Sierra HOMEWORLD2 Homeworld 2 [retail Box] [windows 98/me/2000/xp] Review
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You could call this game many things, and say many things about it as well. You could possibly call it dull, confusing, far too complicated. You could criticize the game for its only 95% faithful performance when run on vista+outdated graphics card. You could say that the levels are too challenging, and the system in which the difficulty of the mission is relative to how many ships you produced in the previous level, and you could say that is just far too complicated for the casual gamer.
However, the almost heart breakingly beautiful storyline, plus the emotional attachment you get to the Lemon-wedge shaped mother ship keep you focused and interested for hours on end. The tutorials are more than helpful, and there is an army of PC gamers who blog day in-day out on strategy and control tips for this game, making confusion an easily (and probably common) solved problem. Despite the concept of Combat in 3D space, hot keys and group control make navigating almost never a problem, as the levels rarely consist of just plain navigating through space. Made in 2003, the game was revolutionary in its graphics for the time. The 3D Modeling is really crisp and the maps in the game aren't ever in just "Deep Space". Planets, Asteroid fields, those glowing sparkly thingies, nebula clouds, and suns make the environment rich in detail. The ship-production to enemy ship/skill level ratio actually is very simple, the less ships you have at the end of the level, the less enemies there will be at the beginning of the next level, and therefore it is easy to control the difficulty of your game. The less ships you make, the easier it will be. Yes, like other real-time strategy games, it involves complex strategies and logistics, varying every mission, wheather it be fighter rushes or boarding parties to capture other ships, each mission is unique and fun in its own way.
Lets Talk Graphics.
For its time, the graphics were outstanding. It may seem a bit rough for the casual console gamer, but keep in mind PC games vary and my HP has 64 MB of video memory and a 2.2 GHz processor runs the game decently. The only problem I had was the panning gets a little bit lagged when playing 6player skirmish mode, in which the data of hundreds of ships becomes a burden for my computer. Nonetheless, it runs great for the most part. The ships are really cool looking as well. The Sleek designs of the ships are the works of our Humanoid fictional cousins-The higarans, who have designed their ships in very human like designs. No Zerg-Esque tentacles or massive blobs of flesh to battle. The first time you see your ships engage the enemy, there is a breath taking wow factor that will keep you interested for hours. The ability to focus on any unit allows you to view the battle from many different views making the engagements of your ships so fast paced and intense, you just might forget your the one commanding them! (Happened to me the first time, lost the first mission because of it :)) Plus, the ability to zoom in on the ships lets you view Sierra and Relics fine modeling work, giving each unit type a unique look. Visually: Phenominal
Gameplay.
Gameplay would seem very complicated navigating in a fully 3 dimensional world, but the maps in the missions are more oval or egg shaped rather than a sphere of moveable space. Therefore, While altitude changes are a vital factor in your strategy, in the overall gameplay, altitude isn't that big of a factor. And navigation is simple. to move your unit across space right click on the area you have focused, and a convenient little disk that overlaps objects appears so you can tell where your going, and to go up or down, hold left click, forward to move up, backward to move down. The game also features smart grouping, rather than just assigning groups of units who will attack one target than stand idle until destroyed. No, by grouping units, you must drag over a group of enemy units, and your ships will automatically attack the type of unit they were designed to. Say you grouped two squadrons of bombers and two squadrons of interceptors (space fighters) and ordered them to attack a frigate and a group of fighters, the bombers would automatically attack the frigate while the fighters attacked the enemy interceptors. While some of you may enjoy the tedious clicking, the intensity of the space battles will make you wish you could simply sit back and watch, making the smart group control a really nice feature.
Difficulty.
While I explained the system of difficulty earlier, I must clarify I think. Aside from level one, you start each level with the ships you had in service at the end of the previous level. By in service, I am implying that you can retire ships and put them out of action on your own. The one cheap thing about the game is that you get a new supply of resources at the beginning of each mission. This is a bit cheap, because the amount of ships you have changes how many ships (and their skill) the enemy have, so by simply retiring your ships at the end of each mission, you can start the next one with a large amount of resources to build up a massive fleet against a few enemy ships, which can make the game easier for beginning players. If you choose not to do this, be prepared. Alot of people complain that the game is too challenging. Really guys? How about grow some brains and think about it? Yes of course the game is challenging, and will challenge your thought and your strategic skills. However, the units have very clearly defined roles, which make tactics a little more straight forward, but not necessarily easier, just a little less confusing. It isn't like star-craft, in which each unit might be good at something but doesn't have a clear cut role. In home world, each ship and unit has a specific role.
