Dune Awakening Primed for PC Launch, Optimized for Controller Use

Porting games from PC to console is no small feat, especially when dealing with genres that traditionally belong to the PC realm. It’s often a juggling act to make the leap across platforms without compromising the game’s essence. In the case of Dune Awakening, however, things are looking optimistic. This game has been crafted with a controller in mind right from the start.

That said, we’re still in the dark about when it might hit consoles. Heck, the PC release is still a bit of a mystery too, despite it being slated to come first. To get a sense of what goes into planning a multi-platform release like this, I had a chat with Nils Ryborg, one of the producers on Dune Awakening. Before joining Funcom, Nils was involved with Paradox, working on the console port of Pillars of Eternity, so he’s got a wealth of experience in this area.

Casting his mind back to the Pillars of Eternity days, Nils told me with a chuckle, “We poured a lot of time into nailing down the user experience, pulling in elements from action RPGs, especially with character movement.” He continued, “It’s a game that’s all about strategy, but controllers can be limiting. We introduced AI architects to help NPCs make smarter choices, allowing for some level of direction.”

He went on to explain, “We aimed to simplify character movement and make split-second combat decisions easier. We kept the mechanics that let you pause and plan elaborate strategies too. And of course, we addressed basic UX issues, like cycling through buttons—our mission was to infuse more ARPG elements without stripping away the strategic layers.”

So that was Paradox’s journey. What about Funcom’s tactics in smoothing the transition for Dune Awakening? Was it a similar path, or did they find a more straightforward approach?

“Starting with console-first makes the process smoother in many ways,” Nils shared. “It’s easier to translate that back to PC. But if you design a game for PC first, needing a mouse and keyboard, porting becomes a nightmare. So we’ve had a controller at the heart of our design from the beginning.”

He reassured, “Our primary launch is on PC. We’ve got that covered, but the console experience will be solid too. Sure, there’re the classic tech restrictions—some hardware limitations—but those challenges aren’t overwhelming.”

For now, gamers eager for the console edition of Dune Awakening will have to settle in and wait a bit longer for more updates. But here’s some good news: when it does drop, the console version promises a quality experience comparable to the PC release, ensuring no one feels short-changed.