Emperor: Battle for Dune Video Preview

Westwood's imminent real-time strategy game, Emperor: Battle for Dune, is the follow-up to Dune II, which is generally considered to be the game that defined the entire real-time strategy genre as we know it. As such, Emperor has some pretty big shoes to fill. In this exclusive video preview with Westwood Studios' cofounder and general manager, Louis Castle, we give you a close look at some of the features in the game--as well as its impressive graphics and cinematics--to show you why Emperor: Battle for Dune may well live up to the high expectations.

Emperor: Battle for Dune will let you take control over one of three powerful factions from the Dune universe, including the Atreides, the Harkonnen, and the Ordos. It'll also let you forge alliances with several other factions, including the mysterious Guild and the powerful Sardaukar. The game is heavily inspired by the 1984 movie by David Lynch, whose unique vision of the science-fiction universe introduced in Frank Herbert's novels lends Emperor: Battle for Dune an equally distinctive style. This style clearly comes across in every aspect of the game, and you'll get a good sense of it when you see Emperor in motion.

The game's title alludes to its central conflict: a battle for supremacy over the desert planet Arrakis, which is the only source of an extremely potent chemical, known as "the spice," that's essential for space travel. Each of the three central factions has its own reasons for pursuing this valuable substance. The plot for each faction will unfold in impressive full-motion video sequences throughout the game. You'll see some examples of these in the video preview as well.

Emperor: Battle for Dune is scheduled to ship in mid-June.