Frank Herbert's Dune
| Part of the series on the Dune games | |
| http://www.arrakis.co.uk/jpg/cryonews.jpg | |
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Strategy games | |
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Adventure games | |
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Cancelled video games Emperor Alliances | |
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Board game | |
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Factions House Atreides | |
Frank Herbert's Dune (also known as Franck Herbert's Dune) was a adventure game, developed by Widescreen Games, and published by Cyro Interactive and DreamCatcher, and based on the Sci-Fi Channel TV Series. Frank Herbert's Dune was an effort to create a 3D action game, in effect remaking the original Dune game. It was released in internationally on 16 November 2001, and in North America on 4 December 2001. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and was the last product by Cryo Interactive. The studio went bankrupt shortly after the game flopped.
Platforms
Frank Herbert's Dune was released for the PC and the Playstation 2.
Storyline
The game follows the storyline of the first Dune novel, so as Paul Atreides, the son of Duke Leto and heir to the throne, you must earn the trust and respect from the natives of the planet Arrakis, the Fremen, to ultimately become their prophesied Messiah, Muad'Dib. You will have to free them from the desolate conditions their home planet is in. Done that, there still is the evil Baron Vladmir Harkonnen, who, with covert backup from the Emperor, slaughtered your family.
The story behind each mission is accurate to the world of the novels although they took place during the two year span in Dune where Paul gains the Fremen's trust.
Gameplay
Some concepts of the gameplay were innovative. Such as the use of a Life Gauge and a Water Gauge, when the Life Gauge is empty you die but health can be restored at any point before that by drinking Water. This meant that the player had to time his drinks carefully to coincide with when he could next gain another drink. Another interesting concept was that if the player was able to stealthily sneak up on an enemy and attack him unaware, not only would he be dispatched without using any ammunition or taking any damage, but the player would also steal some of his water. Unfortunately this led to an incredibly steep learning curve which made an already awkward to play game almost impossible in some sections.
Trivia
Within the game, the game's title is sometimes written Franck Herbert's Dune, as this is the French spelling of Frank.
Reviews
Most reviews have been fairly low for this game, around 50% on average. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=23055 http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r17316.htm http://www.armchairempire.com/Reviews/PC%20Games/frank_herberts_dune.htm
