WWW.SILICON-FUSION.COM

Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       30th January 2002: Frank Herbert's Dune  Do you have the skill to infiltrate a Harkonnen base without being seen? Stealth is the key to victory here. Discovery is not an option. Posted by Alex Price - PC - UK and Europe Dune was originally a book published by Frank Herbert way back in 1965, and since then has attracted an excellent reputation as being one of the best Science Fiction novels ever. Since publication, there have been several spin-offs including more books, computer games, and a TV mini-series. Now, Cryo have released the first ever action-adventure game on Arrakis in the form of Frank Herbert’s Dune. For those of you that haven’t read the book or watched the film, the Atreides were betrayed by the Emperor, and fallen victim to an all out massacre by the Harkonnen. Now Paul Atreides, one of the few survivors of the attack must rally the support of the Fremen to save the day and retake Arrakis. Dune has been described as being two-thirds action and one-third adventure, and also struck me as being very similar to Thief. The purpose of the game is to infiltrate enemy locations and strike the enemy while remaining unnoticed. For this reason, if you run into the enemy base with all guns blazing, you can be pretty much guaranteed that you will either fail the mission or die. Instead, you have to observe the guard’s patrol routes, sneak up behind them, and neutralise them silently with your knife (usually by cutting their throat). There are occasions however, where you have no choice but to take out your gun and do it the old-fashioned way. The graphics are probably the most stunning part of the game, with beautifully modelled characters and fantastic attention to detail. Visual quality of the graphics are excellent, the enemies animate well, and some of the action sequences are nothing short of amazing. I love sneaking up behind the enemy guards, as when you take them by surprise you can ‘Neutralise’ them Jackie Chan style with your knife. There are several ways this can be done ranging from the simple but effective, kick in the stomach followed by a stab in the back while they’re doubled over in pain, to the awesome spinning flying kick followed by the deadly knife blow. I also like the way every now and again the enemy guards yawn or fiddle with their guns, giving you the chance to quickly sneak past them. Trust me, once you’ve seen the game you will love it. So is that it? Does Dune join Red Faction in getting a perfect score here at NLG? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no because there are some serious problems with other parts of the game. Firstly it is easy to get stuck on some of the levels where your character refuses to move from their current position. I once even managed to get stuck on a table that was only about 3 inches high, yet I couldn’t jump off, resulting in me having to start the level again. This is very annoying the first time this happens, especially if you are doing really well. There are also a few problems with some graphics cards, meaning the game might require a bit of tweaking before it works. Hopefully these will be fixed in a patch for the game. The only other serious problem I found was the length of the game being painfully short, due to the fact that there are only 5 real missions. A lack of multiplayer support only adds to this, although to be fair the 5 missions are split up into two or three smaller parts. In conclusion, Dune is an excellent game despite the few problems it suffers from. If you’re a fan of the series then this game is a definite buy. If you’re not then this game will still keep you happy as the gameplay is there, and the excellent storyline pulls you into the game making you part of it. Alex Price             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Another spin-off from the famous Dune universe, and also the first Action Adventure game set on Arrakis. Bearing similarities to Thief, you have to rely on stealth and cunning to sneak into enemy territory and remain undiscovered. Excellent graphics and superb attention to detail makes this a fun game to play, and to show off to your friends. Despite a few bugs, Dune is worthy of both your attention and money.  Related Games:  Frank Herbert's Dune for PC  17  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
		Go Back To Main Page        Go To Top Of Page