One of the most iconic characteristics of the survival genre is a strong emphasis on player expression, as most of these games start players with next to nothing and then task them with building a new life for themselves from scratch in order to survive — which is all right there in the genre's name. While it may not be a survival game in the traditional sense, Dune: Awakening still bears the markings of the genre in its desire for players to express themselves, and one of the clearest ways it accomplishes this is through its robust base-building system.
Base building is a very common element in the survival genre, as survival ultimately hinges on players acquiring shelter and safety, just as it is in the real world. Rather than players simply finding that shelter and safety, though, most survival games call for them to make it themselves. However, despite how strongly that might initially seem to emphasize player expression and agency, these base-building systems don't always offer diversity in customization, and are instead present to serve as adequate shelter and little else. Dune: Awakening, on the other hand, doesn't just want players to feel safe in their base, but also like they're living in a home that feels true to them by featuring one of the most extensive base-building systems in the survival genre.
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Dune: Awakening Reinvents the Survival Base
From Shelter to Sanctuary
If one thing is true about Dune: Awakening's Arrakis, it's that the desert is harsh, relentless, and unforgiving. There are countless dangers present throughout the game's open world and systems that demand player attentiveness on a scale that many survival games fail to achieve. To help players with these looming threats, Dune: Awakening offers them a chance to build a shelter that can not only keep them safe from the elements, but also acts as a functional workspace where they can complete some of their most vital tasks for survival.
As useful as they are, however, Dune: Awakening's bases are meant to look and feel like a personal extension of the player. This is generally the case in survival games that feature base building, but Dune: Awakening is on an entirely different level when it comes to player expression, to the point that each base becomes less of a shelter and more of a sanctuary — a true home.
Firstly, there are dozens of different shapes and sizes of building options players can choose from when constructing their base. Too many survival games feature base building that feels a bit too boxed in, almost literally, as players can essentially only build rigid boxes and the limitations prevent them from truly personalizing it all. Secondly, Dune: Awakening allows players to furnish and decorate their bases to their heart's content, with a sizable library of unique items that can really spruce up the place.
To make it all even better, these building and customization options only increase as players progress through the game, making Dune: Awakening's later moments a playground of player expression. This is especially seen in Dune: Awakening's faction gameplay, which sees players aligning themselves with a particular faction and then eventually unlocking unique styles for their base to show their support. Then, as players discover new outposts throughout Arrakis and travel to the game's social hubs, they can purchase a multitude of furniture and decorative items from traders.
A New Standard for the Genre
Where many other survival games offer functional shelters, Dune: Awakening encourages players to craft living spaces that are more reflective of their personal journey, values, and playstyle. With its expansive customization options, faction-based style unlocks, and the rewarding sense of ownership that grows over time, Dune: Awakening turns every base into something far more meaningful than a stack of walls. It's a major shift that sets a standard and proves survival games still have room to grow.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival, MMO
