Dune Awakening is the latest offering from games developer Funcom, partnered with the Herbert estate and Legendary. Based in an alternative time line to the books and films ,( most recently the ones by Denis Villeneuve  other notable films by him include Blade runner 2049 and Arrival) , and in my opinion well worth watching even if not a Dune fan . The game aesthetics have been heavily influenced by Villeneuve's Films[101]

     From what I have seen and herd so far my impression is that the developers have worked closely with the Herbert estate in making the game as true to the cannon of Dune as they can , the back story up to to the point Jessica gives birth to a girl not Paul is the same and then the timeline changes as the various character arcs are now effected differently.

     The Game takes place in an alternate universe were Paul Atreides never existed. Lady Jessica gives birth to a daughter , foresees Yueh's betrayal and thus House Atreides is ready for the Harkonnen’s when they attack Arrakeen and survive the attack. Duke Leto petitions the Landsraad and the Emperor decrees that the war can continue however the war must be confined to Arrakis and the spice must flow and to ensure this he sends his Sardaukar to police the mining operations.

    The Fremen are " missing "  with propaganda saying they have been exterminated .... , part of the core story for the player is to find the Fremen. ( with the Fremen gone there a power vacuum which people are filling and moving into the lands they once fiercely protected.)

    You start the game as a nameless Prisoner on a large spaceship ;-

               Phase One you create and edit your appearance in all the following areas.

               Age , Name ,  Face Type  , Face Tattoos

               Body       Type , Hight , Arm and Leg Thickness , Neck Length Skin tone. 

               Nose        Size , Tip Size , Protrusion , Angle , Hight , Bridge Hight & width, Details.

               Skin         Skin type , Vitiligo (chronic autoimmune disorder that causes the skin to lose colour, resulting in white patches)

               Eyes         Colour , Sclera Tint , (White of the eye) , Details  , Squint , Angle , Hight , Width, Iris Size , Pupil Size.

               Eye           Makeup. Eyeliner , Colour , Strength.

               Eye Brows    Style , Colour , Details.

               Hair          Style , Colour 

               Beard       Style , Colour

               Lips           Style , Colour , Strength , Gloss , Metallic .  

               Phase Two  you make choices on who you were before the game starts , were you came from , your cast and your Mentor, this is                                                                      important as it determines your starting skills.

               Place         Giedi Prime , Chusuk , Caladan , Kaitain, Ix

                            Giedi Prime , Home world , " a heavily industrialised , volcanic world , the baronial Seat of House Harkonnen is controlled by a                                                                        network of dense urban enclaves "                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Dialogue Trait , Deception.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Unique Emote , Harkonnen Curse.                                 

                                    Chusuk , Home world , " a rich and Verdant agri-world of rolling hills and river-fed valleys, the "music planet" is the center of                                                                    culture and civility in th imperium "                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dialogue Trait , Cultured.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Unique Emote , Musicians Pose.

                                    Caladan , Home world , a temperate but storm wracked oceanic world ,the ancestral home of House Atreides is known for its                                                                   relaxed agrarian lifestyle and famous vineyards . "                                                                                                                                                                                                         Dialogue Trait , Honourable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Unique Emote , Atreides Salute.

                                   Kaitain , Home world , "A green and pleasant world with satellite controlled weather. The fates of many are decided within the                                                                  ornate halls of the Imperial Planet."
                                                     Dialogue Trait , Political.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Unique Emote , Elegant Bow.

               Cast            Bondsmen , Na-Familia , Pyon.

                            Bondsman , "The educated cast that serves the great houses and administers Imperial bureaucracy. Bondsmen are known casually as                                                               the 'citizen class '. "                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Dialogue Trait ; Bondsman.

                          Na-Familia , "A cast reserved for essential members of a noble household or retinue. Na-Familia are afforded certain privileges                                                                          and Protections by their status. "                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Dialogue Trait ; Nobility.

                                     Pyon , "The vast peasant labour force that dries the imperial engine. Pyon’s are bound to the fief in which they are live and are                                                               Considered the property of their Lord."                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Dialogue Trait , Pyon

               Mentor      A Swordsman ,  A Bene Gesserit Acolyte , A Mentat , A Trooper.

                   A Swordmaster , "Revered throughout the imperium. Sword-masters of the fallen Ginaz School still represent the pinnacle of fighting                                                                  prowess in the known Universe".                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Training , Sword-master.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Starting ability Deflection .Enter a defensive stance to deflect dart attacks. Initial skill selection dose not prevent later                                                              access to any skill." 

                  A Bene Gesserit , "A shadowy all Female order with a deliberately obscure agender. Adepts of the Sisterhood are prized by the                                                                                    nobility and feared by the rest of the imperium".                                                                                                                                                                                                            Training , Bene Gesserit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Starting ability Voice Compel .Use the voice to force someone towards your position from afar. Initial skill selection dose                                                          not prevent later access to any skill"

                           A Mentant , "A secretive and insular organisation , the order of Mentats conditions their adherents to store and analyse vast amounts of                                                     data at superhuman speeds.".                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Training , Recon and Strategy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Starting ability Battlefield Calculation , "Scan Nearby enemies and objects. gaining information about them. Initial skill                                                           selection dose not prevent later access to any skill."

                            A Trooper , "Every Great house of the Landsraad fields its own standing army or House Guard , and the backbone of these formations                                                         are career solders known as troopers".                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Training , Trooper                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Starting ability , Shigawire Cable . Shoot a barb that attaches to a surface , launching you towards that position. Initial skill                                                     selection dose not prevent later access to any skill."

               Then after crashing you are alone to face the worms (these are little ones ) , the heat and anything else that wants to kill you... a world                        were "the war of assassins" is raging , you wake in a cave ......... 

        The Game takes place on Arrakis aka Dune  , its a MMO  with elements of ;-

• Survival.
• Crafting.
• 3rd Person Shooter.
• PvP.
• Exploring  , Its advertised as having a vast scale and scope that's hoping to please fans of the books and recent Movies.
• Alliances.
• Pilot Vehicles like the iconic Ornithopters.
• Sand-worms.
• Base building.
• Turn Blood into Drinkable water.