Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

I like RTS games; they just don’t like me. Some of the only ones I’ve been able to play competently are the Homeworld games, mostly because their pace is so slow, it may as well be turn-based. But that’s not the backhanded compliment it sounds like. The series takes advantage of its low speed to lean into its unusual strengths of detail, spectacle, and atmosphere. Deserts of Kharak is an odd return for the series after 13 years, as it eschews the trademark three-dimensional space gameplay in favour of a standard terrestrial view. It’s also a lore-heavy prequel to the original game whose narrative is noticeably less appreciable if you’re unfamiliar with the previous plots. As someone who is familiar with them, it’s a rewarding tale, but talk about limiting your audience.

Translating Homeworld’s style into ground-based gameplay is not without merit, but even with the best intentions, the experience is inherently slightly worse in this form. The spectacle is harder to appreciate, and the strategic use of terrain height is less consistent than the old formation mechanic. The atmosphere is still present in spades, mostly thanks to a phenomenal dynamic soundtrack. It doesn’t necessarily attempt a one-to-one translation – the rate at which units are dismantled in combat feels considerably faster. So while the first two thirds of the campaign are full of tense build-up and occasional catharsis (especially since your fleet and resources persist between missions), the combat-focused final act is suddenly brimming with destructive energy. Abandoning the space setting also reveals subpar pathfinding AI. Although that might just be the AI in general, as computer-controlled opponents simply don’t understand how to handle late-game units.