Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

 PC
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. Ars Technica
    Jan 20, 2016
    A game at war with itself. The continuity from mission to mission encourages you to play in the most boring fashion possible, while the game's challenge and length never makes doing so necessary.
  2. PCGamesN
    Jan 19, 2016
    I’m not going to beat around the bush here: Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is the greatest RTS I have played since I first started flirting with StarCraft II. It’s blessed with the detail of Wargame, the interesting terrain of Company of Heroes and the iconic style of its space-based predecessors. Diverse, distinct units; a genuinely compelling sci-fi story of mythic proportions; and absolutely the best sound design in the genre work toward making it a stand out RTS.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jan 21, 2016
    Deserts of Kharak does manage to be standalone as well as prequel to an old series, and if you’re tired of the twitchy frenzy which grips so many latter-day RTSes, Kharak is a smart and beautiful destination whether or not you still dream of Hiigara. It might be set on land, but by recent RTS standards it’s nonetheless reaching for the stars.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best PC Game of 2016
62
#62 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
87
#87 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 233 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 167 out of 233
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 233
  3. Negative: 22 out of 233
  1. Solsixxa
    Jan 24, 2016
    7
    This review was super hard to me to write. Only because i LOVE the Homeworld universe!. i even named my dog S´jet.
    Well, fineshed the game    This review was super hard to me to write. Only because i LOVE the Homeworld universe!. i even named my dog S´jet.
    Well, fineshed the game today, and wow its was mixed feeling all the way. graphics it beautiful. just as expected. my the story was... not horrible. but they could have done some much more.
    Why couldn't we see the Hyperspace core discovered? Seeing all clans unite in peace to find there real home.

    Game was SO easy!, i completed in hard, and had 5000 RU´s to spare. This game reminds me of the 90´game Dark Reign? anybody remember that?

    Well, if you are a hardcore homeworld fan get it. If you love the story of homeworld, and would like to se more, you will get disappointed. game seams rushed :(    … Full Review »
  2. Azzanation
    Jan 21, 2016
    10
    Homeworld is one of those franchises that its story holds up really well. Being a prequel fits in so well. Deserts of Kharak plays just likeHomeworld is one of those franchises that its story holds up really well. Being a prequel fits in so well. Deserts of Kharak plays just like Homeworld Originals except on land. It has always had one of the best RTS gameplay designs. The sounds alone are amazing. This game is a must buy for those who loved the Homeworld series and a must buy for RTS fans. Story holds up well, gameplay is fun and simple and the game design is top notch. While the visuals aren't super computer pushing, its enough to create an amazing atmosphere for this great game.

    I will be looking forward to the next Homeworld game.    … Full Review »
  3. Avadon
    Jan 20, 2016
    8
    **Note: I have not finished the campaign yet, it's quite lengthy, but really enjoyed the part that I played. This is more of a heads-up,**Note: I have not finished the campaign yet, it's quite lengthy, but really enjoyed the part that I played. This is more of a heads-up, rather than a full review. Cautiously take into consideration.

    With the exception of Starcraft 2, pretty much all RTS games that have been released in the past decade have had lousy single player campaigns AND underdeveloped/unbalanced/poor online components. Deserts of Kharak at least has a good single player campaign. It's not HW1-tier, but I'd say it's just as good as HW2's, in term of its effectiveness.

    Is it worth the asking price? The answer to that depends on who you are. If you are a big fan of the atmosphere and storytelling of the series and are mostly interested in the campaign and maybe a few online matches with a friend here and there, then DoK delivers. If you are a competitive player that doesn't really care about single player, and that's looking for a SC2 replacement (for some reason), this is not it. The depth and variety just isn't even in the same ballpark.

    I belong in the first category, so I will score this highly. It gave me a good campaign, and I've been growing increasingly sick and tired of ONLY Blizzard giving a crap about that extremely important aspect of RTS games, and then reading devs saying that people are not interested in the genre anymore. No. People are just not interested in bad RTS games. DoK is half-great, half-poor. If it receives post-launch support and even an expansion later down the line, it can become actually great. Let's hope for the latter.    … Full Review »
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