Dune: Awakening

Hands on: The game redeems itself by being one of the most stable survivalist-themed titles out there, at least at launch, a solid progression system and something that I am a fan of: a rewarding PvE experience that you can approach at your own pace (with optional PvP for those of us who want it).

Hands on: But so far I'm having a good time with Dune: Awakening. The best thing I can say about it is that after 25 hours, I'm excited to play a lot more. Hopefully that feeling will continue as I start to engage more with the MMO aspects over the coming weeks.

Hands on: After more than 35 hours I still feel like I’m fairly early into my Dune: Awakening adventure, and still have new zones to visit, haven’t gotten very far into the main story, and have only had a few encounters with PvP. There’s a ton for me to do, so look for an update sometime this week as I work my way through to the endgame.

Hands on: My initial impressions are: it's not bad. Survival games are dependant on a sense of balance in a way many other genres can often avoid. How fast your various meters deplete, and how much scrounging you have to do - these are often crucial to get right. And from what I've played so far, it feels like Funcom have managed to keep these within tolerable limits at least.

Hands on: Dune: Awakening transports players to the desert world of Arrakis where the first challenge they face is survival. Venture beyond the protection of the shield wall alone or with a group to seek your fortune. Dune: Awakening combines the sandbox features of survival games with the social interaction and sense of progression that comes with a persistent world. This unique combination of genres makes Dune: Awakening among the first Open World Survival MMOs.