Emperor: Battle For Dune

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.

The Dune saga is a compelling setting for the war, much better than the usual USA vs. Russia fare. The full-3D is an excellent transition from the old C&C interface, instantly playable and so much more rewarding. The graphics are gorgeous, especially special effects like sandstorms and worms.

Cut-scenes are great, casting and attention to detail in them particularly good and faithful to the Dune universe, right down to the Sapho juice stains on the lips of the Mentats. (Dune fans will understand!)

The sub-houses are a great addition, as assisting one can eventually give an 'alliance' - the ability to build their units. All the units are very balanced and all lend well to strategic use, far better than Tiberian Sun. However, some units surviving from Dune 2 have undergone a number of changes. The Harkonnen Devastator, formerly a Mammoth Tank style machine, is now ridiculously slow and has become a weird 3-legged mech. Ordos Deviators are now shielded hovertanks (with great gas effects!). The Fremen are now fully-controllable units and very deadly (as they should be), not just computer-controlled cannon-fodder as before. Even the Guild Navigators inside their tanks and planes look true to the film. Unit voices are mostly excellent, although some are a bit cheesy and we don't really need to know that the Devastator driver "feels sick"! The main complaint in terms of the battles is the odd and downright stupid 'super' weapons. The Atreides use a 'Hawk Strike', a large bird image that scares off enemy troops. Hmm.......

Overall though, a top game for all RTS fans, and Dune fans will be totally immersed.