Dune (video game)
| DUNE | ||
| center Mega CD cover | ||
| Developer: | Cryo Interactive | |
| Publisher: | Virgin Entertainment | |
| Release date: | 1992, 1993 | |
| Genre: | RTS/Adventure | |
| Game modes: | Single player | |
| ESRB rating: | n/a | |
| Platform: | PC/DOS, Amiga, Mega CD | |
| Size: | Floppy disk, Compact Disc | |
| System requirements: | 386 CPU, 4MB RAM, Super VGA graphics | |
| Input: | mouse | |
| [[Image:Dune cryo.png | center|PC Screenshot]] | |
Dune, by Cryo was the first attempt of making a commercial game based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe.
Overview
The player is Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. The House Atreides was given an unrefusable offer by the Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV - mine the Spice Melange from the desert planet Arrakis, occupied by their long-time enemies: the House Harkonnen. Duke Leto accepts the offer not only because of the wealth provided by Spice trading, but also to defeat the Harkonnen.
The game, seen always by the eyes of Paul, is a mix between RTS and adventure gaming. While the basis of the game is the strategy component, dialog between characters and a linear plotline give the game more depth than most strategy games.
There must be a balance between millitary and spice mining power. While having a strong millitary force will provide fast response to the Harkonnen, if Spice isn't mined fast enough to keep up with the Emperor's demands, the game will be lost. However, if there is too much focus on spice mining, Harkonnen troops can ambush a sietch, trapping all troops inside without chance of rescuing the fremen. Since the game is as much resource managing as millitary conquest, balancing both is the key for successful completion.
Units and items
The Atreides House has no millitary or spice mining units. Soon in the game, Paul must meet the closest Fremen leaders and convince to work for him. While in the start they will only work as miners, as soon as Paul's charisma rating rises, some tribes will eventually accept millitary assignments, and after he is introduced to Liet Kynes, some tribes will work as ecologists. Tribes can all change ocupation, altough since they increase in skill if they continue to perform an assigment long enough (millitary troops increase experience by staying with Gurney Halleck and successful military missions) it's not advisable. Spice prospectors are a unique tribe, and should not be reassigned until all territories are probed for spice. While the Fremen agree to work for the Atreides in order to depose the Harkonnen, they won't work if there are tribes from both hemispheres in the same sietch. Morale (changing from contacts with Paul, Atreides advance in Arrakis and the progress of Ecologics) also affects the speed and capabilities of the tribes.
The Ornicopther (Orni) is the default transport method for Paul until he's able to ride sandworms. With the Fremen, they are used for either moving from one sietch to another or as an early warning against sandworms attacking spice miners and prevent Harvesters from being swallowed. Harvesters increase spice mining speed, and can be either bought from smugglers or found in sietches. Weaponry ranges from Krys knives, laser guns, weirding modules and the powerful atomics, and are usually found on sietches or conquered Harkonnen fortresses.
Mining and economics
Arrakis is split by several areas, each one corresponds to a sietch, a cave where fremen and equipment can be found. The large desert on the southern sietches provide the largest Spice reserves, but all new areas need to be probed by the prospection team. After the amount of spice is calculated, Spice miners can move on the sietch. However, in the game, Spice is not renewable. After all the reserves are mined, the area is barren, and can only be used for ecologics and military. Spice (not the Solari) is the currency in the game, and serves two purposes: paying the Emperor to continue in Dune and purchase equipment from the smugglers. Duncan Idaho is the character in charge of the economics, and will call Paul's attention when there's a payment to be done, either to the emperor or smugglers.
Millitary
Fremen assigned as military are the only ones capable of conquering a fortress. They can also spy on Harkonnen fortresses, since their reports indicate what is the kind of opposition inside. However, a sucessfull mission dependens highly on morale their skill, so early in the game espionage is much harder to achieve. Paul's presence during a battle moralizes men, but if the battle is lost, Paul dies.
Ecology
As soon as Paul meets Liet Kynes and drinks the Water of Life, Arrakis can be terraformed. Since it only happens late in the game, the northern sietches are usually barren (but any spice remaining will disappear), and by moving ecologics troops there, they can assemble a windtrap, and provided the bulbs, vegetation will grow, always to North. Vegetation makes combat and movement harder for Harkonnen troops while raises the morale of Fremen.
Paul's abilities
At the start, Paul is given the task of meeting the Fremen. As the game progresses, he learns the ways of telepathy (progressively, from short range to planet wide) and use sandworms as transport. His charisma also influences his ability to gather Fremen under the Atreides' flag, as some chiefs will not work for Paul or do military assignments if his charisma isn't high enough. His progress can be partially seen in the mirror at the Atreides' Palace - his eyes turn more "blue on blue" (Eyes of Ibad) as his abilities increase.
Characters
The game follows loosely in-off-between the book and the 1984 movie by David Lynch (Paul Atreides was designed to look like Kyle MacLachlan, who is credited as Paul Atreides). Only a few characters are removed from the movie, clearly the biggest visual inspiration for the game, such as Shadout Mapes, Piter De Vries and Reverend Mother Ramallo. However, it adds the character of Harrah, who plays a major part in the start of the game.
Game technology
The game was one of the first floppy disk games to be ported to the new CD format.
The Sega Mega CD version had graphics close to the Amiga Version, but offering the extras of the CD IBM compatible version. Those extras are snippets from Lynch's film, voiceovers and new travelling screens.
The game is considered to be one of the most complete of its time.
Soundtrack
main article: Dune: Spice Opera
Virgin also released a music CD from the tunes composed by Stéphane Picq. It was originally only shipped with a special version of the game, and is one of the most sought-after video game related music CDs, only surpassed by some only released in Japan.
Sequel
The sequel, Dune II - The Battle for Arrakis was not made by Cryo, but by the newest acquisition by Virgin Entertainment, software company Westwood Studios, in 1992. Given the sucess of the game, Westwood produced two more sequels, in 1998 and 2001. However, Cryo returned to the Dune Universe with Frank Herbert's Dune in 2001, which was one of the final titles by the French company. The game failed on both markets and reviews, and was one of the final nails in Cryo's coffin.