14 DAY TRIAL // The Fremen are lurking at the edge of my territory, poised to strike despite our non-aggression treaty. I don’t have the votes to move the Landsraad to act to my liking. And I feel like a raid is coming soon, probably in the same area where a sandstorm is wreaking havoc. But I have a constant stream of resources, most produced by my rivals, and I am building up some powerful units. The future of the Smugglers is bright, even if threats are lurking everywhere.
Dune: Spice Wars is developed by Shiro Games and published by Funcom. You can play an Early Access version of it on Steam, with the full launch set to happen in 9 to 12 months. This is a strategy game, but with a unique take on Frank Herbert’s universe and on the mechanics of the 4X genre.
Players can choose between the noble Atreides, the cruel Harkonnen, the original inhabitants of Arrakis, the Fremen, or the cunning Smugglers. No Ordos for the moment and no Emperor or Sardaukar involvement. Each faction features four advisors, of which the player needs to pick two, that will influence strategies. There’s some writing in the game, with events popping up at times, and it’s flavorful but mostly functional.
Dune: Spice Wars is not a classic real-time strategy experience, like most video games set on Dune. Players will recruit units and explore a planet divided into sectors, battling for control over villages that control resources. It’s crucial to get a spice field as soon as possible and building slots are limited by expansion. The four factions also have to worry about solaris, intel, manpower, water, and more. There are clear limits to military force because Arrakis is an unforgiving world where sand is even more threatening than lasgun fire.
As ornithopters fly above, discovering new villages and other points of interest, the game reveals its other systems. Four research categories require attention, with choices linked to play style, faction, and current strategic situation. Factions recruit spies, able to generate intel on other factions, infiltrate other organizations, and prepare powerful operations. The Landsraad convenes, proposing resolutions that allow players to boost their abilities or hinder others, with elected offices ready for those who are ready to meet the requirements.
It’s important to approach Dune: Spice Wars methodically. The loss of just a few units to a worm or a storm can spell disaster. The best-laid plans can be thwarted by a vote that went the wrong way. Even trading resources with another faction feels risky, as you get to know what they can use them for. Four raiding Fremen units moving across the sand can start a chain of effects that ends with the long-term decline of one side.
The four factions play very differently. Each seems, at times, overpowered and vulnerable. The game does need more use for ‘thopters after the midgame, more events (with better visibility), and a few more mid-game surprises. But the mechanics are solid and deliver great narratives.
Dune: Spice Wars wisely opts to evoke the universe via style rather than visual fidelity to the recent movie. There might be a little too much abstraction for some fans, but I like the attention to detail in every area, especially the Landsraad sessions and the zoomed-out map. The sound design is equally centered on evoking the setting, although the score does need extra variety.
Conclusion
Demand from the community and suggestions from Shiro Games points to multiplayer being the big addition in the coming months. It will be interesting to see how the mechanics work when another human handles opposition forces. But I hope that before full release, Spice: Spice Wars does get more ways to enjoy computer matches and even a few campaign missions.
Preview code provided by the publisher.
