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. akarnokd
    Dec 4, 2016
    8
    I liked this game, not many RTS' come out these days. I played the campaign and loved each mission, too bad it was that short (8 hours). I got it on 66% sale and since I'm not interested in multiplayer, it was a worth purchase at that price.
  2. Hector131
    Jan 21, 2016
    8
    Fun and graphically appealing. I don't know how long I will want to play it though. A relatively short campaign and only 5 Skirmish maps? Maybe the Steam Workshop will provide this game with longevity. The interface is seamless and intuitive if you've played any number of RTS games. Reminiscent of C&C Generals play style for me. Needs more units and/or factions. The two factions that itFun and graphically appealing. I don't know how long I will want to play it though. A relatively short campaign and only 5 Skirmish maps? Maybe the Steam Workshop will provide this game with longevity. The interface is seamless and intuitive if you've played any number of RTS games. Reminiscent of C&C Generals play style for me. Needs more units and/or factions. The two factions that it shipped with are too not noticeably different.… Expand
  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, 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    **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.    … Expand
  4. Sjalka
    Jan 22, 2016
    8
    First of all - i find it very ballsy (is that a term anyway?) to release a polished RTS at that time ... considering that the RTS market is all but dead - or so it seems atm.

    Alright - so what do you get when you add gravity and a surface to Homeworld? - NOT just Homeworld with those features added ... you actually get a completely new gameplay. Although Homeworld played mostly on a    First of all - i find it very ballsy (is that a term anyway?) to release a polished RTS at that time ... considering that the RTS market is all but dead - or so it seems atm.

    Alright - so what do you get when you add gravity and a surface to Homeworld? - NOT just Homeworld with those features added ... you actually get a completely new gameplay. Although Homeworld played mostly on a flat plane ... it happens in space - and one of the major downsides of Homeworld was/is - that space can only give you so many tactical options. Maps mostly varied by background and available resources.

    Now however - we get real terrain - and not just cosmetic terrain - but one that matters. So the tactical aspect of DoK is much greater than Homeworld - at least from my pov.

    There is also the aesthetics of Homeworld with its kind of clean and modular - yet oddly realistic look - especially realistic scaling. - that works quite well for ground units. The sense of scale works much better than in games of the Total Annihilation / Supreme Commander series - that also features gigantic units along with realistically scaled smaller units.

    Graphics have been upgraded from Homeworld 2 (and/or the remastered versions) - but maintain their design aesthetics well. Music and sound is good - but the sound is not quite as powerful as the sounds in Homeworld.

    The AI works well ... but is still kind of predicatable and not able to mount massive rushes or other stuff that human players tend to do. But it is certainly on the better side of AIs ... and well worth it - even for single players without access to multiplayer battles all the time.

    Performance-wise it runs well on full detail on lower end computers - but then it is not really a "fast" game.

    I must say that i did not expect much - actually i expected a disaster when i first hear of this title - because i thought it would compromise mobile gaming with Homeworld. (not so sure why - but i think i do remember that mobile ports were at least mentioned in that article that i read about it some time ago)

    I d put this game up in the same league as C&C Generals zero hour ... but not quite there yet. (Zero hour beats it with its vastly more varied and asymetric factions and game modes) - and Deserts of Kharak does not have the maps and faction variety to shine (yet).

    It is a solid 8/10 though - with great potential - considering the Homeworld modding community.    … Expand
  5. zestyzooplankto
    Jan 21, 2016
    10
    It's a beautiful and satisfying game. Gameplay feel's a lot like those old RTSs you don't see anymore: Red Alert, Dune, etc. Graphics are beautiful, and of course the Homeworld vibe is incredible. Highly recommend this!
  6. Honelith
    Jan 24, 2016
    8
    Loving the transition to ground vehicular combat, very enjoyable. The campaign is surprisingly good with great little cutscenes connecting each mission, some great writing on the dialogue and the art style is fantastic, it's incredibly immersive and the radio chatter is amazing to listen to as it's so varied. Small niggles about the annoying camera controls, your viewpoint feels too closeLoving the transition to ground vehicular combat, very enjoyable. The campaign is surprisingly good with great little cutscenes connecting each mission, some great writing on the dialogue and the art style is fantastic, it's incredibly immersive and the radio chatter is amazing to listen to as it's so varied. Small niggles about the annoying camera controls, your viewpoint feels too close to the battlefield especially when hills and mountains come into view, it's missing vital features which every RTS cannot do without and several other things they need to tweak and fix, but judging by their official forum they're already hard at work on more maps and fixes and improvements.

    It's a good solid return to the brilliant setting of Homeworld and I hope BBI continue to add and improve upon it. It's a safe addition to the Homeworld series but I just wish BBI did more with the time they spent on this game, it's good but not as great as it could have been.

