this isn’t a place for the faint-hearted. Every grain of sand seems to whisper danger and challenge.
The characters wear their battles visibly, with weathered armour and dirt-streaked faces that tell stories of survival. While some animations stumble, the visuals do not hesitate—they scream grit and determination. You feel the weight of this hostile world with every glance at their gear.
Dust storms rage and blur the horizon, while heat haze warps distant objects, twisting the landscape into something almost otherworldly. The palette of scorched golds and deep browns paints a world where only the tough survive, and the visuals drive that message home hard.
Sound-wise, the game knows how to set the mood. Wind howling, distant sandworm growls, and the mechanical buzz of ornithopters keep your ears busy. Dialogue keeps it short and sharp—no time for chit-chat when you’re dodging giant worms.
The UI is simple and clear. It’s not flashy, but you won’t get lost in menus either.
Performance is mostly solid. The massive world loads without much fuss, and swapping between building and exploring feels smooth. Sure, some animations are a bit rough, but they won’t trip you up.
Bottom line: the presentation feels like the desert itself—rough, practical, and unyielding.
The Verdict
Dune: Awakening turns survival into a dusty art form. You’re crafting gear, fighting rivals, and hauling resources across an unforgiving desert—and loving every sun-scorched second. Sure, combat can get clunky and animations stiff, but the world itself keeps you grounded. The story gives structure without overstaying its welcome. Multiplayer offers that spark of chaos Arrakis thrives on, while the presentation leans hard into the planet’s dry, brutal charm. It’s not trying to hold your hand—it dares you to adapt. And if you’re the type who enjoys the struggle, this world will reward your grit.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Dune: Awakening details
Platform: PCDeveloper: Funcom
Publisher: Funcom
Genre: Survival
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.