It seems that Shiro Games likes to tickle their nerves with contrasts – as if jumping into an ice hole, then into a steam room. First, they sent players to freeze in the harsh northern lands of Northgard, where Viking clans survived in cold and dangerous conditions. And then they abruptly changed the scenery – now we are roasting under the scorching sun of the Arrakis desert in Dune: Spice Wars, where the Emperor, as usual, in good imperial tradition, exiled Duke Leto with his son Paul Atreides – either to death or for spice. It is not surprising that the game itself evokes the feeling of being thrown from heat to cold – sharply, unexpectedly and vividly.

Dune: Spice Wars Free Steam Account

When it became known in 2019 that the Norwegian studio Funcom would be taking on new games based on the Frank Herbert universe (it acquired the rights from Legendary Pictures), the news was taken almost for granted. After all, this is a company that knows a thing or two about big, drawn-out, and sometimes even endless game stories. Adapting other people’s universes is also nothing new for it – just look at The Secret World and Conan Exiles. So when it turned out that Dune: Spice Wars had no plot at all… it was at least strange.

But the plot is not just a “nice addition” to the Dune game. It is, in fact, its foundation. Herbert’s book drew inspiration from ancient tragedies, and itself influenced a whole galaxy of cult franchises: from Star Wars to The Witcher and Warhammer 40K. The first game adaptation of the universe, Dune by Cryo Interactive, was inspired by the David Lynch film starring Kyle MacLachlan and Sting. It turned out to be an interesting hybrid of a story-driven adventure and strategy.

At the same time, in 1992, Dune 2: The Building of a Dynasty by Westwood was released – a game that started the history of the RTS genre. It showed how to organically weave cutscenes, dialogues and narrative into the strategic process. A few years later, the studio repeated its success with Dune 2000 – even more spectacular and “cinematic” thanks to live actors, like in Command & Conquer: Red Alert.

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Emperor: Battle for Dune (2001) went even further, transferring all the action to full 3D and filling the game with intrigue, dialogues and cutscenes. Even the unsuccessful Frank Herbert’s Dune, which eventually sunk the studio Cryo Interactive, tried to tell a story. Yes, it turned out crooked, but there was an attempt – and it still seemed appropriate.

Politics, Sand, and Hegemony: How Dune: Spice Wars Works

Unlike classic strategies like those made by Westwood, in Dune: Spice Wars you will not find a full-fledged story campaign. And this is a bit of a pity – after all, it has long been proven that a fascinating story can be perfectly integrated even into a global strategy. Instead of the usual narrative, there is a “Conquest” mode – something like a campaign, where six factions are fighting for dominance. Among them are the familiar from the universe houses of Atreides, Harkonnen and Corrino, smugglers, Fremen, as well as a new faction created specifically for the game, Ekaza.

The player chooses one of the sides and begins to complete tasks: capturing 13 provinces, buying up 30% of the shares of KOOAM, accumulating 15 thousand hegemony points (in fact, a local analogue of “glory” from Northgard), and so on. All this happens against the backdrop of a tense race with other factions that have their own goals and their own methods. And the competition here is not for show. Winning a mission will give you control of a huge region — you need eight of them to win it all. Plus, you get global bonuses, and your “pressure” is reduced — a special parameter that grows after each mission and begins to harm your territories if you don’t control it.

Before each mission, you have to choose two of four advisors. Each has their own passive bonuses. Some bring additional income, some influence diplomacy or espionage. One example is +500 solari for each agent sacrificed by the Harkonnens. This is where the lore of Dune begins to show through: through the character descriptions, you can get to know familiar heroes like Duncan Idaho or Glossu Rabban, nicknamed the Beast, a little deeper.

There is also interaction with the Fremen — the native inhabitants of Arrakis. To enlist their support, you need to find their sitchs (settlements) and trade with them. In return, you can get fighters and useful bonuses. And if you establish a high level of relations with the Fremen, you will be able to summon sandworms using special mallets and even ride them – a real gimmick!

In other modes – such as “Duel” or “Battle for Arrakis” (this is a standard game for four players) – you can also choose the Fremen. And they have a serious advantage: they do not lose health in the desert, unlike other factions that need supplies. Without them, units gradually die right in the middle of the sands.

Each faction in the game has its own chips. Here’s what it looks like:

• House Atreides: Can peacefully annex neutral settlements.
• House Harkonnen: Receives bonuses for suppressing rebellions and interrogations; can sacrifice agents.
• House Corrino: Uses elite Sardaukar troops; has a harder time capturing remote regions.
• Fremen: Do not lose health in the desert, can move on worms, are better adapted to life on Arrakis.
• Smugglers: Can build a shadow economy and operate in foreign territories without directly capturing them.
• House Ekaz: Increases influence through art and the creation of masterpieces.

