Because we are dedicated to honest customer opinions Emperor: Battle For Dune (Video Game), we have also included Amazon's customer reviews for this item (of which 6 are displayed below). Amazon customers have given Emperor: Battle For Dune an average rating of 4.0/5.
Top Amazon Review
OK, it's a prequel but Emperor: Battle for Dune is based on a science fiction classic that advocates planetary war and intergalactic drug dealing. How can it lose? Especially when you consider that Dune II and the Command and Conquer series are testament to Westwood's capability in the RTS arena. Thankfully, after a long wait, they've turned out another oasis of a strategy game with Emperor. Three great houses have been granted the right to war with each other in a bid to dominate production of the Universe's favourite tipple, the spice melange. Playing as the Atreides, Harkonnen or Ordos, you must strive to gain control over the Dune planet, its spice resources and, ultimately, the galaxy. Harvest spice and earn money to build facilities and resources, whilst usurping your rivals' own hold over spice production. Needless to say, your two rivals are out to do the same, so fold in some alliances to broker and break and you are presented with over 150 missions (50 for each house) of well-plotted and compelling saga. The move from 2-D to 3-D works brilliantly, with impressive camera zooming, panning and rotation, enhancing the building and battling scenes no end. Sound is generally good, save for odd units' cheesy mottos, which we'll dismiss as a nod to the film. Emperor: Battle for Dune could easily have been just a grain in the vast RTS desert but Westwood have taken the significant elements of the Dune universe and woven them into a technically superb and innovative title, packed with missions, features and (even) great cut scenes. A treat for fans of both genre and story and for those wanting to ease their way into the gentle art of strategy and war.
Customer Review 1
WESTWOOD GOES OUT WITH A BANG!. 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...
Customer Review 2
Best. Game. EVER!. Well, effectively... certainly the best RTS I've played. Emperor seemed to be what I _wanted_ Star Wars: Empire at War to be. It's fast, well balanced and just generally sweet.
Don't take that the wrong way... Empire at War is definitely good but it's the opposite of Emperor.
Emperor is the final culmination of everything Westwood learnt from C&C distilled into a beatiful RTS experience. The three sides are all quite different and it makes for excellent gameplay... the single player campaign doesn't have any of the irritating weirdness of Red Alert.. it's mostly just "DESTROY ALL HARKONEN!" depending on who you're fighting ofcourse... though there are some nice secondary objectives thrown in along the way... and the politics with the sub houses is a nice addition, making for interesting gameplay and adaptable tactics.
Better than Generals. ;)
Customer Review 3
"Bi-la Kaifa!!". "Amen!!" in the Fremen tongue to the previous review.
Yep, Emperor: Battle for Dune is the best game of this style Ive ever played and I cant imagine it getting much better! All three of the great houses are back to once again wage war on dune for its much sought after drug the Spice Melange for its prescient and restorative properties to name a couple. The noble Atreides, the evil Harkonnen and the devious House Ordos (that Ive only ever seen mentioned in the Dune Encyclopedia book from the genius of the series Frank Herbert).
The same applies in style as with the previous Dune games by Westwood Studios but this time the Houses have more individuality, strengths and weaknesses and so on and so forth, The Atreides are good defenders and have repair vehicles, the Harkonnen are good attackers and have atomics as a special weapon (the deadly Death Hand missile that now poisons the ground it hits for a short period of time) and the Ordos are good all-rounders but more towards subterfuge and strange technologies just to name a couple of them. The same applies to buildings and vehicles as these are all designed differently too.
Graphically this still looks nice now 5 years down the line and units retain nice sharp detail when you zoom in on them and they have nice smooth movement. The Ordos vehicles hover for example and you will notice them gently swaying when close to them. The maps are also nicely textured and detailed with broken buggies and the odd dead sandworm lying around and civilian settlements dotted about (great for burning when youre the Harkonnen!)
Gameplay wise its more tactical, involving the taking of territories or resigning them when under attack. Each territory apart from the main objective can have a sub objective like helping one of the few sub houses (The Fremen, The Tleilaxu, The Ixians or the Sardaukar) which when aided enough will help you throughout the rest of the game, being careful not to upset the balance as the Ixians are enemies of the Tleilaxu! Each sub house also has its massive advantages.
The sound is also top notch with Fremen battle cries, Harkonnen taunts and superb vehicle noises like the Harkonnen Buzz Saw and the whir of the Ordos craft. Again with all Westwood outings the music is also great and again individual to each house.
Verdict 10 out of 10!! The spice must flow!
Customer Review 4
BEST STRATEGY GAME EVER!. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent on this game. Think of the addictiveness of the first Red Alert, spruce it up with acceptable 3D graphics (far too many people say the graphics are bad, but they're nit-pickers and shouldn't have a say). With 3 sides, and a fully environmental planet: there's enough to keep you occupied for months, but you learn something new about it every now and then (new tactics + techniques which you actually feel you have a part in). Well, if the three campaigns aren't enough for you with the GREAT, GREAT, GREAT gameplay (don't forget the price either!) then what about the subhouses - really make alliances, not just some manufacturer's promise to gain sales, but a real good aspect of the campaign, which can affect the missions you take part. Not only that, but for each campaign you can choose whichever province you wish to attack and so you can choose which mission you take part in and against which enemy. Needless to say that all the other reviews will add on what I've said. Just buy it!
Customer Review 5
Massively Underated. One of the best real time strategy games ever created! I've played most of them and the only one that I enjoyed more was Starcraft.
