Dune: Awakening to focus on ‘topical’ war ‘between humans and artificial intelligence’
Desert power
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Joel Bylos, chief creative officer at Funcom and creative director ofDune: Awakening,has stated that the game will focus on a “topical” war “between humans and artificial intelligence.”
In aninterview with Eurogamer, Bylos shared some juicy details about theupcoming game. Though plenty was revealed in what panned out to be a fascinating conversation, perhaps the biggest unveiling was thatDune: Awakeningwill take place in an “alternate history” set to occur “a few years” before the events of the books.
This may come as a shock for fans of the source material, given that Frank Herbert’sDuneseries is famous for its complex plotlines and intrigues.
“Things are slightly different in our universe,” said Bylos. “Many events are still the same, so it’s not like we’ve gone all ‘thousands of years ago, a rock slid in the wrong place and changed everything’. It’s just a few years back. But the significant thing - it’s really close to spoiler territory, which I can’t really go through - but let’s just say that for the large part, we sort of sidestep religion.”
However, this doesn’t mean thatDune’s themes are falling by the wayside. Bylos stressed thatDune: Awakeningwill focus on the Butlerian Jihad - a historical war in theDunesetting between humans and artificial intelligence (AI).
“I found a point in the universe - like it was a really fun thing to go back to the Herberts and be like, ‘Hey, if we say this happened in our universe, and then this is the flow of consequences from that, so at this point, things changed, are you okay with that?’ Because then I can kind of position everything for a video game, and they were like, ‘Yeah, actually that’s great’, and then you’re not stepping on the lore.”
In otherDune: Awakeningnews, it’s been revealed thatplayers will be able to choosebetween Harkonnen and Arrakis factions, with a third arriving after launch.
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An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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