DOS

Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty

The story of the planet Dune has produced a legendary book, a legendary movie, and, of course, a legendary game! I am quite sure that if you've come to this page, you've already been a victim of this game! Countless sleepless nights, sleepovers, missed dates... What Wolfenstein 3D was to first-person shooters, Dune 2 is to real-time strategies. I can safely say it's the mother of all modern RTS games.

This game was not a designer's gem anymore. While the designer still played a major role in the development, you cannot credit the designer with inventing the game. Dune II is not a brainchild of a gifted individual anymore, but a product of a well-functioning corporate team.

Anyway, overall, the game is amazing for the period in which it came out. It used a lot of new technology, and the developers came up with some great ideas that have become expected from RTS games these days. Unless you’re a masochist, however, I wouldn’t suggest that most people play it now for the first time. Getting used to the archaic command method and limited AI can only bring pain to those raised on games like StarCraft and WarCraft 3. But, hey, some people are into that kind of thing.

Dune 2 ist ein schöner Strategie-Spaß der mittelfristigen Art. Durch ein bißchen mehr Abwechslung und Tiefgang hätte das Spiel bei der Gesamtwertung sogar die 80er-Grenze überschreiten können. Das Programmierteam Westwood muß man sich wirklich merken; die Burschen haben sowohl bei Strategie-, als auch bei Abenteuer- und Rollenspielen ein glückliches Händchen.

Dune II is a masterpiece for its time. It didn't popularize the RTS genre simply for being first, it did so because it did the concept surprisingly well. Unfortunately, while the gameplay is timeless, the interface and the AI are not. These issues alone, coupled with the fact that RTSs really haven't changed all that much since this game's release, limit this recommendation to RTS fanatics and the curious. Later games are far more streamlined, but even with its faults, its still an excellent way to put Dune to a game, and a fitting start to a new weekend General genre.