Dune (2021) The 9 Best Video Games To Play With Dunes Aesthetic
Dune (2021): The 9 Best Video Games To Play With Dune’s Aesthetic
Contents
Countless works of art have been inspired by the novel and films for Dune, and gamers shouldn’t miss these nine games similar to its classic story.
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With the release of HBO’s Dune remake, many gamers are seeking to sate their craving for more spice with video games that reflect the inimitable aesthetic of Frank Herbert’s novel and the films of David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve. While there are precious few titles that have dared to directly emulate Dune’s visionary style, there are numerous games that have drawn meaningfully from its aesthetic nuances to craft gameplay experiences that are unique in their own rights.
Though one of the strengths of this classic science-fiction is its originality and razor-sharp depiction of a slice of life in the 111th century, many of the titles on this list have found ingenious ways to pay homage to 1965’s classic interstellar epic. Dune is notable as a science-fiction epic set on a singular and highly distinctive planet, and many of the games on this list feel like they could be taking place on planets next door to Arrakis. Though nothing can compare with the source material, these games are each a testament to Dune’s lasting impact as a cultural icon and fundamental work of contemporary science-fiction.
9 Final Fantasy XII
The twelfth installment of the fabled Final Fantasy franchise is one of the most underrated titles in the series and draws heavily from Dune in its early-game visual design. The game’s opening acts in particular, set in the desert-surrounded metropolis of Dalmasca, recall the sands of Arrakis and the streets of Arrakeen with great veracity. The precious mineral magicite powers almost everything in the overworld of Ivalice, and its relevance in the story is similar to that of spice in Villeneuve’s film. Final Fantasy XII also features a well-crafted plot of royal intrigue that fans of Dune are sure to appreciate.
8 Anthem
Players shouldn’t be deceived by the mech-focused gameplay of EA Games’ Anthem – it’s a high science-fiction masterpiece that could represent an unseen angle of Dune’s nameless footsoldiers. In this cross-platform title, players take on the role of a futuristic mercenary and engage in all kinds of technologically-driven close-quarters combat. Though it contains none of Arrakis’ royal drama, Anthem features a cast of well-drawn and acted characters reminiscent of Dune favorites like Idaho and Lady Jessica. The game also has the rare distinction of feeling like it could exist within Dune’s universe – somewhere on a distant planet only accessible with the aid of spice.
7 Mass Effect
On the surface, the Mass Effect series seems like a polar opposite to Dune’s aesthetic. Though only a fraction of its story takes place on a sandy planet and steers mostly clear of stories about quarreling nobles, this interstellar trilogy brings plenty of interfactional warring and political intrigue to its nuanced sci-fi universe, which Dune fans are sure to enjoy.
In one striking visual reference, Mass Effect: Andromeda features a colossal Remnant known as the Abyssal, which dives in and out of the Deserts of Elaaden like a mechanical Sandworm. Finally, though it is perhaps a minor point, the Mass Effect’s series’ dynamic choice-driven narrative system allows players to feel the weight of heavy decisions akin to those faced by Paul, Leto, and Jessica. Though no one mission draws directly from Dune, the experience of consequentially leading a team during a science-fiction war feels authentic to the spirit of Villeneuve’s 2021 film.
6 Final Fantasy X
With what is widely considered one of the best stories in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy X draws from Dune with a “stranger in a strange land” narrative structure that offers unparalleled immersion into its magic-infused science-fiction world. Bikanel Island, the sole desert biome of Spira and home to the Fremen-like Al Bhed, features the most direct inspiration from Dune with a vast hard landscape and even an overpowered Sandworm-like enemy. Though this Final Fantasy installment features a unique whimsey representative of the larger franchise, the influence of Arrakis’ world design on Spira’s characters and political dynamics can’t be overlooked.
5 Destiny
Like Anthem, Destiny and its numerous DLCs all feel like they could be set a quick jump through interstellar space from Arrakis. Destiny features numerous powerful monsters, many of which would feel right at home in the harsh environment of Dune’s sand fields, and its projectile-driven combat system regularly immerses players in firefights that recall the skirmishes between House Atreides and Harkonnen. Perhaps most impressive is the cinematic scope characteristic of the highest-tier raid missions in Destiny and its 2017 sequel, which approach the epic scale of encounters in Frank Herbert’s novel.
4 Age of Empires
A classic empire-building simulator, any gamer who enjoyed the political and military gamesmanship of Dune is sure to find fulfillment in the historically-based clash of kingdoms that characterize the Age of Empires franchise.
Though many of the series’ locations do not resemble Frank Herbert’s dynamic sci-fi world, certain maps like the Painted Desert, Arabia, Mongolia, and the Nile Delta make it easy for gamers to pretend they’re leading legions into battle on Arrakis. The most direct reference to Dune can be found in the game’s Sea of Worms map – a randomized desert that in-game lore suggests was once full of worm-like sea monsters.
3 Final Fantasy XV
As one of the most expansive Final Fantasy titles to date, it’s no surprise that the series’ 15th installment would draw heavily from Dune’s narrative components. The game places players in control of Noctis, a prince not dissimilar to Paul Atreides, in the midst of a war between the two largest kingdoms in the world of Eos. Built around the friendships between the young prince and his bodyguards, this title features deep and nuanced relationships like that between Paul and his mentor Idaho in Herbert’s classic story. Even better, fans of Dune can download Final Fantasy XV for free on PlayStation 5 with a qualifying PSN membership and experience this classically-inspired game for themselves.
2 Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak
This 2016 title is perhaps the most directly inspired by Dune’s aesthetic of all titles on this list. A game of pure strategy, this sequel to the 1999 cult-classic Homeworld is perhaps best described as an homage to Frank Herbert’s classic story, replete with a narrative of religious, philosophical, and military conflict characterized by a unique “technomadic” art style.
Set on an expansive desert world, even the planet’s name, Kharak, features similar phonetics to Dune’s Arrakis and offers hours of immersive world-building that fans of both series are sure to appreciate. Deserts of Kharak notably includes numerous in-game factions, the dynamics of which feel inspired by the conflicts between House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and the Fremen people.
1 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
With the novel for Dune released a whole twelve years before Star Wars: A New Hope, Frank Herbert’s influence on auteur George Lucas and his world-famous sci-fi anthology cannot be overstated. The recent title Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order highlights protagonist Cal Kestiss who, though not born of nobility, possesses many similar characteristics to Dune’s Paul Atreides, specifically in his superhuman abilities, headstrong nature, and proclivity toward extremism. It’s a well-crafted Star Wars game that defies genre, expanding beyond the bounds of traditional space-faring fiction and into the realm of political and social themes like Herbert’s novel. The game even features its own take on the Sandworm – the Ibdis Maw – which deviates from and builds upon the design of Return of the Jedi’s Dune-inspired Sarlacc.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dune-2021-best-video-games-play-same-aesthetic/
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