The science fiction series Dune is once again a vibrant part of popular culture, with a new film version released in 2021, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Rewind more than twenty years and the remake of the popular video game Dune 2 arrived, featuring upgraded graphics and an overhauled story — this version was named Dune 2000.
The game was developed by Intelligent Games and later published by Westwood Studios in 1998.
In the years since, the game has been so instrumental in the industry’s evolution that Dune 2000 is often credited with setting standards for even modern RTS (real-time strategy) titles. After the original release, Westwood Studios was acquired by EA, which is why it’s hard to find a downloadable version you can install and play*.
The science fiction genre as portrayed in Dune
The Dune universe was created by author Frank Herbert and is considered soft science fiction—there’s both hard and soft science fiction.
Hard science fiction includes texts, films, or other media with rigid scientific rules governing what’s possible; it often focuses on future scientific and technological development.
In the soft subgenre there are fewer rules, so it often overlaps with other genres—for example, fantasy with magic-like elements, which we find in Dune and Star Wars. There’s greater focus on socio-political developments—more speculation about social and constitutional change than purely technological and scientific progress.
Frank Herbert’s universe has since expanded wildly through spin-offs and various media adaptations. Most recently (September 16, 2021), the latest Dune movie premiered, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa.
The game’s premise: a story of power struggles over scarce resources
The game takes place in a fictional universe where galactic war and travel are realities. Technological progress has taken a turn; all non-human intelligence (computers and the like) has been banned and destroyed after the so-called ‘Butlerian Jihad.’
Banning artificial intelligence and certain technologies doesn’t mean society stands still; instead, humans develop themselves and other forms of technology, such as extrasensory perception, linked to psychic abilities like telepathy, intuition, and clairvoyance.
The galactic struggle centers on the most valuable substance in the known universe: Spice (melange), found on the desert planet Arrakis (also called the desert planet ‘Dune’).
Choose one of the three mighty Houses: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, or House Ordos
In the game, Emperor Corrino challenges the mightiest Houses to gather as much spice as possible without specifying any rules. The winner will gain control of the desert planet.
If you choose to play as House Atreides, you hail from the ocean world Caladan, which in many ways resembles Earth, with a complex marine ecosystem and an equally biodiverse land-based system.
If you choose House Ordos, you’re from the barren ice planet Sigma Draconis IV (first named in Emperor: Battle for Dune, released in 2001). Ordos is known for its immense wealth, used to purchase units for their army. Their riches make them paranoid, leading to special strengths in sabotage and deception.
You can also choose House Harkonnen, rulers of the volcanic planet Giedi Prime. Fitting for such a scorched, ruined world, its people have abandoned much of their humanity to embrace as much brutality and malice as possible.
Note: you’ll need an emulator to play classic games like Dune 2000 on modern systems
For example, you can install DOSBox.
Gameplay - classic RTS with full-motion video segments
The gameplay will feel familiar if you’ve played a real-time strategy game before.
You’re introduced to the story (both at the very beginning and throughout the game) via short live-action videos with real actors (including John Rhys-Davies as Noree Moneo, mentat for Atreides). It feels like you’re part of a cinematic universe, broken up by strategic gameplay segments.
As in many other RTS games (such as Command & Conquer: Red Alert), you gather resources (here, melange), trade them for the currency Solaris, and then purchase units to defend, explore, or attack the planet’s other inhabitants in the fight for spice.
The game starts with a heavy fog of war (a mechanic that hides parts of the map in darkness), which lifts as you explore, revealing enemies and resource bases to battle over for victory.
Graphics settings - actually okay!
Considering this is a 1998 release, the visuals are surprisingly polished. Compared to many newer titles, such as Blizzard’s StarCraft II, there’s still a big leap in graphical fidelity—but if you go in knowing this is a twenty-year-old game, it should meet your expectations.
Moreover, the short live-action cutscenes help set the tone and make up for some graphical shortcomings. Many performances are strong, and you can almost forget you’re playing a game rather than watching a full-fledged movie.
Dune 2000 - A legend
Dune 2000 is an RTS legend you should absolutely try if you enjoy this genre. With the new Dune film in theaters, this is the perfect time to try something new (or revisit a classic).
The graphics reflect the game’s age, but the strong performances in the full-motion videos that tell the story help offset the sometimes muted visuals.
The gameplay is classic RTS, and the story is engaging—especially if you’re into soft science fiction with political themes, sociological and ethical dilemmas, and a still-relevant debate about resource extraction and the power struggles it fuels.
Download Dune 2000 free and command your way to victory
Top 5 tips to master Dune 2000
Want to dominate Arrakis? Here are five quick tips that boost your odds in Dune 2000 on PC:
- Ensure a constant spice income: Harvesters are your lifeblood. Protect them well—and build more! On maps with few spice fields, expand quickly.
- Use high ground and choke points: Just like in classic Dune 2000 maps, terrain offers big tactical advantages. Place turrets at narrow entrances.
- Micro your units: Units can get stuck—control them actively in battle. Use attack-move and pull back damaged units.
- Set rally points and production queues: In the Dune 2000 PC Big Box edition, you can set rally points—use them so new troops head straight into battle or to a staging area.
- Play each faction differently: Atreides have Sonic Tanks, Harkonnen have Devastators—learn strengths and weaknesses. Ordos plays differently and rewards cunning tactics.
