Back in 1990 when my parents bought a new computer (and when software was still included in new computer "packages" for free) DUNE was one of the games included. As a teenage girl, you wouldn't think this game would have caught my attention, but it absolutely did! I found myself trying to squeeze in as much computer time as I possibly could in a house with 5 other people who also wanted to use the one computer in our home....just to play DUNE.
The game is based on the novels by Frank Herbert.
In DUNE, you play as Paul Atreides, the ever so handsome son (handsome to the Fremen women, of course) of Duke Leto Atreides. It is your goal to harvest spice for the Emperor while winning the help and respect of the blue-eyed Fremen, who have learned to adapt to the rough conditions of Arrakis. These Fremen, who inhabit sietches in the sands of Arrakis, can often be tedious to locate, and sometimes difficult to convince to join your cause. Once finding the Fremen and gaining their respect, you must learn to how to equip and protect your men so that they may be able to collect enough spice to satisfy your spice quotas.
While attempting
to manage the production of spice on Arrakis, it is also your job to prevent your rival, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his Harkonnen soldiers and spice harvesters from occupying and overtaking the land that the Emperor Shaddam has allowed the Atreides family to occupy. The road to defending Arrakis from the Harkonnens will bring about many interesting twists and turns, making mastering DUNE a matter of strategic planning and allocating of resources. You will have to manage your meager resources carefully to make sure that you are able to defend your holdings and still harvest enough spice to remain in the Emperor's favor. Exploration is a third facet when it comes to locating the Fremen, and you will need to allocate resources to this endeavor also. Striking a careful balance among the many irons you have in the fire will be imperative to success in this game.
If you are a woman, like me, you will appreciate the presence of women in this game. Although it does not become a major theme of the game, the creators of Dune have allowed for a little light-heartedness and love in a game that can sometimes become repetitive and involved. Paul’s mother, Jessica, also plays an important role in Dune as she councils her son through his encounters on Arrakis. As his relationships with the Fremen deepen, and his connection with the “savior” the Fremen call Muad'dib becomes clearer, Jessica becomes an important source of clarity for Paul.
Give this game a chance, if you are anything like me, you will end up playing it over and over again. Although the game is a bit linear, as others have stated, there are opportunities to employ new tactics and win the game a little bit different than you did the time before.
