Customer Reviews

Emperor: Battle for Dune

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

All right, I've heard all the complaints I ever want to about how Westwood never does anything new with its C&C franchise. But hey, it works, doesn't it? Time and again, experiments have shown that changing a tried-and-true formula usually ends in disaster. Just look at Force Commander if you don't believe me. Additionally, with Emperor, they really have done something new.

Obvious things first- the graphics. You'll immediately notice this, unless you are blind. They are more than impressive, but utterly astonishing in detail and workmanship. You can zoom, pan, and rotate to see the different vehicle models, all done in gorgeous 3-D. Aside from the structures and units, combat looks fantastic. I was almost tempted to blast my own base after missions, just to see the fireworks.

The single player campaigns are far more interesting, since you can ally yourself with any of five different sub-houses, each offering tempting units. You can also attack and defend at will, and when you defend, your old bases will be reactivated. It's an interesting touch, and one that makes the campaigns much more fun than any previous Dune or C&C-type game. You'll also get various secondary objectives, some of which can be pretty fun to carry out.

The balance is excellent. Each house has its strengths and weaknesses, as do the sub-houses. I don't think the debate will ever end as to which combination works best, since it's really just a matter of favorites.

Of course, no game is without it's problems, and Emperor is no exception. I found that defending in the campaigns is laughably easy if you just attack your intruder right away. You'll also probably know the map, so you can exploit its advantages to better destroy them.

Path-finding can be a pain at times. Although it does work, it seems they tried to make units have realistic 'space' to take up, which means they don't bump into each other. This is cool to a certain extent, and that limit is when you can't move something from point A to point B.

The acting is a bit forced. I'm not one to complain too much about cinematics and actors, since they're only there to augment the game, but at times it was really quite bad. The Atreides mentat in particular struck me as an evil person, which just doesn't fit the House.

The plot is weird. I can't really explain it otherwise, other than to recommend you read the books (they're great, anyway). I know the folks at Westwood are leaning more towards the movie version of Dune, not the novel. However, the way they have taken the story seems an amalgamation of elements from God Emperor of Dune, the movie, and... well... something. For example, they never really explained how the Atreides recovered from being handily slaughtered by the Harkonnen and Sardaukar. This will probably be of concern only to a Dune purist, though, and should not deter you from playing the game.

All in all, Emperor was a pretty riveting experience. If you were disappointed by Dune 2000 (basically just a remake of Dune 2), then you will want to check this one out. It surely won't disappoint.

Dune 2 was the first RTS game (something which many people seem to forget these days), and, in my opinion, wasn't ever beaten. The newer games that came along did indeed boast superior graphics, but the gameplay was abismal and strategy taking the back seat with mass producing tanks being the way to win against a stupid AI.

Dune 2000 was a disapointment, with it basically being Red Alert on Arrakis. Nothing had been improved.

Now, with Dune Emperor, things have taken a turn for the better. There are actually improvements beyond graphics for the first time in the Westwood RTS series.

The strategy here is far greater than ever before, and the different Houses far different from one another. The strategy does not end on the battlefield, with important decisions being made between missions, that do drastically alter the gameplay.

Alongside all this, you have the different factions from the novels being represented, such as the Bene Tleilax and the Spacing Guild, whom can become allies if you play your cards right.

And, continuing this expansion, you not only war on Dune, but also on the homeworlds of the three houses !

Plus, especially on Arrakis, you have more than just the enemy to contend with. With storms and sandworms, there's more than enough. But, then there's also Shai Hulud lurking in the deep deserts, capable of swallowing whole squadrons of troops or vehicles ! (Scale is finally right here !).

The interface itself is drastically improved, and you can even zoom in on the map, zoom out, spin around ... Imagine that watching a battle !

All in all, this is a fantastic game, and the step forward in RTS gaming we've all been waiting a decade for. And what better setting than the greatest science fiction epic of all time - the Dune Saga.

