Dune 2000

Westwood Studios

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	Dune 2000

Dune 2000 is a real-time strategy title created by Intelligent Games and released by Westwood Studios in 1998 for Microsoft Windows, followed by a PlayStation version in 1999. It functions as a partial remake of Dune II, drawing inspiration from Frank Herbert's Dune universe. The storyline largely mirrors that of Dune II and continues through the sequel, Emperor: Battle for Dune.

Gameplay

Players take command of one of three competing Houses battling for control over the valuable "mélange" (spice) on the desert planet Arrakis. To generate "solaris," the game’s currency, players deploy spice harvesters, refineries, silos, and power plants to collect and process spice. Defenses including units and vehicles are essential to safeguard operations against rival Houses, sandworms, and hazardous "spice blooms." The gameplay closely resembles that of Command & Conquer: Red Alert, featuring the ability to manage multiple units simultaneously.

The battlefield starts shrouded in fog of war, which lifts as players send units to explore. Unlike its predecessor Dune II, structures fully built on concrete pads do not suffer gradual decay.

While all Houses have access to common units such as infantry, Wind Traps, and Mobile Construction Vehicles, each faction boasts unique units: Atreides command Sonic Tanks, Ordos field Deviators, and Harkonnen deploy Devastators. The Trike is shared between Harkonnen and Atreides, whereas Ordos utilize an enhanced Raider. Capturing enemy factories allows players to produce exclusive units. Following patch 1.06, Harkonnen players can train elite Sardaukar troops loyal to House Corrino.

Cinematics

The game includes live-action video sequences that introduce missions for each faction as well as the opening cinematic.

Synopsis

Emperor Corrino (portrayed by Adrian Sparks) issues a challenge to the Houses to amass the greatest quantity of spice for dominion over Arrakis, imposing no limitations. Lady Elara (Musetta Vander) of the Bene Gesserit clandestinely supports the player character—the "commander"—whose lineage possesses a rare prophetic vision promising survival and harmony on Arrakis.

Playable factions include House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Ordos. Other groups featured but not playable are House Corrino, the Fremen, Mercenaries, and Smugglers.

House Atreides

Originating from the aquatic world Caladan, House Atreides remain loyal to their Duke and receive counsel from Mentat Noree Moneo (John Rhys-Davies). Their military strength focuses on air dominance with ornithopters and Sonic Tanks, aiming to forge alliances with native Fremen fighters.

House Harkonnen

Based on the volcanic planet Giedi Prime, House Harkonnen is known for ruthless tactics under their cruel Baron. Their arsenal emphasizes Devastator Tanks and Death Hand Missiles. The Baron's Mentat, Hayt De Vries (Robert Carin), is revealed as a Tleilaxu-engineered creation.

House Ordos

Coming from a frozen ice world later identified as Sigma Draconis IV, House Ordos depend on commerce and wealth accumulation. Rather than constructing units, they acquire all forces—including Saboteurs and Deviator Tanks—through purchase. Though absent from Frank Herbert's original novels, Ordos appear in non-canonical materials such as The Dune Encyclopedia.

Development

More than 25 individuals contributed to the game's development team.

Reception

According to the review compilation site GameRankings, the game garnered a range of responses on both platforms. The PC edition was criticized by GameSpot for its lackluster production quality compared to 1998 benchmarks and for persistent balance problems, despite efforts to enhance unit equilibrium from the original version. Meanwhile, Next Generation recognized Westwood's commitment to their creative direction but questioned the choice to develop another remake instead of producing a genuine sequel.

Peter Suciu from AllGame awarded the PC version four and a half stars out of five, describing it as "an immediate classic" appealing to both fans of the original and real-time strategy aficionados. On the other hand, Glenn Wigmore rated the PlayStation release three and a half stars, commending its fluid graphics, sound design, varied gameplay options, and the successful integration of PlayStation peripherals, resulting in a comprehensive gaming experience.

Open source

The game engine recreation initiative OpenRA supports Dune 2000, thereby broadening the game's availability on contemporary platforms.