{"id":193461,"date":"2022-06-10T11:17:42","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T09:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=193461"},"modified":"2025-07-01T20:40:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T03:40:05","slug":"dune-spice-wars-preview-rts-planetary-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/dune-spice-wars-preview-rts-planetary-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Dune: Spice Wars Preview | RTS Planetary Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dune: Spice Wars<\/strong> is a real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by Shiro Games and published by Funcom and Shiro games. The Early Access<\/strong> hit stores on April 26, 2022, but it\u2019s still very much under development<\/strong> with a detailed roadmap for the year ahead. It features the most prominent factions from the books and movies while also adding a few others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the complete game isn\u2019t out yet, there\u2019s plenty to enjoy in the Early Access of Dune: Spice Wars. I decided to head out in my Ornithopter to see what it\u2019s like living on the desert planet of Arrakis<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Can you rule Arrakis in Dune: Spice Wars?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m very excited to have my hands on Dune: Spice Wars in the early stages. My love for Frank Herbert\u2019s books stemmed from playing Dune 2000 on the PlayStation 1, an original copy I still hold in my possession. From there, I read the novels and watched the movies from that time, digging deeper into the lore. I couldn\u2019t wait to play this RTS game<\/strong> to see how it lives up to the franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting a faction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The adventure in Dune: Spice Wars begins with you choosing a faction<\/strong>. Two House names you may recognize from previous games are Atreides and Harkonnen. Other factions also include popular names from the novels, namely, the Fremen and Smugglers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each faction has specific bonuses<\/strong>, so it will benefit you to read through them before you select one. If it\u2019s your first time<\/strong> playing a Dune RTS game<\/strong>, I recommend you try Atreides first<\/strong> before attempting one of the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Choosing your advisors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you can start the actual game, you\u2019ll need to add some councillors<\/strong> to your faction. You\u2019ll start with only two of the four on your screen. Each one adds another bonus to your gameplay, which won\u2019t matter much if you\u2019re a beginner. However, you might make smarter choices the next time around once you understand how important they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Conquering the planet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At this point in Dune: Spice Wars\u2019 development, there\u2019s no campaign<\/strong>. Each faction has a back story, but the main aim of the RTS game, for now, is simply expanding your empire<\/strong> and ruling Arrakis<\/strong>. I look forward to seeing how the developer integrates a story into the gameplay later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Roadmap for Dune: Spice Wars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shiro Games has provided a roadmap of the year ahead<\/strong> for the development of Dune: Spice Wars. We\u2019ll be seeing the multiplayer mode<\/strong> appearing during summer, while there will be a new faction to choose<\/strong> from soon after that. New buildings and units are on the horizon, we\u2019re expecting the full campaign near the end, and you\u2019ll be able to activate those councillors you select.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How long to play Dune: Spice Wars Early Access? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With such a massive map<\/strong> for Arrakis with several zones to conquer, it can take you up to 9 hours<\/strong> to complete a single match in Dune: Spice Wars, if not more. It depends on how quickly and successfully you take land from the enemies and make them your own. You\u2019ll win and lose many battles along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic gameplay in Dune: Spice Wars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So far, I\u2019ve provided some insight into the main elements within Dune: Spice Wars, but you\u2019re probably wondering what it\u2019s like to<\/strong> play the game<\/strong>. Here are the most essential aspects you\u2019ll encounter and how they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to play Dune: Spice Wars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Anyone new to RTS or the Dune franchise won\u2019t feel like they\u2019re stranded in the game. A small icon will appear that provides some initial quests to show you what the main objectives are<\/strong>. Unlike some other RTS games I\u2019ve played, it doesn\u2019t yet show you the controls<\/strong>, like how to move around and send troops from one location to the other. The game just assumes everyone knows how to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An excellent feature is having access to tooltips<\/strong>, which are small windows of information when you click on items. These serve to guide you on how the resources and objects work<\/strong> and how they benefit you on the planet. I\u2019m slightly disappointed there\u2019s no support for controllers<\/strong>, so you can only play with a keyboard and mouse at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finding villages and resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your most significant objective throughout Dune: Spice Wars is finding new villages and harvesting the resources<\/strong> in the zones. Each area has a specific village connected to it, and you can only obtain spice and other precious metals if you own that village. Eventually, it becomes a grind of fighting militia, commanding villages, harvesting resources, building facilities, defending the base, and moving to the next zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The development tree<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True to proper RTS nature, you\u2019ll have a development tree to unlock new research<\/strong> and upgrade your facilities and units. There are four main panels, under which you\u2019ll see a massive stack of research opportunities. As you advance in Dune: Spice Wars and conquer new lands, you\u2019ll have enough chances to unlock all of them. Just increase your knowledge points <\/strong>if you want faster research<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Spice bribes and voting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Two elements in Dune: Spice Wars you\u2019ll need to learn about quickly are spice bribes and voting<\/strong>. The former is a payment you need to make every so often that\u2019s almost like taxes for the land you own. If you don\u2019t pay them in time, you may see some penalties for your faction. Also, you\u2019ll need to vote on the council for a specific bonus, but some of them may have negative effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Managing your troops<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You only have limited manpower when you begin, so you can only train a few troops or vehicles<\/strong>. As you conquer more zones, you\u2019ll have a place for more of them. You can also develop buildings that increase your manpower, which you\u2019ll need at a later stage. So, start early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing buildings wisely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The desert sands of Arrakis<\/strong> are home to massive sandworms<\/strong> that will feast on your units and vehicles. For that reason, the villages are built on hardened foundations<\/strong> for their safety. You have limited space to build, and each facility consumes resources. It\u2019s essential that you look at what metals or items there are you can harvest in the zone, as you can develop buildings with bonuses related to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Similar games to Dune: Spice Wars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A good game you should play for a sense of nostalgia is Dune II<\/a><\/strong>. I also have a love for Command & Conquer<\/strong><\/a> games, such as Red Alert III<\/strong><\/a>. For more modern RTS games, I recommend you try Iron Harvest<\/strong><\/a>, Endzone: A World Apart<\/strong>, and Frostpunk<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you\u2019ll need on your PC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the full visual effects<\/strong>, you\u2019ll need a decent gaming setup<\/strong>, especially for the graphics card. I suspect that the full game will change these specifications, but these are the minimum PC requirements <\/strong>for Dune: Spice Wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n