Westwood did a good job with this one. It helps to be familiar with the Herbert Books, as there are many referenses to characters, places, and creatures. The three houses you are able to choose from are unique enough to make playing each one enjoyable and different. The graphics are unmatched. They are so high-end that even though my 16MB memory card should be good enough, I need to upgrade. My only faults with the game are with some of the gameplay itself. I think the Blizzard games (Warcraft and Starcraft) do a better job with upgrades. Units in Dune are as strong as they will ever get once you create them. I like having several ways to improve units. The gameplay in Red Alert II offered far more ways to vary your forces. Its almost as if Westwood sunk most of its effort into plot and not enough on the interface. The story line is rich however, it will imerse you in Herbert's world for hours. Overall, worth the money and time spent playing.

This is a truly awesome game! I have been playing this game since it came out and I wrote this review in 2004! There is so much replayability you can't count how many hours you can play it. Be warned though, this game has the potential to take over your life with it's beautiful graphics, truly awesome music, and great balance between the three houses. The music is good enough for you to buy the game alone, the music is even better than Starcraft music and the game is better than it too! If you enjoy a game that lets you choose where to attack and defend you will love this game. Also, there are several different kinds of missions like defending a subhouse defend against another subhouse or attacking an enemy convoy heading out of the map. Although the difficulty level is very high during the end of the game with the computer opponents simply pouring out high level infantry and heavy artillery and such it is still beatable and you really feel as if you accomplished something. Overall, this is a really good game that any gamer SHOULD NOT MISS!! That is the directive!(I have spent over 500 hours playing this game and am still going!)

No one ever said that war was simple. The guys at Interplay seem to understand this - and they definately understand how Frank Herbert wanted people to understand the world of Arrakis and his wonderfully complex universe. The plot line is excellent, and the developments that keep the game moving rival Herbert's own fiction in strength of tale. Everything that happens before you get to the battlefield is wonderful -- the backstory that few of the modern RTS games have and everybody wants.

But, once you get thrown into the captain's chair and try to control the combat... Let's just hope that you either wrote the thing or have a P.h.D. with a thesis in "point-click-point-right-click, now run over there and do the same thing over again". RTS is supposed to be exciting, right? It's supposed to keep you moving from place to place, following and directing the battle on every front. It should progress slowly, teaching you the interface and the tools with which you wage war. Dune is all these things -- with an enormous, Devastator-sized "but" looming in the foreground.

Your troops are absolutely stupid. Maybe one time in twenty will they make an intelligent decision on their own. Pathfinding is absolutely attrocious. Troops always seem to take the most dangerous route to where they are going -- not necessarily the longest mind you, but the way that puts twenty newly minted infantrymen running right by your opponents machine gun emplacements. Machine guns? In Dune? In the world where kinetic energy weapons are obsolete because of personal shielding technology that was one of the highlights of Herbert's "Dune" series? Yeah, machine guns. This is supposed to be how many thousands of years in the future? Next week, Westwood is going to introduce a modern RTS that has your US Marines charging the battlefield with bows-and-arrows and greatswords. But, I digress.

The wonderfully crafted resource-end of the game, built on harvesting and refining the spice melange, is definately an integral part of the plot-line. It would be fine -- if the AI that controls your harvesters and carryalls had any real decision-making skills. For instance...

I'm trying to defend my base plateau from an assault of no-less than six Harkonnen Devastators. ...the Devastator is the most powerful Harkonnen unit in the game. It can attack both land- and air-borne threats. So, as I'm watching these behemoths coming towards my base. I'm moving my defenses into place, creating interlocking fields of fire with my emplaced machine guns and rocket launchers, deploying my infantry-based rocket launchers, ...! All three of my carry-alls proceed to deposit my three, very expensive harvesters right in the middle of the inbound assault. The sensual female voice proclaims through my speakers in rapid succession - "Your harvester is under attack." "Your carryall is under attack." "Unit lost." "Unit lost." "Unit lost." Repeat ad nauseum. There went fifteen minutes worth of development and I couldn't even stop the carryalls from their stupidity. Didn't I tell you? You can't even intervene.