    So, basically. What's great is the story, voice acting, dialogue, music, gameplay, immersive both visually and through its audio and easily replayable either through mastering the harder difficulty of the campaign because the gameplay is so enjoyable or multiplayer to see how cunning other Homeworld fans can be!    … Expand
  7. JonathanRL
    Jan 21, 2016
    10
    When it comes to franchises, I would feel that the most important thing is feeling. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak have plenty of feeling. It feels like a Homeworld game should while still inventing upon what makes the game good. It does not shy away from re-invention. It is not afraid to take risks.

    The music is terrific and adds a lot to the feeling - as does the story. While I have my    When it comes to franchises, I would feel that the most important thing is feeling. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak have plenty of feeling. It feels like a Homeworld game should while still inventing upon what makes the game good. It does not shy away from re-invention. It is not afraid to take risks.

    The music is terrific and adds a lot to the feeling - as does the story. While I have my doubts about some of it, it also explains other things without making them blatantly obvious. This is the Homeworld game we wanted. This is the game that is what Blackbird once told us it would be. This game is excellent.    … Expand
  8. Pech_SOG
    Jan 22, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game. Epic campaign. I don't MP so I won't speak to that but in terms of a tour de force single player campaign, this is it.

    I am baffled by complaints with regards to pacing and graphics. The game is glorious, it really transports you to another world. If anything it feels right out of the Dune novels. In terms of pacing/combat, it is wonderful that it is not a click fest.    Fantastic game. Epic campaign. I don't MP so I won't speak to that but in terms of a tour de force single player campaign, this is it.

    I am baffled by complaints with regards to pacing and graphics. The game is glorious, it really transports you to another world. If anything it feels right out of the Dune novels.

    In terms of pacing/combat, it is wonderful that it is not a click fest. Allows you to take your time and enjoy everything that is occuring. And just wait till you get airpower! Incredible to watch from a distance and enjoy the show.

    Cannot recommend this enough if you are in search of a truly great single player campaign. (As good as HW1/2 of which I am a huge fan)    … Expand
  9. Wolfe117
    Jan 23, 2016
    10
    Haven't been able to stop playing since I started. Brings all the features of great storytelling and game-play from past Homeworld titles to ground RTS.
  10. monolith12
    Jan 21, 2016
    8
    Homeworld: Desert of Kharak is a great game a fantastic spin-off for the Homeworld franchise.

    Singleplayer campaign took me about 12 hours on the hardest difficulty setting, I got wrecked by the AI a few times and had to restart or reload from a save multiple times. The story is well written and executed, it is mostly fed to you through cutscenes and animatics. Even for fans of the    Homeworld: Desert of Kharak is a great game a fantastic spin-off for the Homeworld franchise.

    Singleplayer campaign took me about 12 hours on the hardest difficulty setting, I got wrecked by the AI a few times and had to restart or reload from a save multiple times. The story is well written and executed, it is mostly fed to you through cutscenes and animatics. Even for fans of the original titles (who kinda know how the game is going to end, after all it`s a prequel) there are plenty of surprises!

    Multiplayer/Skirmish is fun but it suffers a bit from the low map choice (5 maps at release). At least in "Artifact Retrieval" mode (basically capture the flag) the AI can be very, very challenging actually, I can not confirm the experience of some reviewers here. Note that keys can not be rebound at the moment, though the standard layout of the quickbuttons is okay and usable.

    Performance was good on an i3 and a GTX 650 Ti, FPS did only drop in very, very, very intense situations (lots of units and boom). No major bugs encountered, except for an UI bug that caused returning from the options menu to be quite a wait (30 secs+). Only ever had a single crash so far, this occured right before loading a new mission.

    Although the title obviously still needs some work I am satisfied with this purchase and excited for upcoming new content (free maps have already been promised, further DLC are "in the pipe").

    8/10 would recommend    … Expand
  11. StormTheGates
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    A faithful recreation for a new generation of Homeworld fans. Brings the same importance of 3d positioning without the hassle of space.

    Going to be much better for old Homeworld fans than new members.
  12. Grindmetal
    Jan 21, 2016
    10
    Simplesmente!!! Incrível!!! Muito boa história ,gameplay, graficos,perfomance ,atmosfera, etc...... Vale muito a pena jogar SP o MP muito divertido faz perder horas jogando o MultPlayer
  13. 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 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 isHomeworld 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.    … Expand
  14. pandorazero
    Jan 20, 2016
    8
    Well seen by a new series of Homeworld, studio Blatskbird did a good job on the game! To judge a game that has not come out it's not true test, but the first video game that can be done to understand the soul.
  15. Olrikus
    Jan 26, 2016
    9
    I'm in love with this game. While you can find it strange, I will try to explain why.

