Awakening’s Boldest Story Choice is a Learning Opportunity For Other Franchises

With any licensed game, it’s always a struggle to nail down the perfect story. For most franchises, fans tend to go in with a preconceived idea of what the story and world should be. Along with that, there is often a debate about whether the game is canon to the main story or not. Dune: Awakening is no stranger to that, but instead of trying to fit within the mold of what has come before, Funcom has chosen to blaze its own trail — and that trail is something that other franchises may want to replicate.

Instead of following in the footsteps of the rest of Dune, Dune: Awakening has chosen to tell a completely new story set within a world where the franchise’s main character never existed. This means that Funcom has been given so much creative liberty to tell the Dune tale that it wants to tell, and for the most part, it’s unlike anything fans have really seen in this world before. While it remains to be seen if the studio can keep that up through its post-launch content, the concept alone is too good for other franchises to pass on.

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Dune: Awakening’s Story Could Lead to Some Very Special Experiences

Dune: Awakening Chooses to Explore an Alternate Reality Dune

From the second players start their Dune: Awakening adventure, they know they are in for a very different type of Dune experience. Paul Atreides was never born, Arrakis is caught in a civil war between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, and the Fremen have mysteriously vanished from Arrakis. Players take on the role of a prisoner employed by the Bene Gesserit to find the Fremen and figure out just what is going on.

This set-up gives Funcom so much room to tell the Dune story that it wants to tell while also delivering one of the most authentic Arrakis experiences ever. On top of that, it lets the player essentially fill the role left by Paul and be the main character of their own story. Because of that, Dune: Awakening leads to an experience unlike any other within the franchise. Not only is Dune: Awakening no longer tied down by what has come before, but it is also extremely inviting to those that may have never touched anything Dune-related before.

Other Franchises Could Take Dune: Awakening’s Concept Even Further

This direction is fantastic to see, and hopefully, other franchises are taking notes. While they don’t have to be the same style of game, major IPs should definitely explore their own ‘what ifs’ like Dune: Awakening has. Star Wars could explore a world where Luke Skywalker was never born, Star Trek could take players to a universe without the U.S.S. Enterprise, or Doctor Who could show players what time and space would look like without the Doctor. Even Marvel and DC could tell a story where the likes of Spider-Man or Batman never existed.

As long as the studios are able to nail down the aesthetic of their respective franchises, stories like this could lead to some truly special adventures. They would not only let the studios tell stories that are entirely their own, but would also be perfect jumping on points for those that have never checked out these franchises before. On top of that, they empower players to be the heroes of their own stories, and run wild with the fundamental concepts of these franchises.

Of course, just because it works with Dune: Awakening does not mean that it would work with any given franchise. Still, studios will never know unless they try. Canon games are always fun, but telling these brand-new wholly original ‘what if’ tales holds an untold wealth of possibilities.