Oh, and by the way, the defense missions -- for the unitiated at Westwood that means I'm defending and someone else is attacking -- are really just normal missions with a starting base instead of an MCV. You can sit there and build up your defenses to your hearts content, but the game won't end until you go on the offense and destroy the enemy. It isn't even timed. This morning, I built up my defenses until they were literally unbeatable - I literally built a maze out of walls and lined the walls with machine guns and rocket launchers. I walked away from the game for three hours, letting my defenses do their job so I could get finished with this stupid mission. And nothing happened.

Well enough of a rant -- if you've read this far, I wouldn't recommend ...this game. ....The good things about this game are far outweighed by the bad.

This game is stunning with its 3D graphics. I have an old piece of junk called a computer that can run this game pretty well considering the system requierments. The units are very well done from Harkonnen Missle tanks to Ordos Chemical troopers.


The campaigns are presented on a map which is equally divided into thirds. Depending on the house you choose you must attack,hold,and attack from enemy territories to reach their capitol.


The game is also littered with entertaining cut-scenes between missions.
The building and producing mechanics are very easy----no running around collecting units of food and wood like AOE-----------just build a refinery and the game collects the money for you. You may have to replace a harvester every so often ,but other than that it runs itself.


The game is alot quicker and action oriented than other games like AOE(Age of Empires I or II). Instead of building up a town and collecting a ton of resources. Emperor is able to do that faster. The game's missions are shorter, though much more fun.

Overall this game definately deserves 5 stars and will keep you playing for a long while.

Perhaps it's the fact that it takes place in the dune universe, or maybe it's because it is in 3D, or perhaps it's simply that it's made by Westwood, but this is the coolest strategy game I've ever played. Starcraft, Command and Conquer, and Red Alert are all awesome games that have been unsurpassed-until now. I find this to be the first 3D RTS I've played and actually liked. Games like Earth 2150 and Homeworld were unintuitive, complicated, and horrifically boring. Emperor is the first 3D RTS to actually incorporate all good elements of gameplay: superb graphics, great replay value, great multiplayer, pretty good AI, and the most comprehensive and sophisticated single player campaign mode I've ever played. You get to choose alliances, invade or defend territories, call in reinforcements or fall back, and it's all incredibly simple to operate. Hmmmm, I don't seem to recall anything like that in Starcraft, much less any other strategy game! Trust me, it's cool. The units in this game are all very balanced and unique, and the gameplay is easy enough for any idiot to learn in under a minute, yet depending on the player it can also be a strategic warzone for the tactical genius. However, let me remind you that the 3D interface seems complicated and confusing at first, yet you can learn it very easily for the camera operation is also quite easy. The only bad sides to this game exist in minor flaws, such as the fact that in a skirmish game you cannot change the color of the AI player, but a good thing in skirmish is that you can change the general playing strategy of the enemy AI, so you could make them defensive, offensive, or all around competent. I can't say enough about this game. If you liked Starcraft, any of the C&C games, and hated Earth 2150, I suggest you try this.

I've been playing the Dune series since it all started a long time ago. This one really adds a unique touch that Dune 2 and Dune 2000 just don't have. Much more units and options. I thought I was good at it but I guess the gameplay is a little too challenging at the moment. I can't seem to progress past the third level now, so I've bought the Prima's Official Strategy Guide in hope to learn my way into this game. Quite the challenge! The mouse control is WAY better than Warcraft III too. Just sit back and do almost everything w/ the mouse.

Also, this game really pushes graphics. Frame rate was quite choppy, even at low resolution with a 16MB ATI Rage 128 PCI card on a 350MHz cpu with 128MB RAM, but has been dramatically improved with my 128MB Nvidia Ti4600 on a 2.26 GHZ Intel P4 and 512 RDRAM. Now, even with 1600x1200 resolution I'm getting smoothe framerate. Don't buy the game if you don't have a FAST computer! You'll end up leaving it on the shelf cuz you just can't have any fun with the choppy frame rate.

