A fine representation of how survival would look like on Arrakis. The game looks and sounds fantastic and has some very nice atmospherics. The story, side missions and base building will keep you busy for a time however, it currently fails to sustain in end game content. If it would have released with features such as Dungeons and/or Raids or any form of high end group or solo content then I believe it would negate most of the negativity. The problem is that there is not enough to do outside of farming Spice and running Testing Stations for blueprints once you've done everything else. There is the Landsraad competition between the two houses every week that involves completing certain objectives in the world for rewards but it's far from the most exciting feature and I feel it's still lacking.

Funcom seem to have hung all their hope on people sticking around long enough to see the light of any worthwhile end game to play. Yes, you have some DLC to play and the main story but once you've done it once, that's it. There is so much potential and room for expansion it feels like they didn't have the time or resources to fully realise what they could achieve. It is certainly one to stay invested in but only if the developers do the same. If nothing substantial is added that breathes life into the end game, I fear the player drop off will be too much to save it. That said, it could easily swing the other way because the potential is there.

You can spend hours crafting and creating bases even multiple if you so wish. Beware the tax man though! The game needs some time investment for base upkeep (keeping the power on and paying taxes every couple of weeks) so you need to bare that in mind if you do take a break. Creativity with base building is a huge aspect if you're interested. There are some different base sets to play around with and you can always mix and match. The vehicles of the game are great too. There is a good mixture of classes with enough versatility in skill points for some interesting combos. Then there is the Sand Worms! The confrontations you encounter with Shai-Hulud usually come from harvesting Flour Sand or Spice on the sand dunes. You have to be on your toes because you cannot out run the worms! You either get what you need and get the hell out before you attract one or you risk becoming their next meal. I'll say that even after you've provoked the beast tens of times, it can still get the adrenaline pumping as you potentially risk losing everything you just gained!

On the whole it's definitely worth some time if you love the Dune universe and enjoy the survival genre. It will hold different people longer than others I think. If you enjoy farming materials endlessly with moderate to high risk then this maybe for you. If you're a base builder or crafter that loves the creative experience, it may also interest. Or if you're simply down for the lore side and following the path of the Fremen, I think you will like what the world has to offer. Everyone will take something different from the experience and I think the potential is there to do so much more. If the end game can be worked on to provide a bigger challenge with bigger rewards, it's only sure to bring a happier player base. It really is all down to Funcom to show us just how far they are prepared to run with Dune Awakening.

A Truly Unique High Stakes Enthralling Adventure!

The things that impressed me the most about Red Dead 2 were the scope of the world and story telling. The map is very impressive and rivals the likes of the Assassin's Creed RPG's and The Witcher 3. The story is epic and the games time period and theme are captured perfectly. I had so much fun with the game that my extensive play time when I reached the end can still be added to by wrapping up other loose ends and collection challenges. There really is so much to do! The characters are strongly acted, fun and certain choices you have to make associated with them can mean different outcomes depending on how you play.

I am so happy with how the game played and looked on my system. The graphics on a high end system are very impressive and it gives the overall experience some serious awe. The game is huge and requires A LOT of hours plunged into it if you wish to reach the end and complete all side missions. I found the overall journey of the main protagonist compelling and I became thoroughly invested in the fantasy!

I started playing Red Dead 2, just over two years after it launched. So at the time of playing the game it had already had received all it's updates and patches. I experienced no crashes and don't remember having a single bug in my play through.

I cannot recommend this game enough if you love a good open world RPG. You won't be disappointed!