It is commonplace now, but remakes of high-profile video games were much less prominent in the 90s. Even though Wikipedia says that game remakes are as old as the late 80s, I remember Dune 2000 as one of the earliest examples where the developers could no longer watch how the passage of time had made their classic nearly unplayable for modern audiences. Dune II was of course the game that defined the modern real-time strategy game, but 6 years and a similar number of Command & Conquer/Warcraft games later, it is hard to imagine that there was once a time where commanding a large squad of tanks in unison was not an option.
So kudos to Westwood for not giving in to the false dogma of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', often purported by purists who think that everything is perfect beneath the veil of their nostalgia. Fortunately, the video game community is much more forgiving to remakes than movie fans, and we got what we wanted.
The clever thing about this remake is that it keeps things recognizable, and improvements were made where they were due. The buildings and the units retain much of their old designs from Dune II, but with better graphics, as do the surroundings. The music, easily one of the best parts of the original game, is also kept, but now in all its orchestral glory. I cannot praise this enough, as the score in the original and the remake is not only epic and immersive, it also adapts to the situation (e.g. when an enemy attack takes place). In fact, the things that bothered me about Emperor: Battle for Dune were that they ditched many of the familar elements, and replaced the lush score with rock music.
The overhaul wasn't merely cosmetic, as the controls were updated to an interface that made the warfare much easier and more intuitive. The Command & Conquer engine was used to great effect, as tank rush and context-sensitive commands are now available. A successful effort was also made to give the three houses a more unique character. There are subtle differences between the appearances, voices and capabilities of their respective units and some of their buildings, and this was also extended into the gameplay. The tactics of the brutal Harkonnen are clearly based on superior firepower, so while they generally have the strongest units, their reliance on total destruction rather than making allies is a potential weakness. The noble Atreides are less high-tech, but depend on their capacity to earn loyalty and form alliances with the indigenous Fremen; and while the Ordos are not great strategists, their talent for illegal technology, sabotage and emplying mercinaries more than makes up for that.
This all makes the game more balanced as a whole. I was never able to finish Dune II with the Ordos, because their specialties (Deviator and Saboteur) were quite insignificant compared to the Atreides' Fremen army or the Harkonnen Death Hand, so they were always at a big disadvantage. Dune 2000 also comes with cinematic cut-scenes and clear visual references to the David Lynch movie, so this makes the game a worthy re-imagination. No downsides? Well, I did miss a few of the original sound effects, like screams from soldiers and the Sandworm's roar. Other than that, it's a worthy improvement.
