Additionally, games can now include relics which can be collected to provide powerful boosts – a nod to the original developers of the game I’m sure. It’s exciting, though the two factions from the first game do strongly mirror each other, so the faction diversity won’t exactly be a four way split. The multiplayer of the two games has been congealed together, allowing the two factions from the first game to play with or against the factions of the second game. This may very well help balance out the new economy drain from resource. While this may be an intimidating addition to resource pressure, one other change helps waylay this to a degree: the mechanic from Homeworld 2 where larger ships leave harvestable debris when destroyed has carried over to Homeworld 1’s campaign. This change adds an additional drain on one’s economy that one has to account for, where previously the only cost was building more research ships to hasten the research duration. This is a notable change as previously it was free, but the toll was the time it took to research. Firstly, research now costs resources over time while active, as is the case in Homeworld 2. While Homeworld 2’s campaign has changed little from what I’ve seen, Homeworld 1 has one or two different things that I’ve noticed. Setting the visual and audio improvements aside, let’s talk about changes to the campaigns. Additionally the voice actor for Karen S’jet in Homeworld 1 has returned to voice her character in Homeworld 2, where previously she was unable to due to pregnancy. That said, while playing I’ve unfortunately noticed a tendency for popping to suddenly appear for a while – thoughthat’s hopefully fixed in the final game. The audio has been remastered as well, now in high definition and crystal clear. The galactic glow that emanates from nebulae now actually emits light, which is then obstructed by ships as they fly past it, making for some truly astounding visual scenery. They have woven in some neat tricks however. In particular they’ve done a lot to retain the wonderful abstract nature inherent in so much of the background art, which makes it all the more familiar to fans. It’s not necessarily immediately obvious how much they’ve improved, as the developers have worked towards capturing the essence of what fans remember rather than just pouring direct space candy into our eyes. It’s not only the ships that have leapt forward graphically, but the beautiful environmental art has been visually beefed as well. An embarrassingly large portion of my time with the game was just looking at how all the ships from the original game look in the remaster, like a child running from counter to counter in a space laser-candy store. It provides a pleasing blunt and industrial look that was largely lost in the original game. ![]() Suddenly, where previously a ship’s hull was flat surface with vague pixel-texture, there’s now large external piping snaking along the hull, with sections of grated outlets from within windows can be seen. This comes across most strongly, I feel, with the larger Taiidan ships from Homeworld 1. Something of a secret bonus to fans is that the hefty upgrade in detail allows a clearer look into the original design intent behind ship designs. Unicorns-defecating-rainbows-while-high-fiving-flying-fire-tigers gorgeous. Did I mention how gorgeous it is? Because it is pretty fantastically gorgeous. ![]() Merely being able to play Homeworld 1 on my PC again without jumping through hoops is a huge plus, allowing me to re-experience those moments so important to me. Having had a chance to play the game hands on, it’s been a fantastic experience. ![]() ![]() Needless to say, I was somewhat pleased with the announcement. While Homeworld 2 lacked much of the mystery of the first game, it more than made up with it by being absolutely beautiful to look at while in action, bringing the artwork of 90’s sci-fi books and rock albums to life.Īs such, the announcement that Gearbox would use its recently acquired Homeworld IP to rebuild and re-release both Homeworld games temporarily reverted me into my twelve year old self having just been told I get Disneyland in my own back yard. It was a powerful experience for me, and certain moments from that first game are chief among the most cherished gaming memories I have. The innovation of fully three dimensional movement (something which is still largely unseen in RTS games since), the beautiful atmospheric music, the even more beautiful art of distant nebulae, and the mystery and wonder of the tale being told of the Exile’s journey home. A game that, at the age of twelve, was an utterly wondrous experience for me. It’s been nearly two decades since Homeworld first released.
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