    I like this military drama story. Aside from that, I like how BBI used the Homeworld lore and added stuff to it. After a series of my recent disappointments like HotS (what they did to Kerrigan is abysmal if we take Brood Wars into account) and SW7 it is such a pleasure to watch the coherence with    I'm in love with this game. While you can find it strange, I will try to explain why.

    I like this military drama story. Aside from that, I like how BBI used the Homeworld lore and added stuff to it. After a series of my recent disappointments like HotS (what they did to Kerrigan is abysmal if we take Brood Wars into account) and SW7 it is such a pleasure to watch the coherence with HW1&2 story.

    Scenery is not as diverse as I wanted but it is okay for a desert planet. Unit design is sometimes cubic but I have no problem since it looks organic and intended: we have a really advanced and exotic race focused on hid and run tactics and slow but sure utilitarian design race. Which leads you to gameplay which is insanely addictive, watching the battlefield from a close distance can consume me for hours, excellent soundtrack adds to it and multiplayer... It is insane how many tactics you can use and how many builds you can choose since both races similar but plays different. Balance needs some tweaks but the core looks very promising now. The only thing I want to complain about is spawned enemy forces in campaign on higher difficulty, looks a bit cheap but who cares? It just intensifies the campaign :)

    It has small bugs but nothing game breaking and almost all titles have them these days so I am used to it.

    If you want a clone of Starcraft or Supreme Commander then this game is definitely not for you. And I am completely unsure about the e-sport part (since I personally don't care about it) so no input here. But if you can live with some rough edges and ready to invest into learning of this game's mechanics then you can find it just as fun as I am.

    Crossing my fingers and hoping for a long after launch support.    … Expand
  16. DukeBalek
    Nov 29, 2017
    10
    A mega surprise. At first i thought " meh...homeworld on ground ? weird" but as soon I launched it, I was stuck by the quality of the scenario and the artistic beauty of the cut scenes. The game it self lacks some depth in the gameplay, but overall it's quite addictive and fun. The sound is very good and the ambiance is perfect. Homeworld vets are going to really enjoy it. The game isntA mega surprise. At first i thought " meh...homeworld on ground ? weird" but as soon I launched it, I was stuck by the quality of the scenario and the artistic beauty of the cut scenes. The game it self lacks some depth in the gameplay, but overall it's quite addictive and fun. The sound is very good and the ambiance is perfect. Homeworld vets are going to really enjoy it. The game isnt built for mutiplayer (Sc2 is far better on this side), but the solo campaign is amazing (one of the best i played since.... Homeworld).. In fact, if the writing of a game is perfect , you can accept some defaults..
    I put 10 because of the surprise, because of the bravery to launch this kind of game, because it has been created with the hearth and with passion, and you can feel it directly after the first minutes. I also put 10 because of the 0 i saw or less than 5 ,with some crazy argumentations like"the cut scenes wich are not skippable".
    "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." are you serious ? this is the worst comment i red for many times.
    very good game, it reminds me the "Mad Max" game, wich was totally unexpected and revealed itself to be a great game    … Expand
  17. ale2187
    Jan 21, 2016
    9
    La precuela de una obra de arte. Luego de una decada Gearbox y BlackBird deciden transportarnos al desierto de Kharak para mostrarnos los acontecimientos que anteceden a la primera entrega de Homeworld. Bellos graficos, musica majestuosa, gameplay intuitivo siguen siendo el sello de distincion que caracateriza a un juego que paso del espacio, entre las las estrellas, a las dunas delLa precuela de una obra de arte. Luego de una decada Gearbox y BlackBird deciden transportarnos al desierto de Kharak para mostrarnos los acontecimientos que anteceden a la primera entrega de Homeworld. Bellos graficos, musica majestuosa, gameplay intuitivo siguen siendo el sello de distincion que caracateriza a un juego que paso del espacio, entre las las estrellas, a las dunas del decierto de un planeta moribundo. Logrando en el proceso lo que muchos consideraron imposible, mantener la esencia, el "feeling". El juego peca en cuanto a contenido mutijugaror, teniendo disponible (por ahora) solo 2 facciones y 5 mapas. Se trata de una obra para los fans de la serie, solo la historia vale la pena el dinero.… Expand
  18. McColl
    Jan 27, 2016
    9
    Homeworld was the game that addicted me to PC games in the new millennium and I was looking forward to this title to see the continuation of the franchise but was concerned that it would be very hard to pull off and at the same time remain faithful to the original.

    Initial learning curve was a little steeper than I would like but I am 15 years older since learning to play HW so I will    Homeworld was the game that addicted me to PC games in the new millennium and I was looking forward to this title to see the continuation of the franchise but was concerned that it would be very hard to pull off and at the same time remain faithful to the original.

