Following the game’s relatively short introduction, in which you create your character and their background, you’re dumped into the desert unceremoniously; the world of Arrakis sprawls as far as the eye can see. It’s daunting. And it feels like everything and everyone you encounter wants to kill or consume you. (They do).
But if you’re going to live to see a grand-standing base of your own, wearing better armor and wielding powerful weapons, you need to survive the early game. Here are a few early game survival tips for Dune Awakening learned over multiple characters and servers.
Follow the main storyline
For some, the main story of Dune: Awakening will feel more like a tutorial, a distraction on the way to the genuine article: the endgame. In some ways, those opinions aren’t wrong. Dune: Awakening features numerous story missions, and they’ll introduce you to the basics. You’ll learn how to turn blood into water, how to construct a base, where to find rare crafting materials, and how to traverse the desert without perishing.
Overall, it’s an excellent way to level up your character, unlock additional skills, and prepare for the ultimate spice war in the Deep Desert. Don’t take this time lightly; farm resources and learn from Arrakis!
You can ignore sandworms…until you can’t
Anyone familiar with the lore of Frank Herbert’s Dune understands the threat of the sandworm. These monstrous creatures surf through the sands, following sound vibrations to hunt and eat prey. In this case, prey means you. If you’re running over the sand dunes, you may attract a worm. But the vibration mechanic is rather forgiving. It’s tense, to be sure, but not overly dangerous. Once the vibration meter turns red and starts flashing, that’s when you know a sandworm breach is coming. But even so, it’s generally not directly on your position, but is instead somewhere else nearby. So don’t panic; you’ll usually have time to traipse across the dunes until you reach the safety of a rocky outcropping.
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Sometimes, because you’re using a ground vehicle or are too busy lobbing grenades, sandworms come fast and ferociously. I watched in glee as one of my friends ran for his life while a sandworm chased after him. Someone was tossing grenades from the cliffs above, taunting the sandworm. It was me. I was throwing grenades at him.
Don’t worry, you can respec your skill points
If you’re the indecisive type who likes to min-max your stats and skills in any game with RPG elements, then you’re going to love hearing about how Dune Awakening allows you to fully respec your skill tree completely for free, albeit with one caveat. You can’t do it frequently. There’s an arbitrary cooldown of 48 hours between respecs, meaning you’d better be satisfied with your choices on the second go-around.
Alternatively, you can always visit one of the game’s many trainers at safe locations, like trading outposts. Once you complete a quest for the specific trainer, you’ll unlock the other class skill trees and may then invest points elsewhere for a well-rounded character!
Dune: Awakening is available now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.