Level of Fun
this game will make you laugh, cry, slam your fists in frustration and shout for joy, it will make you jump out of your chair and dance like a mad man, but the satisfaction of winning a battle is so huge, you'll just have to get the game and experience it on your own ;)
Sierra HOMEWORLD2 Homeworld 2 [retail Box] [windows 98/me/2000/xp] Feature
- Command the Mothership on a new journey, as its passengers travel to meet a new foe and learn more secrets about their exile
- Innovative new 3D engine and stunning special effects as you command the armada around including giant asteroids, massive derelicts, gas clouds, and nebulae light years across
- Avoid the dangers of space and maneuver into combat formations as you come under attack
- Use the abilities of new ships like the flak corvette and the marine frigate for new tactical choices
- **Vibrant Modding comunity with mods like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica (These do require some online searching and extra effort to get working)
Homeworld 2 Continues The Epic Struggle Of The Hiigarans And Their Leader Karan Sjet. Many Thought Their Hardships Would End When They Returned To Hiigara Yet Fate Has Not Been So Kind To The Exiles.now The Hiigarans Face A New And Bitter Enemy A Renegade Clan From The Eastern Fringes Of The Galaxy Who Wield The Power Of The Ancients. homeworld 2 Chronicles The Valiant Journey Of The Mothership And Its Crew Into The Oldest Regions Of The Galaxy To Confront Their New Foe And Discover The Truth Behind Their Exile. you Will Face New Challenges And Threats To Your System Home Planet And Fleet. a Carefully Crafted Sequel That Stays True To The Epic Spirit Of The Original Homeworld 2 Delivers An Immersive And Satisfying Experience To New Players And Loyal Fans Alike. totally New 3d Enginean Innovative 3d Engine Generates Cinematic-quality Graphics Stunning Special Effects And Beautifully Rendered Ships. the Sublime Vistas And Otherworldly Splendor Of Homeworld 2 Are In The Award-winning Tradition Of The Original. in-game Cinematics Flow Seamlessly In And Out Of Gameplay As Players Command Their Armada Around Eerily Beautiful Phenomena Of Deep Space Including Giant Asteroids Massive Derelicts Gas Clouds And Nebulae Light Years Across. streamlined Interfacecontrol The Whole Game With A Few Mouse Clicks. A Streamlined Interface Lets Players Take Total Control Of Their Ships And Explore The Universe. and All-new Camera Panning Makes Maneuvering Fleets In The Thick Of Battle Easier Than Ever. zoom In To See Objects In Intricate Detail Zoom Out To Get A Panoramic View Or Rotate Your View Of Deep Space A Full 360 Degrees. a Stunning Deep-space Environment in The Dynamic 3d Universe Of Homeworld 2 The Awe-inspiring Phenomena Of Deep Space. giant Asteroids Huge Derelicts Murky Gas Clouds And Vast Nebulae Pulse With The Energy That Permeates The Cosmos. these Fully Interactive Phenomena Some Strategically Helpful And Others Fraught With Danger Add Another Dimension To Gameplay. ...
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homeworld 2 rocks - N. Mitchell - Marysville, CA
this game was great ive played alot of rts games and this is by far the best space based rts since starcraft, tons of units and plenty of customization make this game great for the player who has alot of time on his hands enjoy!
homeworld2... cwet - Damon Hewitt - socorro, NM
this happens to be the first pc game i ever got and i liked ever since the day i played the demo. unfortunately
i broke the cd and had to get another one boy am i glad that i did. the game is exactly how i remember it awesome the graphics are great and i just went to online multilayer and people stay play online not bad for a game trademarked in 2003. the story line is great as a higirian you lead an solar navy though battle against mainly the vagyr and other races that are trying to take your home planet from and obtain 1 of the 3 hyperspace cores from you to get to the old ship sajuuk which old but very powerful. i dont want to tell to much of the story so ill stop here. get the game you wont be disappointed if you like real time strategy games
Jul 09, 2010 04:15:09