    Initial learning curve was a little steeper than I would like but I am 15 years older since learning to play HW so I will put it down to age. The game for me really showed it's value when I started playing multi-player. A lot of fun and a lot of depth to the game play. Do yourself a favour and give this title a go!    … Expand
  19. Pelopidas
    Jan 21, 2016
    9
    Was playing Homeworld 2. My entire fleet had apparently crashed on Arrakis. Spent huge sums of money on making them fly again. My opponent was kind enough to help me for free.

    11/10. Would accept help again.
  20. joecool99
    Jan 26, 2016
    10
    AMAZING! One of the best RTS in recent years!
    Brilliant unit management and specialization that actually makes tactical difference. Terran matters in battle.
    GET IT!
  21. Mikimax
    Feb 8, 2016
    8
    Great RTS hindered by bad camera controls, small strategic view, outdated ''region view" (Supreme commander had the best strategic view with mouse scroll without pressing button "space", minor bugs.
  22. elyh
    Feb 14, 2016
    8
    Great games for homeworld fans.

    Skippable cut scenes would of been nice, but the game offers pleasant gameplay. I would of preferred it to be in space but the desert offers some nice gameplay. Every unit has lots of options/abilties and the carrier is a one of a kind. Haven't played an RTS with such a unique unit productionweapons platform/air strip all wrapped into one huge unit. I    Great games for homeworld fans.

    Skippable cut scenes would of been nice, but the game offers pleasant gameplay. I would of preferred it to be in space but the desert offers some nice gameplay. Every unit has lots of options/abilties and the carrier is a one of a kind. Haven't played an RTS with such a unique unit productionweapons platform/air strip all wrapped into one huge unit.

    I regret that they didn't include more capital ships like the heavy cruisers in Homeworld2 but yeah a really refreshing game.

    All in all I really liked playing this game even though the campaign lacked a litlle challenge and depth IMO. A bit expensive at 45.99 but yeah it's a good polished game.

    Didn't even try multiplayer homeworld is all about the campaign for me.    … Expand
  23. atalhaderici
    Jan 26, 2016
    10
    Fantastic game. Epic campaign.

    I'm in love with this game.

    A faithful recreation for a new generation of Homeworld fans. Brings the same importance of 3d positioning without the hassle of space.
  24. troyshaun
    Feb 14, 2016
    8
    The game is beautiful as is the story.

    The two main things holding this down are the map - because the desert is so bland, you can't really get an idea of the high ground form in game, it requires the topographical from the strategic map. Screen navigation also requires the strategic map to navigate and for map awareness. The need to use the strategic map so heavily does hurt the    The game is beautiful as is the story.

    The two main things holding this down are the map - because the desert is so bland, you can't really get an idea of the high ground form in game, it requires the topographical from the strategic map.

    Screen navigation also requires the strategic map to navigate and for map awareness.

    The need to use the strategic map so heavily does hurt the game play.    … Expand
  25. maniksdi
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    Consider yourself lucky to have this game come out in this day and age. A spectacular game in the best and the qualities that made it great then is clearly visible right now. I would be happy if they added some new story points and plot twists to the old game, the terrain addition and slightly improved graphics is just extra.
    Nothing else can take us far enough ;)
  26. Euangelion3o9
    Apr 20, 2020
    9
    An excellent RTS, I am late to playing it, but it holds true to the Homeworld story, atmosphere and gameplay. Some may not like the minimalistic world and spares deserts in favor of modern, over the top RTS of today, but I really got into the atmosphere of this game as well as the story. I enjoyed the pacing, limited unit numbers (making you think before expending units needlessly), andAn excellent RTS, I am late to playing it, but it holds true to the Homeworld story, atmosphere and gameplay. Some may not like the minimalistic world and spares deserts in favor of modern, over the top RTS of today, but I really got into the atmosphere of this game as well as the story. I enjoyed the pacing, limited unit numbers (making you think before expending units needlessly), and unit variety. My only complaint is the AI was somewhat lacking in intelligence, but then good AI is really really hard to do. Overall, if you are a fan of Homeworld, pick this title up!… Expand
  27. ZaPaAl
    Mar 3, 2016
    9
    Singleplayer is just great. Exceptionally atmospheric, engaging story, fun gameplay. Campaign is a bit too short. Multiplayer could add a little fun, as the units allow for quite some tactics. But only if you find someone to play with.
  28. belaggio79
    Feb 18, 2018
    10
    Fantastic game. Epic campaign. I don't MP so I won't speak to that but in terms of a tour de force single player campaign, this is it.

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]
See all critic reviews »