Dune: Spice Wars

Dune: Spice Wars is a real-time strategy with clearly outlined 4X elements. It is based on the license of 18×16 svgDune, the bestselling science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. Game was developed by Shiro Games team, known for genre-related Northgard. It was published by Funcom, the company holding the rights to the brand.

Plot

Dune: Spice Wars takes us on a journey to the distant future. The action of this production is set on the planet Arrakis, which is the source of Melange - a spice that expands consciousness, allows interstellar travel and extends life, which makes it the most valuable resource in the universe. During the game we become the leader of one of the factions, as Duke Leto Atreides or Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, among others, to take total control over this desert globe, and what follows - over the deposits of Melange. It's only up to us how we achieve our goal.

Game mechanics

In Dune: Spice Wars we observe the action from the top-down view. We focus mainly on extracting the spice. Sending ornithopters on a reconnaissance, we gradually discover the map and learn about the location of deposits of Melange, to which we can then send reapers created for its extraction. We sell the gathered resources and the gained funds can be spent on expanding our headquarters, improving technology or finally on recruiting soldiers.

A powerful army is needed both to defend our domain against the attacks of enemies and to conquer new territories. In the latter case, however, it should be taken into account that aggressive behavior does not necessarily have to be liked by the Emperor exercising supreme power in this universe, and what follows - ultimately may bring us trouble. Therefore, often a better solution is diplomacy, as well as plotting various political intrigues. We can take care of our interests without bloodshed by voting on various political resolutions in the Landsraad.

We should also not forget that Arrakis is home to creatures, which we can't cope with either by army or diplomacy. Sandworms, the giant creatures that live beneath the desert sands, devour everything from humans to entire harvesters. To protect ourselves against them, we should look out for the signs of their arrival and evacuate all units exposed to their attacks.

Technical aspects

Graphics of Dune: Spice Wars looks good. The style is different from any of the previous Dune adaptations.

Last updated on 14 September 2023