Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

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Put simply, I love Deserts of Kharak. It succeeds where so many RTS games fail, giving a multitasking commander all of the information, unit options, and control flexibility needed to remove needless barriers between what your brain wants your army to do, and what it’s actually able to execute at a moment’s notice. Because of the strategic view’s broad perspective, I felt truly cool-headed and in command of the situation at all times. Even when something went very wrong, I knew I’d be able to efficiently command my battle groups to get out of the hot zone and stabilize the scenario with little...

Deserts of Kharak is a radical departure from previous franchise efforts, but most of what makes Homeworld great survived the transition.

As a RTS Homeworld: Deserts Of Kharak doesn’t actually have much new, but it’s still one of the better releases for the genre in a long time. In many ways it feels like a modern Westwood classic, but most importantly it evokes the same feelings of complex strategy that you might have had when playing the original Homeworld games.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is billed as a prequel to the revered (and now remastered) Homeworld series, and it shares much in common with the genre-defining real-time strategy classic even though it takes the action out of space and onto the ground. Many times I could hardly tell the difference between my swarm of desert-ready vehicles from a fleet of ships, circling around my quarry, guns blazing. This is a good thing if you’re looking for a single-player focused RTS experience.

While the multiplayer is mediocre at best, the campaign more than compensates for fans of the series. All the worries of “it can’t be Homeworld if it’s not in space!” should be put to rest, because Deserts of Kharak says otherwise. The asking price is a bit steep for those who are just interested in the campaign, since most won’t bother to touch multiplayer. That being said, the campaign is well executed for veterans and newbies alike, proving that over a decade without Homeworld is far too long.

Copy purchased.

It has more in common with the original Homeworld than it first seems, but this new real-time strategy works best as an introduction rather than a continuation.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is an extremely well-made and enjoyable RTS title.  The story, while seemingly insignificant in the scope of the Homeworld universe, is exceptionally entertaining through and through. The game’s let down at times by poor enemy AI and a lack of content, but the core features and gameplay make this a title I’ll gladly return to.