The adrenaline rush is here again. Dune - one of the most fascinating military strategy games, takes its name from the sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert ‘Dune’. The game is a seamless blend of adventure with economic and military strategy. Paul Atreides, the protagonist is tasked with the ultimate goal of driving Harkonnen from Planet Dune, and sees adventures running through spice extractions, military combat, and protecting against the Fremen Tribes. Here’s a short review of what the players can expect with this genre of the game and why this old DOS game can still be played and become addicted to.
The Plot
The game bears an intriguing storyline. Dune is the only planet in the universe that contains Spice and the control on Dune rests on the control of Spice. Paul Atreides, prepares to take to Carthag Tuek, in search of Gurney, who will share the key to stand the ultimate battle against the Harkonnens. He needs to get together with the Fermen Chief to gather as many troops as possible, to escalate the Spice Plantation on the planet. His parents, Duke and Jessica share with him the importance of Spice Plantation on the planet. The secret of the Spice Plantation lies in developing Stillsuits, about which Paul learns from his father and weapon instructor – Duke Leto.
For producing the Stillsuits, Paul has to convince the Fremen citizens about the importance of their support and inspire them to join his cause. With great perseverance and consistent effort, he turns the entire tide of the population in his favour and gets them to grow the Spice Plantations and support the production of Stillsuits, which will eventually help them to fight against the Harkonnens.
With the help of his mother Jessica, Paul finds out the hidden secrets of the Gurneys palace and identifies every single Fremen from every sietch on the planet. A gruesome battle prepares to happen; the battleground – Arrakis. Who wins? The one who dares to walk beyond himself. The future of the Dune planet rests upon the shoulders of their new hero!
The Gameplay
The game has been designed to operate in two different strategic layers – the adventure and top-down strategy layer. The player is at will to interchange between the strategies depending upon the demands of the game, to create his own battle strategies. The game begins with Paul in the Arakeen palace, where the Atreides family presently resides. Paul has to closely understand the essentials of the planet, prepare and orient himself with the economic importance of growing Spices on the planet and its long-term strategic implications. He seeks the help of his mother Jessica’s psychic powers, to unlock the hidden doors of the palace and confront his own hidden and psychic powers. Mostly the conversations in the game circle around sharing keys and information to unlock the different stages of the game.
Compatibility and Operating System
The Dune game is one of the first adventure and strategy games that has undergone the transition from floppy to hard drives. It is compatible with both Amiga and IBM versions. It has highly improved graphics, voice for all speaking roles and 3D rendering. It has also been designed to render on the Sega Console. Audio has been developed by Stephane Picq and Philip Urich. The Dune has been developed by the Cryo Interactive and published by Virgin Interactive.
The game runs on a real-time mode with the story and the plot manifesting through the various levels of the game. As the player progresses with the game, he is able to unlock the additional features of the game that makes the protagonist player more and more powerful to take on the Harkonnens. The troops on the higher levels unlock weapons such as the crysknives; while they also witness Paul unlock his psychic powers.
