Homeworld 2

"Long ago, you returned from exile. But now, fate will not be so kind..."

Homeworld 2, the sequel to the 1999 ''Game of the Year.''
This game is a space real-time strategy, where you have to watch not just around you, but above and below too.
The sequel continues the adventures of a race called the Kushan, or Hiigarans as they are now known. Its 150ish years in the future from Homeworld 1, and the Galaxy is in war once again. The Vaygr, a nomadic warrior race from the Eastern fringe, are moving in towards the Galactic Core, and are striving to get the Second Core from you. But you might have something to say about that...

Gameplay 9/10

The gameplay and controls have improved a lot from the original Homeworld. Most actions can be performed with a simple right-click. For example, if I had selected a Marine frigate and right-clicked on a a destroyer, the Marine Frigate would move in to capture the enemy. The keyboard shortcuts are also very simple. And moving the camera takes very little time to get used too.

To build your fleet, you must first gather resources with the Collectors. Once you have an adequate amount, you can start building Facilities and Modules on your Mothership. Facilities let you build certain types of ships (Platforms, Frigates, Capital Ships etc.) and Modules do various things like allow hyperspace, improve weapon accuracy, cloaking etc.

When attacking an enemy with your selected ships, you can set the ship's tactics to evasive, neutral, or aggressive. The effects of the Tactics are fairly obvious. When engaging the enemy, Fighters and Corvettes will fly around and shoot while dodging fire, and big ships like battlecruisers and destroyers will sit there and unleash salvos upon salvos of missiles and beams (which look really cool!). When attacking, you can do more than just destroy the ship. You can take out it's facilities so it can't make ships, which is a good idea if the enemy is too strong to take out itself. Or you can take out it's weapons and engines, so a Marine Frigate will be able to capture it.

This game, however, is quite hard. It seems to adjust the enemy fleet strength to your fleet. So maybe building up a huge amount of ships isn't the best idea. There are also glitches that cause enemy fleets to attack before they should have. This has been fixed in the 1.1 Patch though, so make sure you download it.

Story 10/10

As the story starts out, we are at Hiigara, defending it from a seemingly endless force of enemys called the ''Vaygr''. Their leader, Makaan, thinks he is the chosen one, the Sajuuk-Khar, because he found the Third Core. He is now hell-bent on taking your core and the Bentusi's, so he can use the trinity to find Sajuuk. The story follows the Hiigaran's quest to find some power capable of defeating the Vaygr, and saving their Homeworld. The plot follows a more mythical way this time, with beautifully drawn black and white cut scenes that seemingly blend into the game. The story is also efficient in wrapping up the mysteries left behind in the first game (Ghost Ship, Junkyard Dawg etc.)

Graphics 9/10

If you have a decent computer, you will be blown away by the graphics. In some levels the background will be filled with planets, moons and nebula. When a ship gets damaged, you can spot smoke and holes on the surface. The weapon effects look amazing, in particular the missiles and beams. My only gripe is that a lot of time you will be zoomed out, so you can't really appreciate the graphics that much.

Sound/Music 9/10

Alright, the background music is simply amazing. The cutscene music really gets your blood pumping for a fight, and the battle music is really cool. The sound effects are really cool, such as the Ion Cannons firing. There is also battle chatter when a dogfight goes on long enough. Some of my favorite is from the Marines when they capture a ship, like ''Encountering light resistance, now taking the bridge.''

Replayability: 10/10

With a difficult campaign that will take awhile to finish, a 6 player multiplayer mode, and a Play vs. CPU mode that allows for lots of different battles and situations, the replayability on this game is very lengthy.

Should You Buy?

This is one of the best Strategy games ever. Being 3D as opposed to the flat board game type strategy games really works, and is easy to get a hang off. The story is amazing, the music and great, and the gameplay engine is magnificent. This will be a great addition to any strategy gamer's collection

Final Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/03, Updated 01/25/04