I am enthralled by Dune: Awakening's in-game radio drama and bad sitcoms

We've already reported connected the hidden vigor stations you tin perceive to arsenic you traipse astir cutting up rocks successful endurance MMO Dune: Awakening. They play chiptuney classics from the original, 1992 Dune games that volition thrust you somewhat huffy adjacent without huffing spice. But they besides see full-blown radios play based connected assorted backstory events which unfolded earlier you arrived on-planet. It is similar listening to a truly aggravated occurrence of The Archers connected BBC Radio Arrakis.

The vigor channels are a spot tucked distant - you'd beryllium forgiven for ne'er adjacent noticing them. You tin find 'em by hitting the societal tab successful the game's menu. There you spot different tab called the "Communinet", wherever you tin pat a small broadcast awesome fastener to tune into 1 of 4 stations, each tally by antithetic factions wrong the Dune universe.

The Harvester's transmission includes a sitcom recorded "in beforehand of a unrecorded workplace audience" astir a moving family, with a dada who's got immoderate existent Del Boy energy, cockney accent included. And the House Atreides transmission features an action-heavy warfare play that tells the brave communicative of House guardians who enactment unneurotic and conflict Harkonnen dirtbags to execute a large and honourable subject victory. "Remember! Honour and loyalty are the existent marks of a bully warrior!" says the announcer erstwhile that dramatisation ends. Typical do-gooder propaganda. Here's a illustration of different play that plays connected 1 station.

The vigor is disconnected by default, but you tin find it hidden successful the societal menu. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun / Funcom

The Harkonnen Network meanwhile, bash their ain thing. They broadcast propagandistic monologues, oregon unrecorded enslaved fights arsenic described by Russian-accented commentators. One combat I listened to saw a brace of aggravated twins hop into the arena and chopped down the would-be victor. "Stupid competition, that was rigged!" grumps 1 of the announcers erstwhile helium sees the attack. The different announcer awkwardly bumbles connected with her commentary, nervously laughing, arsenic if to say: "Shut up, you're going to get america executed."

It's an incongruous diagnostic for lore-likers and laugh-seekers. Both a elaborate world-building exercise, and a comically un-Dune instrumentality connected the long-running fictional world. Lazlo's vigor chat shows successful GTA games beryllium wrong a greater satellite of satire (however you consciousness astir the efficacy of that satire). But Dune is not, by volition astatine least, a "funny" universe. You scurry astir successful the sand, chatting to NPCs who driblet endless serious-faced words of lore astir the emperor and your spot successful a rigid society. Then you spell for a sandbike thrust and perceive to vigor announcers bellowing "YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE HARKONNEN NETWORK! STAY TUNED!" It is profoundly funny.

My upcoming reappraisal of Dune: Awakening is inactive successful the works. My archetypal impressions are: it's not bad. Survival games are dependant connected a consciousness of equilibrium successful a mode galore different genres tin often avoid. How accelerated your assorted meters deplete, and however overmuch scrounging you person to bash - these are often important to get right. And from what I've played truthful far, it feels similar Funcom person managed to support these wrong tolerable limits astatine least. Everything other successful the game? Well, STAY TUNED TO RADIO RPS TO FIND OUT.