Dune: Spice Wars Looks A Wee Bit Different Than The Originals

Shiro Games And Shai-Hulud

The first second Dune game, Dune II: Battle For Arrakis, was one of the grandfathers of current RTS games and invented most of the mechanics familiar to players now.  Dune II introduced such things as a campaign map that let you chose your next battle after succeeding on your first map, the idea of making buildings to produce better troops and even the whole mechanic of harvesting resources to make said buildings or troops.  You can also thank them for the idea of unique troops for each faction and even the context sensitive mouse interface you depend on.

That legacy offers a challenge to the designers of the new Dune: Spice Wars, who have to live up to the expectations of both Dune fans and RTS gamers looking for something new and unique to play.  The graphics are certainly improved from the old game, with a look that is reminiscent of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak but with even better lighting and shadows.  Diplomacy and economics will play a larger role, and while you can sell Spice to CHOAM directly that might mean you are short when your overlords come for their Spice Tax, which can be a very, very bad thing for your game.

The addition of Fremen villages adds more depth to the game, as you have to invade and take them over to expand your Spice harvesting operations. something glossed over in previous Dune games and very much in line with the original stories.  There are also rather Sandworms around, to take offense at not only your harvesting but also the racket your battles make on the surface.

Trailer is over at Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN.