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The release date of Dune: Awakening is so close to us that we can actually taste the Spice. With that in mind, Funcom has been hard at work pumping out trailers for the game’s combat systems, classes, and more. One of the most recent livestreams finally gave us a glimpse at the mid-game and endgame portions of Dune: Awakening, and after watching the video on repeat (yes, it is that good), I realized that The Landsraad is the most accessible endgame system of any title I’ve seen in recent years that caters to PvE and PvP players equally.
In-Game Politics Done Right
Since we saw Dune: Awakening, we all knew politics would play a massive part in the endgame portion. However, we finally saw them in action. The Landsraad is the meaty part of Arrakis and one that players will need to get familiar with—or at least those players who want to try the endgame content.
As you can see in the above video, the Games of Power involve the politics of Arrakis that will let players shape the future of a server. You’ll have to swear your allegiance to either House Atreides or House Harkonnen. Once that’s done, you need to focus on weekly tasks by helping other houses to secure votes for whichever major house you pledged to. The first house that completes the task will get the vote and the rewards.
You can do these tasks alone or with your guild. This means solo players can contribute a few grains of sand of their own. At the end of the week, the house with the most votes will allow guild leaders to vote for a decree that will impact the server.
It may not seem like it, but it is one of the most intricate political systems in a completely player-driven game. And most importantly, impactful. It will make each server feel like a living and breathing community, as new changes come each week, and those spearheading the Landsraad will look for the best outcome for all adventurers in Arrakis.
A Dream for PvE and PvP Players
The implementation of politics and how they translate into gameplay isn’t the only thing that surprised me, though. Like many, I’m a loner in games with MMO elements. I play FFXIV almost daily and only like interacting with people if I have to—the same in WoW. A big shout out to Delves, by the way. With that in mind, I was a bit nervous about the endgame of Dune: Awakening being too PvP-centric. But that’s not the case.
The Landsraad offers many objectives you can complete without ever interacting with other players, or even better, without fighting others in Arrakis. You can build vehicles and deliver them to a specific place. You can craft armor and other things to support a house and avoid bloody conflicts. However, if you want to go guns blazing and knee-flying, that’s also possible. Here’s where it hit me: Dune: Awakening might be the first survival-crafting game with the most accessible endgame system ever.
Other MMO-like games have attempted this, but sometimes the balance tips to one side more than the other. Take Throne and Liberty, for example. It is guild and PvP-centric in many ways, which deters players. In Dune: Awakening, the choice is yours, and player agency is a key component. If you want to roleplay as the Dune version of Obi-Wan, never speak to someone, and ignore politics, that’s fine. Just focus on contracts and build your ideal house. If you want to support your faction a bit, you can create a one-player guild and participate in the Landsraad. You might not contribute a lot, but you’re leaving a footprint in the sand that not even a Sandworm will eliminate.
As someone who’s been around many online games, Dune: Awakening has the most solid and well-implemented endgame system so far. We’d still have to see how it actually goes once people land on Arrakis. However, it seems the team has taken a lot of steps to make it an approachable experience for everyone. We’ll likely see some people vying for one House more than the other, but that’s part of a player-driven experience. We’re the ones who’ll shape Arrakis, and personally, I can’t wait to help, even if it’s with just a few handfuls of spice.
