Dune: Part Three will be released in theaters just in time for holiday viewing, on Dec. 18. Expectations are high for the third (and possibly last) of Denis Villeneuve’s films based on the classic science fiction epic from Frank Herbert. With months to go before its arrival, the wait is unusually difficult.
Fortunately, fans who also play games can do more to fill their hours than just read the books or watch the first two films on repeat. There’s an open-world adventure game based on the property, due to arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on Sept. 22.
Dune: Awakening is the time-killing distraction gamers need
Developed by Funcom with assistance by Nukklear, Dune: Awakening is an open-world RPG that’s also a gorgeous take on the Dune universe, built using Unreal Engine 5. Despite featuring lots of sand, it’s pretty enough that there’s even a coffee table book featuring its art.
Gameplay centers on the sort of activities you’d expect: resource gathering, equipment crafting, and trials located all over the desert of Arrakis. Given the sprawling environment and the sweltering heat, hydration and shelter are key to survival. There also are giant sandworms to avoid while participating in the trade of psychedelic spice. They don’t much care which house you hail from if you might taste good.
Dune: Awakening is already available on PC, where it went through an imperfect launch that sometimes left player characters naked and stranded. The developers have worked to improve the experience since then, and the PS5 and Xbox version of the game will launch with some welcome improvements. gamexplore’s Josh Broadwell outlined a few of the big ones:
The console version will also include bigger additions that landed on PC over the months, such as new story chapters and specializations for your chosen path, additional maps, and combat zones with customization options. The latter, and the gear you get from clearing the zones, are Dune: Awakening’s endgame, something it didn’t really have at launch.
Besides all of the above, the console version of the game will launch with a new single-player mode, to keep players entertained even if they aren’t ready to go online and socialize with other people. Single-player mode will also be available for existing PC players in September.
As announced at State of Play, Dune: Awakening will release on Sept. 22 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. That launch will give players an exciting few months to get to know Arrakis before they watch the next chapter of the epic story unfold at cinemas.
Dune 3 trailer undoes Denis Villeneuve’s smartest change to the books
The spice flows once more
