Daniel Dickinson, Author, Adventurer

I’m going to be honest with you: I’ve never read the Dune series. When I saw Dune: Awakening announced, I was stoked. Why, you may ask, would I care if I’ve never read the series? Because Funcom was making it. And that was enough for me.
Dune: Awakening was the follow-up survival, MMO, and PVE game from Norway’s Funcom. I have thousands of hours in their Conan Exiles survival game. Any new entry into their particular formula had me sold. So yeah, I was going to pick this up on day one.

Dune Awakening is an open-world, survival MMO set in the Frank Herbert world of Dune. With intrigue, sand, and spice flowing from every corner. It takes place similarly to the movies, where you, taking the place of Paul Atreides, must go to Arrakis, where you must find the lost Fremen, who apparently disappeared. That is basically the story in a nutshell. There is, I am happy to say, a pretty decent story layered into this game. It's far better than the crumbs you get in Conan Exiles. Let’s break down the different aspects.

Building. First and foremost, when I start playing any survival game, how does the building aspect work? Is it easy, or is it stupid… Looking at you, Ark. Anyway, no, this game is simple and straightforward, with responsive snapping to the building material. Walls, foundations, etc. They all work wonderfully with the environment. And the extra icing is the sand that surrounds you, can completely destroy your base if you’re not careful. It’s a nice touch. The only critique I have about the building is the staking system. It’s got a few interface issues, and it’s pretty vague on how it works.

How is combat? Between swords, shields, and guns. I’ve seen very little issue. The skills you get help you slide easily into close quarters if you desire. While shooting from long distances is also possible. Even the classes of Soldier, Mentat, Swordmaster, and Jesuet feel perfectly in tune with the combat system. They all have their strength, and even multiclassing has some synergies that just make sense. Shooting feels impactful and gratifying. Using a sword against a shield requires slow, methodical attacks. There is no button mashing here.

Survival, another of the core mechanics of the game, is pretty well done. I was afraid water would be an issue. Once you progress fast enough through the game, or specifically through the trials, Water becomes a non-issue. Worms, another staple of the Dune universe are of course, something you need to watch out for. Piss them off, and don’t give them the respect they require, and they will eat you. However, even they are predictable enough and become less of a threat later on. The danger comes from balancing all this with being out in the sun and the traps the surface of Arrakis hides. It’s not Green Hell hard, so take that as you will. I would like to see a food system, though. Just add a new layer of difficulty and balance. It’s odd that it was omitted.

Now, what about that PVP? It’s changing as of writing this, so while the game launched with a massive chunk of endgame placed behind PVP, it's become less of an issue. The biggest complaint I have comes from the Landsraad. This is Funcoms version of doing dailies in MMO’s, or Mobile games. And its… Well, for a guild of two, it’s impossible to complete. And you want to complete them because new content, weapons, items, armor, etc., are all in there, waiting for you to claim. But in order to do so, you have to turn in items that, again, for a party of two, are simply impossible to accomplish. We have day jobs, and we can’t be farming materials needed to make some of the high-end, tier 6 items the Landsraad houses require.

Aside from the Landsraad, Dune Awakening is off to a very solid start. I have no doubts that the game will grow and get better over time with fine-tuning and community feedback. Conan Exiles did, and it’s an amazing game. I still play.

I sit here watching a family play bridge at the game table across from me. Outside the window to my right, I can see the bright blue waters of the Caribbean lazily pass by. Our ship, the Carnival Horizon, has been my home for the last eight days. And… I don’t want to leave.

The last few days are the worst part of a vacation, and yet, usually, I’m ready to go home. This time, however, there isn’t even a sliver of readiness.  This trip was needed. Far more than I care to get into here. When I get back home, I know there is a pile of work waiting for me. My day job, book shows, board duties, streaming, all while I try to maintain the level of writing this cruise has afforded me.

The family of card players has gone through three games. All the while, I stare at a blank page, my mind filled with a checklist of things that need my attention when I return home. Most of which I don’t have issues doing. Some of it brings enjoyment. It’s the margins, though, the stuff I didn’t mention above, that worries me the most. THAT stuff I don’t have to deal with.

My wife and I both needed this vacation, and we both agreed that there was a sense of… Maybe it is missing the words. We feel like the island stops were lackluster. But here’s the thing: I don’t think it’s the island’s fault. I don’t believe we gave them a fair shake. We arrived in Aruba and had a lot planned. We got off the ship, walked around for four hours, and then returned back to the ship. Then, it was my turn to disappear; I had an excursion I had spent far too much time and money to obtain. And… Well. Let’s just say I fumbled the ball on that one. No one's fault but my own. This started the three days of island hopping off on the wrong foot. The next day, Bonaire awaited us. Again, we got off, did some shopping, and wondered; this time, I was fighting personal injury, so it dampened my mood and enjoyment of the island. The highlight, however, did shine through as we stopped at a well-established restaurant and treated ourselves. Karels in Bonaire is a must-stop. So, the day ended on a more positive note. Then, Curacao, the final island. We decided, having talked about the ho-hum nature of our visits so far, that maybe an excursion that took us around the island might be something we needed to do. If you ever go on a cruise to visit other countries, it's our philosophy you get out away from the touristy spots and SEE the island you're visiting. So we did that and were not disappointed. For its reward, Curacao also took the bulk of our shopping budget. Gotta get gifts for those back home, right?

The card game is still going, though I’m unsure who’s winning. Does it even matter who’s winning? The fact they are all sitting here playing a card game together while the ocean outside ushers us home is something they’ll always have. Cruises have something for everyone, and you get out of it what you put into it.  I tried to put my best foot forward, and by the end, we were rewarded. It just took a lot longer to let go. It took work to relax. And now that we’ve obtained that, I don’t want to go home and undo all that. Shuffling the deck and drawing a new hand when I have a decent one is not my idea of fun.