Despite the fact that there is no full-fledged storyline, the atmosphere of “Dune” is conveyed with dignity. Sandworms are not just transport for the Fremen. They are quite predators and can suddenly swallow your fighters or harvesters that extract spice – the main resource in the game.

However, in terms of originality, the gameplay itself is a little disappointing. It feels influenced by other strategies – primarily Northgard and Civilization. Victory can be achieved in different ways: by force, politics, economics. You can accumulate 30 thousand hegemony points or even eliminate all enemy leaders with the help of espionage operations. Thanks to this, the game forces you to keep many parallel tasks in your head.

In addition to the standard routine such as collecting resources, capturing territories, building a base and researching technologies, you can negotiate with other factions and participate in votes in the Landsraad – an analogue of the inter-faction council. There, influence points are spent, and your decisions determine which laws will be in effect, who will become governor or receive other lucrative positions.

Diplomacy is not particularly deep here, but it is present. But espionage is worked out in quite detail. Agents appear with a certain frequency, and each can be sent to a specific task – from resource extraction to sabotage against the enemy. Some open access to especially dangerous operations, including contract killings. You can also send spies to counterintelligence – to identify enemy agents in time.

You have to manage a lot of parameters. The game literally forces you to monitor a dozen indicators:

• Spice (melange) is the main resource used in the economy and to pay taxes of the Empire.
• Solari is the in-game currency.
• Influence is needed to participate in votes in the Landsraad.
• Authority affects control of territories.
• Command Points is the limit for managing the army.
• Intelligence is spent on espionage operations.
• Pressure increases after missions, if it is not reduced, negative effects will begin.

There are enough difficulties, but, alas, not enough dynamics. The artificial intelligence is not particularly stressful, the missions sometimes seem drawn out, and without a good script, everything feels like a drawn-out chess game. In multiplayer, everything is, of course, more lively, but still, the game is not built exclusively around online.

In “Conquest”, the situation is better. There is tension and intrigue – it happened that I won literally at the last seconds, having arranged an economic blockade, invasion and political pressure at the same time. But here, too, the feeling does not leave: all this has already happened. The world of “Dune” is visible, but often – rather visually: sand, worms, harvesters. The same worm, due to the automatic recall of miners, has become a predictable routine. Battles are simple, faction units are similar to each other.

The new Dune is not Northgard or Civilization, but you can try it

When I heard that Shiro Games was working on a new Dune game, two questions immediately popped into my head. First, how much will it resemble Northgard? And second, will the developers be able to truly convey the spirit of the Dune universe through gameplay, or will everything come down to big names and sandworms in the background?

In the end, yes, there are echoes of other projects. And yet, the atmosphere of Dune is here, and it is quite convincing. The problem is different: the game lacks its own face. The uniqueness that Northgard or, say, Civilization had seems to have dissolved here. And the dynamics are noticeably lower, especially in a single-player game, where weak AI negates the interest in long sessions.

In the end, it turned out to be just a good strategy game – with potential, but a feeling that it is constantly lacking something.

What I liked:

• Classic, engaging gameplay;
• Interesting factions with individual mechanics;
• Atmospheric presentation of the world of “Dune”;
• Pleasant graphics and sound.

What I didn’t like:

• No storyline;
• The game lacks liveliness and pace;
• The AI ​​in single-player leaves much to be desired.

Dune: Spice Wars System Requirements

How to play Dune: Spice Wars for free on Steam via VpeSports

Have you always dreamed of feeling like the ruler of Arrakis, but don’t want to buy Dune: Spice Wars yet? We understand you — and we have a solution. Now you can go to the desert, fight for the spice and influence the course of galactic politics absolutely free. All you need is to get access to a shared account through VpeSports.

Registration takes just a couple of minutes. After that, go to the section with free steam account — and among them you will find Dune: Spice Wars. This is not just a strategy, it is a whole world where the fate of dynasties, the future of the planet and access to the most valuable resource in the Universe depend on your decisions. On the game page you will see a download button — click, follow the simple instructions, and very soon you will be able to start your campaign.

By the way, your impressions are really important to us. Write a short review after the launch — tell us which faction is closer to you, what style of play you chose or what surprised you. All comments are checked, so if yours does not appear right away — no problem. Make small changes as prompted, and after moderation you will receive a login and password to enter by email.

Well, in order not to miss any news, and at the same time quickly receive instructions and help, subscribe to our Telegram and look into the chat. We are always in touch there – we will help, advise, support. And if you want to understand everything in more detail – a full guide on launching the game and other tricks is already waiting on the site. Arrakis is calling. Do not miss the chance to become part of the great game.