Funcom
Dune : Part Twohas taken theatre by tempest after a relativelyquiet start to the 2024 box office . It ’s incur even more multitude into this dealership , which is the grandfather of a lot of modern sci - fi stories . Dune also has a more storied story with video game than you may think . If you ’re in the mood to repay to Arrakis and experience more entertainment rig within the Dune universe , you do n’t have to look forDune : Awakening .
There ’s a Dune strategy game uncommitted decent now on Xbox Game Pass across PC , consoles , and cloud calledDune : Spice Wars . If you ’ve ever sunk time into scheme game or are most intrigued by the political machinations that happen in the background of Dune ’s narrative , then I recommend you try outDune : Spice Warsafter watchingDune : Part Two .
Funcom
Spice is life
Developed by Shiro Games and published by Funcom , Dune : Spice Warsis a 4X strategy game . For the uninitiated , 4X is an abbreviation of “ search , expand , exploit , and kill off , ” and those kinds of strategy games leave players to do those four thing on a monolithic shell . The most mainstream 4X scheme plot series is Sid Meier ’s civilisation , andDune : Spice Warsshares a lot of constituent with that secret plan . Of of course , it ’s set on Arrakis instead of Earth .
InDune : Spice Wars , actor select a sect — each of which has their own unique strengths and helplessness — and fight to maintain the most political index , wealthiness , and Spice within their faction . In the early game , the biggest trouble is ensuring that you are gather up enough water and spice for your campaign to keep going . Ornithopters can scout out the desert , expanding your mansion ’s range and protect your Spice Harvesters from Sandworms .
finally , you go head - to - brain against the other houses to control Arrakis . All players will have to deal with the other sect at the Landsraad , the governmental body that makes decisions that can apply to any of the playable houses . Players have to work to secure enough votes to pass the initiatives they need , add another layer of strategy to calculate for . Duneis a critique of regime and religion ’s constant need to research , dilate , exploit , and exterminate , so it makes good sense that a video game adaption ofDunewould make for such a fitting 4X game given its bonnie part of political intrigue .
If you ’re embracing your inner Harkonnen and prefer to extinguish your enemies , you’re able to also do so in armed combat against both independent villages and other Houses . Unlike some of its 4X compeer , Dune : Spice Warsis more of a real - time scheme ( RTS ) game than a twist - establish title . Keeping an centre on the whereabouts and health of the units you ’re fighting with and the buildings you ’re constructing around the sphere your sect controls is critical to winner .
Given the 4X political intrigue of the Landsraad , it score sense forDune : Spice Warsto partially be an RTS biz because Dune has a recondite connection with that genre than you might think . In 1992 , Westwood Studios and Virgin Games releasedDune II : The Building of a Dynasty , and it cemented the core resource gathering , base and unit building , and fight gameplay iteration that would go on to define most games in the RTS genre . Without the founding laid byDune II , we might not have serial publication likeWarcraftor Age of Empires . While Dune II has never been rereleased , Dune : Spice Warskeeps the franchise ’s strategy game root live in an experience that stand toe - to - toe with its RTS peers .
RTS and 4X game campaigns can usually go pretty long , andDune : Spice Warsis no different . It features six faction crusade , but it also benefits by having modes that can give you amusement in more bite - sized ball . Skirmish limit games to just four sect , while Kanly Duel is a 1v1 mode that can wrap up much faster than your standard 4X biz . That last option is your best one as you relieve into the plot for the first time after watchingDune : Part Two . It ’s even more fun if you have a supporter to play with in multiplayer .
Dune : Spice Warswill allow you confront off against AI bots if you do n’t want to do that , though . While you ’ll probably be outsmarting them by the recent plot , they are worthy opponent for newer players who have come to this game more so for its Dune connection rather than its genre . If you play through all the tutorial , Dune : Spice Warsis accessible .
Being a 4X RTS game , Dune : Spice Warsplays well on PC . It has been on all versions of Xbox Game Pass since November 2023 , though , so you may also play it with a control on Xbox Series X / S or via Xbox Cloud Gaming if you choose .
