Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

 PC
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

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  1. Jayson2016
    Mar 31, 2016
    4
    I love it for the fact it's trying to revive the RTS genre and ending the Homeworld universe. However, there are too many negatives for me to give it a higher score. First off, the need for AI to gather resources is removed from this game, all enemy units are spawned using scripts. The ENTIRE enemy unit catalog consists of about 8 units (heavy railgun, assault railgun, assault platform,I love it for the fact it's trying to revive the RTS genre and ending the Homeworld universe. However, there are too many negatives for me to give it a higher score. First off, the need for AI to gather resources is removed from this game, all enemy units are spawned using scripts. The ENTIRE enemy unit catalog consists of about 8 units (heavy railgun, assault railgun, assault platform, sandskimmer, production cruiser, honorguard cruiser, missile platform, repair frigate, air units only exist in the last mission) and with those it ends up being a contest of how long you can survive the endless script spawns.

    As to the campaign quality, the animation hearkens back to the original, but has improvements as it should be. I loved it, but it was TOO SHORT. They could have fleshed out this story so much more, and extended the playthrough. The entire campaign takes anywhere from 9-12 hours to finish, and for 50 dollars for the basic version and 69 for the DLC packs, it is awful.

    They had so much potential to make this a game series better than the Starcraft empire but fell short, swing and a miss.    … Expand
  2. Fiasco69
    Jan 28, 2016
    2
    A tremendous disappointment. 16 years after the original, it pales in comparison to the original Homeworld. It is a $20 game, not a $50 game. I've replayed the SP missions in HW1, HW2 and Cataclysm multiple times over the last 10+ years. I doubt I'll ever play this one again after completing it.
  3. Hecatone
    Jan 20, 2016
    3
    There are only 6 (although they are large) skirmish maps and you can only play as 2 sides/types which gets boring quickly. There also aren't very many units to choose from. Even on easy the AI just swarms you. The UI is decent but managing everything is overwhelming, without base building it's difficult to make a strong point where you don't have to micromanage... which wouldn't matterThere are only 6 (although they are large) skirmish maps and you can only play as 2 sides/types which gets boring quickly. There also aren't very many units to choose from. Even on easy the AI just swarms you. The UI is decent but managing everything is overwhelming, without base building it's difficult to make a strong point where you don't have to micromanage... which wouldn't matter because the enemy would just swarm you before you could research it anyway. The game looks pretty and the units (the few) are enjoyable and so is the story. The game isn't terrible but it left me just wanting to play Supreme Commander. If you get this game get it on sale or in a few years.… Expand
  4. Kluge
    Jan 22, 2016
    4
    Played around 60 minutes in the campaign, then determined experience had already peaked and moved on. It's wasn't enjoyable and I definitely have some buyers' remorse, but I can't really point to anything particularly bad. It's just kind of bland -- I had zero investment in the story, the gameplay felt identical to older games in the series without feeling like there was much improvementPlayed around 60 minutes in the campaign, then determined experience had already peaked and moved on. It's wasn't enjoyable and I definitely have some buyers' remorse, but I can't really point to anything particularly bad. It's just kind of bland -- I had zero investment in the story, the gameplay felt identical to older games in the series without feeling like there was much improvement outside graphics - and it is very pretty (but there's not too much opportunity to enjoy it since you need to be click-click-clicking).

    Persistence in campaign missions was nice. It gave more weight to what you were doing, rather than just asking you to spam a bunch of whatever until something works, no matter the costs. -But it didn't make the game fun, just more immersive in something I wasn't excited about being immersed in.

    The tech pacing felt completely unnecessary gameplay-wise and broke immersion. "Oh, we discovered this ship we flew and lost a few years ago, and now we remembered how to build a particular early-game tank." The tutorial's rendered pointless by the very slow initial pacing. Maybe I just don't have the patience anymore for games that don't throw everything they have at me at once. Eh/10    … Expand
  5. Viridovix
    Jan 26, 2016
    2
    The game does not have a tactical pause, as Homeworld did. I wish I could get my money back. The came is playable, but not enjoyable. If I needed a maddened click fest, there are better games to play.

    Don't waste your money here.
  6. clarky
    Jan 31, 2016
    0
    Unskippable Cutscenes put the max score to 4. After 4 minutes of my time, I still could not play. Since they locked me out of the game with this choice, I can only give it Zero.
  7. Terrier
    Jan 27, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review is based in the single player campaign mission:

    This story is mostly jewish vs white/arabs in planet Arrakis. Why?. Let's me explain you. This game uses the next sets of names:
    a) silly names = for name the ships.

    b) Random names may be pronounced in Klingon, such adding K, X and apostrophes at random.

    c) Jewish names for the main characters (the main character and his brother).

    And the enemies are exactly than a stereotyped arabs (their acts, believed and even their accent) with the difference of the masks and without the mask they are nordics. And of course, some videos show arabs songs.

