Homeworld 3 review: long awaited sci-fi sequel is an unsatisfying saga
From history to myth
Homeworld 3 continues the story of the Hiigarans. Those who are new to the series need not worry, as there’s a “History of Homeworld” cinematic in the Extras menu that fills you in on the details. Under the leadership of Karan S’jet, the Hiigarans were able to reclaim their planet, all while fending off incursions from tyrannical empires. A century has passed since those victories, and Karan herself has passed from memory to myth. Now, Karan’s successor, Imogen S’jet, aims to guide the Khar-Kushan fleet as its navigator.
This kick-starts Homeworld 3’s campaign, one that introduces the threat of the Anomaly. A series of disturbances across the galaxy has seen the collapse of parts of the Hyperspace Gate Network, with planets destroyed and entire star systems darkened. It then leads to the introduction of a new threat: the Incarnate faction.
After playing the remastered Homeworld games and Deserts of Kharak, albeit briefly, I was interested in seeing the narrative arc develop in Homeworld 3. Upon completing the campaign, I walked away disappointed as the story is a step down compared to its predecessors’. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say that the narrative arc relies on tired old tropes, a rather comical villain, and objectives that feel far removed from what’s at stake.
Though the story disappoints, Homeworld 3 shines thanks to its real-time strategy gameplay. Borrowing from its predecessors, the game gives players control of a Mothership, the aforementioned Khar-Kushan, which is able to construct a variety of spacefaring vessels. These include everything from utility options like Resource Controllers and Probes, to fast Interceptor strikecraft, bulky Carriers, and massive Battlecruisers.
The idea, which is
similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors, is to use units that have a tactical advantage against opposing targets, while hitting them from the flanks or rear. For example, you can have Assault Frigates or Destroyers take the brunt of the damage, while Torpedo Frigates and Railgun Corvettes “snipe” enemy craft from further behind the line. Then, as you slowly draw in opposing squadrons, you can command Interceptors and Fleet Bombers to swoop in from a higher altitude.
The single-player campaign, which consists of 13 missions, presents an interconnected romp from one end of the galaxy to another. The idea is to build up your forces while preserving existing units, as they’re carried over from one mission to the next. Protecting the Mothership is also of utmost importance, since losing it leads to an abrupt game over.
There’s a missed opportunity to reinvent the wheel here. Given that units carry over to succeeding missions, I wondered why concepts such as veterancy (commonly seen in other strategy games), combat/heroic perks, or even some RPG flair (at least for the campaign only) weren’t included. Outside of basic upgrades, even ships that survived from the first mission until the very end still felt like generic units. There’s nothing wrong with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to an RTS. However, given the long wait for a mainline entry to the series, I was hoping for more intriguing step forward that coincided with the concept of building up a massive fleet with veteran units.
It doesn’t help that the campaign is poorly paced. The first two missions serve as rough tutorials, even though a separate tutorial already exists. Certain sections are fairly short, with objectives that are simple and straightforward, making you think that completing them would open up a bigger battlefield in the void — but then you realize that the mission is over.
Sci-fi strike force
Underneath its hood, Homeworld 3 sports both technical feats and problems. On the positive side, it looks absolutely stunning. Grand battles and ship dogfights in space are a wondrous sight to behold. There are plenty of jaw-dropping locations and maps such as derelict gate networks, frigid landscapes, and technologically advanced superstations. Perhaps my favorite is a mission that takes place in an area with hazy nebula clouds. The Mothership and all my units were hidden from view, but so were enemy forces. Near the end of the mission, all hell broke loose, leading to a dazzling display of lasers, cannonades, and explosions.
That strength is further complemented by modern camera controls, allowing for freedom of movement when looking at your fleet and surrounding areas. The user interface is more streamlined, with build queues for your Mothership (and Carriers) that have drop-down segments, as well as a population tab so you can quickly check and group ships of a particular type. Tactical pause is also a welcome feature in the campaign, as it allows you to stop the action so you can marvel at the sights or issue additional commands. It’s even possible to slow down time instead, giving you a window of opportunity to react to things as they occur.
.jpeg)
