Dune 2000

Westwood
(PC, $109.95)
Reviewed by PETER ELEY

Frank Herbert meets Red Alert in this remake of Dune 2, the game that started the real-time-strategy craze.

There isn't much new here: if you have Red Alert you will experience more than a touch of deja vu.

To be fair, you probably will not buy this game unless you're a newcomer to real-time-strategy and want the latest game, or you're a die-hard fan who wants every title.

Dune 2000 has been criticised for its lack of originality, but it is a sound game from a company known for quality products.

And it is enhanced by cut scenes which capture the essence of Herbert's mysterious and haunting sci-fi novels.

There are some nice touches - especially the spice worms, which inhabit the melange beds, ready to devour any stray units.

The graphics are a touch sharper than Red Alert, but not up to the standard of Total Annihilation or Age of Empires.

The gameplay is good, if familiar, and this makes Dune 2000 worth the money.
Required: Pentium 90 (133 recommended), 16Mb Ram, 4xCD-Rom drive.
- 7DAYS, 22/10/97
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