    BUT, its not the problem, the problems so far:
    -The story is stupid, the enemies found the technology but they do practically nothing in 3 years, while our good guys advanced exponentially in just days. And in the end, the game explains nothing, but who cares, they killed the enemies (even when they was defending his soil). And guess that?, the "technology" exists since forever. How?. Beats me.
    -Also, the story talks about the NORTH, and they should go to the NORTH but the maps shows the EAST. I know that its a rotate maps but its just a burden.
    -The game honors his name : its all deserts with little or not variation.
    -Technically the game is so-so, its not optimized and it lags here and there.
    -Visually the dunes are done fine but everything else is generic.
    -The units (as most players are saying) are disposable.
    -Its not the kind of RTS when you build building. Its one of those new RTS when you build units and collects resource.
    -It has a strategic map and its really important to use. But the strategic map doesn't show the impassable terrain.
    -The AI is simple :some units are suicides, other units hits and run and others just patrols around the map.    … Expand
  8. SoakerCity
    Mar 6, 2017
    4
    They took out the tactical pause. This means that you play the whole game from the ugly radar view, and it devolves into franticlicking and overuse of strategic control grouping, with almost no tactical action. This is a fail.

    Lots of people will hack at the gamers, like me, who want tactical pause for the main reason that it it makes the game look beautiful. My favorite part of    They took out the tactical pause. This means that you play the whole game from the ugly radar view, and it devolves into franticlicking and overuse of strategic control grouping, with almost no tactical action. This is a fail.

    Lots of people will hack at the gamers, like me, who want tactical pause for the main reason that it it makes the game look beautiful. My favorite part of homeworld was pausing huge battles or vistas to take in the graphics and let the imagination run wild. The lack of a tactical pause removes this key element.

    To be clear- I try to avoid tactical pause, because it makes the game much easier. I am not willing to give it up though, as it ruins the game for me to have to stay in the overhead view, and not be able to be the Director of my own space opera. The original games were challenging with tac pause. Why? Why remove it?

    The removal of tactical pause holds this game back from a much higher score, and it was a stupid decision to remove the option entirely. Sorry, I played the game for a few missions, but I will not be completing it because of this horrible decision to remove a fundamental gameplay element from Homeworld.    … Expand
  9. mikhailmaldonag
    Mar 12, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Review en Español para los interesados.

    Sepan lo siguiente, la mayoría de los que pusieron notas altas al juego lo hicieron: 1) por amor a homeworld original (fan services) y 2) porque pusieron la nota después de jugar el primer día.

    Las primeras horas el juego está bien. Pero no pasa de ser lo mismo.

    Multiplayer nulo. A.I. NULA.

    Las misiones single player son lo único que van a hacer, si bien la historia es interesante está llena de cliches y hasta la forma de hablar es repetitiva, diálogos muy gastados de otros juegos y los "twist" son un remedo de ello.

    El juego no está terminado, no es lindo, hay pocas texturas, está mal optimizado. El juego en sí es muy lento y todas las unidades son innecesarias después de la 3ra Misión. Usas tu base como vehículo de ataque principal y saca unidades a medida que necesites nomas, ZERO TÁCTICA necesitas. La computadora solamente hace lo mismo una y otra vez, 1 tanque grande, + 2 o 3 o 5 unidades a distancia (railgun) + 5 unidades pequeñas.

    No hay estrategia y este juego sin terminar, sin muchos detalles es la prueba que el RTS está muriendo :D.

    Resumen:

    Gráficas: 1
    Sonido: 1
    Jugabilidad: 1 (super límitada para el 2016, es como jugar Dune 2000)
    Historia: 1
    Nivel de Estrategia: 0
    Horas de juego en Hard solo modo historia sin Skirmish: 6
    con Skirmish: 10 (menos mapas que dedos de las manos y 2 razas exactamente iguales y la pc repite el mismo patrón de ataque siempre, te desafío a jugar mas de 4 veces sin aburrirte)

    En resumen, si gastas 60 dolares por este juego vas a invertir un promedio de 5 dólares/hora.    … Expand
  10. Wiebe
    Feb 27, 2020
    4
    Old game showing its age. Just to old, slow and shallow for a game today...

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

Critic Reviews

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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. Ragequit.gr
    Apr 6, 2016
    85
    Although Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak doesn’t reinvent the wheel, there is no denying that it is a superb example of how modern Real Time Strategy games should look, feel and play. Accessible, intense and hauntingly beautiful at times, it manages to present a gripping tale of agony and desperation through one of the best single player campaigns the genre has ever witnessed.
    Read full review
  2. IGN Denmark
    Apr 6, 2016
    80
    A rock solid take on the RTS genre, and a game not trying to be something it's not.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Mar 30, 2016
    75
    People who brought us HD editions of original Homeworlds now offer a good RTS with an engaging but rather short (9 hours) story. [03/2016, p.40]
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