Even though its release was delayed by over a year on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, Denis Villeneuve’s Dunewas both a critical and a commercial success. So too, it seems, was Dire Wolf Digital’s ambitious board game Dune: Imperium. When Polygon reviewed it in early 2020, we called out its easy-to-learn deck-building mechanics and its lightning-fast pace. Since that time, the game has gone on to achieve an excellent reputation among fans of strategy board games, and it’s been supplemented by multiple excellent expansions. So what’s up with this sequel, Dune: Imperium — Uprising?
Oddly enough, Uprising faces a similar hurdle as it comes to retail this November. The game is rushing into the busy holiday shopping season with all guns blazing: cards decked out with the likenesses of the film’s theatrical cast, a series of in-depth developer diaries to explain itself, and even a surprisingly low-key private tournament hosted by hype manufacturer Mr. Beast. But once again, the movie that the game is based on has been delayed, this time on account of the strike between the Screen Actor’s Guild and the AMPTP.
Can Dire Wolf succeed again in the face of these headwinds? Time will tell, but the good news is that Dune: Imperium — Uprising is excellent.
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There’s yet another wrinkle this time around, however. Uprising
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