The best Real Time 3D Strategy Game ever Created !!!! And that is no exaggeration.
I find myself revisiting this game time and time again, after I get fed up with all the hype of new releases, I seem to be magnetically drawn back to the iconic struggle this game depicts. I am still playing this game after 8 years, I own literally 100+ games, and like to think myself as quite knowledgeable when it comes to games, and I can say without doubt, that this is the only game that has been on my machine, and continually played since its release oh so long ago. The only two games which have even come close are Freespace 2 and Half-life, now replaced with its younger brother.
I tried to some up what makes Homeworld great, and the answer is you can't its the whole package. The story is engaging, and you identify with the race you are trying to save, the voice acting for the most part is flawless, the music is amazing, Agnes deí is the most wonderful, and resonant piece, it makes the game come alive. Everything down to the battle chatter between the various craft is great, and even seems cued to maneuvers and makes the battle unfold like from a game well ahead of its time.
If I had to be hyper critical of the game, then I would say the learning curve is extremely steep, if you have never played a 3D RTS before, the task can be daunting, and you really need to devote a day or two to really get the gameplay down, and you will be able to get fluid with the games controls. This might seem like a big investment, but it is definitely worth it.
Something to bare in mind, the patch that is out is a must, and when you have gotten to grips with everything, and are looking for a new challenge, you can find a copy of the NLIPS removal patch on the net, and try the game with this. Removing NLIPS will return everything to how the game was originally meant to be played. The fighters will now be tiny, and your cruisers huge. You will have little choice, but to use the TADS system they have implemented to help you find everything, as literally the fighters are so small, that you can only see there trails while zoomed out. This makes for a very interesting and realistic take on the game and extends the games life tremendously, as you basically have to start from scratch learning how to play without the scaling trick that the NLIPS used to keep small craft big, as you zoom away.
I can not stress how much this game has changed the genre, and to all extensive purposes, I will play this game for as long as operating systems support it, which I fear with vista won’t be much longer, however I wish to pay homage to the big grand daddy of them all, which I do by writing this review. I find it fitting to remember Homeworld, with the imminent release of the new Command and Conquer 3; I find it only right to show Homeworld its place in history. If this game was ever recreated, by RELIC, updated so that a new modern engine was used to show the same game, and the same music/gameplay, they could do no better then this game, but I would certainly be one of the first in line to buy the new release, and I know a lot of people who would feel the same.
To summarise, if you only ever play one complete 3D RTS, I advise it be Homeworld.
Matrix