It seems like many people have many bad things to say about this game. MOST, in my opinion, are trivial. The game is superb, not only in graphics, but in replayability as well. But before I go on, I'll solve some issues...:)

First...the compatibility. My current machine is one I built myself. Its a Celeron 800Mhz, with 128 RAM, a 32MB GeForce2 MX, and a 20GB HD. The game runs fine most of the time, with nearly full detail. The only hicups I got was when I moved 190 Sardaukar infantry across the map, and when I had 50 Mechs stationed within my base....So...yeah...It would be nice to have it all smooth, but think practically about it...

The acting is relatively good, in the usual Westwood way. No complaints here...

The sound is dead-on. Sometimes a bit repeditive, but nothing sounds quite like 50 mechs marching down the map, or 190 machineguns opening up a can of whup-a$$ on a stray scout ;)

Multiplayer is extremely addictive. Especially during a LAN party. Sending a nuke into your mate's base, and hearing him squel in protest....priceless...It does slow down here though...I have to admit to that. But when its so much fun, who cares?

Overall its a great game. It does a great job of tying it in with the books of Mr. Herbert. For example...any readers of his books would remember what happens when a Laser hits a shield...A nice sized boom...The same thing happens in the game. You will also find the Fremen, Ix, Tleilaxu, Sardaukar, and the guild in the game. And, of course, the feared Sandworms and dust storms of Arrakis aka Dune....

Again, a great game. Worth the purchase!

I've played many RTS type games but this is one of the best that I've had the pleasure to play. The game manages a good mix of the old and new. The combat in and of itself is like that found in the original Dune II, WarCraft, StarCraft, or countless other games along the lines. However, it is still fun and the excellent graphics enhance the experience immensely. Also, there are newer elements thrown in, such as the ability to ally with several different subgroups (Fremen, Sardaukar, Tleilaxu, Ix, and Guild). Each of the subgroups has different advantages and disadvantages and very different units.

Another nice touch that is unfortunately not often seen in RTS games is that units gain experience as they fight. As their experience increases, they are a little tougher and can do more damage, this is a nice touch and it can make a very real difference on the battlefield. Elite units are more than a match for any two of their regular counterparts.

There are three playable houses, Atreides, Harkonnen, and Ordos, each of which have different units and different advantages. The Ordos units heal gradually over time when wounded, the Harkonnen units will function at full capability no matter the damage sustained (until destroyed), and the Atreides can return elite units to the barracks to train all their troops to the next level of veterancy.

Another nice feature is the ability to retreat from a battle if you feel it is unwinnable. This can be helpful as successfully retreating will give you a reserve force that can be quite useful. Also, the designers paid attention to logistics, a real world problem. If the territory you are attacking (or defending) is bordered by several friendly territories, the reinforcements you periodically receive during battle will be larger than if you were bordered by only one territory. Similarly, if you have a territory that is salient, it can be extremely difficult to defend. Not overextending oneself can be quite vital.

If I have any complaints, it deals mainly with the storyline. I found the basic theme of it to be quite boring and uninventive. In a nutshell, the Spacing Guild decides to consolidate its monopoly on space travel by controlling Arrakis and the vital spice melange, to do so they create an 'Emperor Worm', basically a human-worm mutation with great psychic powers. *Yawn* If I had a dime for every time I've seen the 'evil corporation creates genetic superthing' story I'd be rich ;). However, the story does have its good moments, such as having to choose between one of the two heirs when the Baron Harkonnen is murdered. This is a nice touch that emphasizes the backstabby, vicious nature of the Harkonnen quite well.

But if you can ignore the contrived portions of the story (easy enough to do with such great game play), the game itself is very enjoyable. All in all, another great game from Westwood =).