The world of Dune is one of intrigue, mystery, and deadly worms of unimaginable size. While the worms are inarguably the most attention-grabbing features of Arrakis, the most important is the widely sought-after drug on the sand surface: spice.
Within Frank Herbert’s Dune, the saying goes, “He who controls the spice, controls the universe.” It is valued not only for the profits it can bring but also for the visions and mind-altering states. Dune: Awakening aims to be faithful to the source material and has kept spice at the center of their game.
Dune: Awakening Requires Players to Seek Spice and Survive the Sands
From the creators of Conan Exiles and Dune: Spice Wars, we are getting an MMO survival game based on the planet of Arrakis. Players will be looking to harvest spice from the desert while taking on other players on the south side of the planet in the raging Coriolis storms.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies placed spice at the center of every conflict, and the same is set to happen in Dune: Awakening. The spice will run the economy, but it is also going to be a driving force for the character. Speaking with PCGamer, Creative Director Joel Bylos said,
I don’t want to spoil too much, but as the player is exposed to spice on the planet, they start to experience things. It’s part of what drives them through the game. To tell a good Dune story and make a good Dune game you really need to put spice at the center of it. It drives the economy. It’s what players are fighting for. It’s what players are competing for. You can get addicted to spice. If you take enough spice, you can change the way your abilities work. Spice is a very strong central line.
It’s clear that Bylos understands the importance of spice, not only as a commodity but as a narrative tool for Dune.
While spice did not grant Paul any special abilities, it did alter his perception to take on the role of the Kwisatz Haderach. It will be interesting to see how the drug can affect and change abilities in the game and the results of taking in spice for the players.
Gamers Will be Caught Between Storms and Spice
The infamous storms on the southern half of Arrakis will be the PvP battlegrounds in the game. As players compete for resources and spice, they will also be in a race against time, as every week the storms will wipe the area clean.
Thankfully, players can save the blueprints of any structure they create, allowing them to recreate it with a few clicks. These blueprints can also be exchanged in the in-game marketplace known as The CHOAM Exchange.
This opens up avenues for players to take on the roles of builders and designers, earning resources without ever seeing combat. With spice playing such a central role in the game, fans are eager to understand its consequences and implications for the narrative and gameplay.
Will you be indulging in spice or using it strictly for trade? Let us know in the comments.
