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Impressive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 33 / 34
Date: September 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

An Excellent Return To The Dune Universe

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 26
Date: June 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

Good Effort

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: June 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

....

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 20 / 27
Date: July 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

You gotta get this

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: June 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

Worth Waiting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 26
Date: June 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When Westwood announced the development of yet another Dune game the gaming community poised to listen for more.Westwood with the hit Dune II somewhat 8 years ago had revolutionized the game indunstry by providing to all gamers the word real time strategy. With Dune 2000 the company was only preparing us for this title that is also the first step of Westwood in 3D graphics. After a very big and i must admit wonderfull intro the game shows you the first screen.In here you can choose to start a new game or a multiplayer.In the down right corner you will find the options button and in the down left corner the exit.if you start a new game then you can choose from starting a new campaign or skirmish. The campaigns features the three races we all knew and love Atreides,Harkonnen and Ordos.Yes the subhouses are included and adds to the game. What surprized me though is the difficulty of the game.Even in the easy the game follows strategies an actuall human would making the westwood people true to their word.Indeed the game DOES NOT engourages tank rushes.The only thing you will do with a rush is lose every single unit.Only a mixture of units and different strategies can win the game. The graphics of the game are very good and their is also support for multitexturing and hardware T&L. You will also see famous actors with Duke Achilles being performed by Worf of Star Trek. In all the game is a must buy for every dune,strategy and summer vacation lover.

"Emperor: Battle for Dune"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: June 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you're a fan of RTS (real time strategy) games, Emperor is definitely the game for you. I've been playing it for about 4 days now and let me tell you that it looks great! The story goes like this: Three sides fight for the domination of the planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the spice Melange, that has special properties and whatnot. You can choose to play the game from any one of three Houses (Atreides, Harkonnen, or Ordos) and can ally yourself with 5 different subhouses, acquire new technologies and customize your own level of play. You can play the game from the perspective of most previous RTS games or you can zoom in right down to the action and the finer details of the game. After passing missions, you will be shown top-quality mini-movies and briefings that will ensure that you get right into the game and feel as if you are in the Dune Universe. This game definitely does a good job of illustrating real warware. There is no direct path to follow. You, the player can choose from several different missions at a time and follow your own path to victory to control the planet. Whatever you do in one mission can and will affect the environment of the missions to follow. Not only do you attack new ground but you must also make sure to defend the territory already in your possession. Units on high ground have advantages over those on low ground and a tank rush like in previous Westwood Studios Command & Conquer games will most of the time not ensure victory. In addition, units that get enough kills can achieve veterancy status and depending on the unit, can become faster, have better firepower, become invisible, and more. For the Atreides, for example, infantry that gain maximum veterency can be sent into a barracks, allowing the player to produce elite units right away. Emperor requires both skill & strategic thinking as well as diversification of forces. This is not a complicated game but it's not too simple either. The controls are easy to grasp and getting used to it doesn't require much time. If you're thinking of a good game to get, put "Emperor: Battle for Dune" at the top of your list.

Superb

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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!

WESTWOOD GOES OUT WITH A BANG!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

THE SPICE MUST FLOW! I loved the original story (even though NOT the franchised series been ghostwritten as you are reading this). However, one needs not be a DUNE fan to enjoy this wonderful game!

The graphics are only slightly dated today, almost at par with GENERALS. And as an extra bonus, they will truly shine even on currently low-end machines. The units are well designed and clearly visible in any zoom-level - something surprisingly rare even in new games (such as SUPREME COMMANDER) in which one can either zoom-in or play. Plus, the battlefield view is rotatable, another feature I miss in many new RTS games. I especially enjoy the way the buildings come up and the targeting-lasers of the snipers as they move around.

If this is not the the best strategy game, it is definitely well within the Top-5 all-time RTS! Well balanced gameplay (at par with C&C-TIBERIUM WARS), good story-line, interesting videos and random environmental events (sand-storms, worm-attacks) to keep the field level in the name of Shai-Hulud.

Sad but true, lawyers and stockbrokers have taken over the business. True game-designers are pushed around - if not entirely out of the picture.
I bought the game some years back but still take it out once in a while. They don't make them like this anymore...

Gorgeous graphics and great gameplay - a must have!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: July 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Dune has always been a favorite series of mine - both the book and the Real-Time Strategy games. For the book, I played in DuneMUSH for quite a while and fell in love with the atmosphere. For the series, Dune always managed to introduce new features that other games just didn't have yet. This one is no exception!

Yes, there's the traditional threesome of powers, the "Great" Atreides, the "Evil" Harkonnen, and the "Insidious" Ordos. They just love that "Insidious" word :) There are also many sub-plots going on with the other factions, and you have to choose how to ally yourself throughout the game.

The movies and cut-scenes are great. They bring out the character of the book without being too confusing for those who never read it. The graphics in the *game* are just as stunning, though! The troops, the worms, the shadows, every detail really shows how much attention the developers put into getting this game *just right*.

Gameplay is awesome. You're doing regular RTS organizing and plotting and destroying, but you've also got many other layers now to keep you entertained and intrigued. There are the various alliances you choose to make or break. More worlds to explore. More weapons to choose from. It's really a game that you can replay over and over, and never get the same same twice in.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is fond of the RTS genre of games - you will NOT be disappointed. As a side note, for the person who complained this won't run on Athlons, I have been playing this on an Athlon system (as well as several non-Athlons) and haven't had *any* trouble at all! Email me for suggestions.

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