Dune: The Battle for Arrakis

The Good
When I first heard that they had made a sequel to Dune, I was not at all bothered. The first game was a dreadful interactive movie/game that was instantly forgettable.

However, with the follow up, Dune 2: Battle For Arrakis Westwood Studios hit on a formula that has served them very well indeed.

You have to choose which of the three 'houses' you wish to play as, The Harkonnen, Ordos or Atreides. I was always Harkonnen, they seemed ok to me.

After this you are given a mission, the first being simple enough. Get 1000 credits. You have to build up a base of operation from which you can harvest the most precious mineral in the universe, Spice. Only found on the planet Dune, the three 'Houses' are battling it out for it.

As the game progresses you get to build more complex buildings and units. Inevitably the game becomes a war game. But it is in real time, and that is the clincher. Although it was difficult to play at first with a joypad, you soon get used to it.

With the ability to play as either of the three Houses, you can choose whether you want to do good or evil. Atreides being the good guys, Harkonnen being the evildoers. Each has their own unique buildings & units & have their individual missions with varying levels of difficulty.

This was a great game, and back in 1993-4 it was a breath of fresh air.

The Bad
It could be very hard on the Mega Drive / Genesis as the cursor was quite slow at times.

The Bottom Line
If you are a RTS fan, find this title and give it a shot.