Now Playing: Homeworld Remastered

The original Homeworld was released way back in 1999. It’s a fantastic RTS title, not only in terms of its gameplay mechanics, but also for its visuals, sound and story. It’s the tale of a ship of exiles, traversing a dangerous galaxy to rediscover their lost home.

Homeworld was followed in 2000 by an expansion – Cataclysm – which unfortunately isn’t included in this remastered collection. And then in 2003, Homeworld 2 was released. The sequel was excellent, though it was generally considered to fall somewhat short of the original.

Both Homeworld 1 & 2 are included in this collection in their original ‘Classic’ state. Although I already own these games, I did have some trouble with Homeworld 1 the last time I played it on my Win7 system, and I recall having issues with Homeworld 2 on my older Vista. When the remastered collection recently went on sale I decided it was worth the purchase, if only to enable trouble-free access to these two classic titles.

Of course, this collection isn’t really about the classic versions, but the newly remastered editions. I must admit, when I heard the news of Gearbox acquiring the licence to the Homeworld IP, my reaction wasn’t exactly positive. But with the release of this package, it’s clear the people at GX have treated the licence with respect, whilst also updating these much loved titles in a way that’s more accessible for new players.

Which is also why I was a little wary, because I was aware of particular changes to Homeworld 1 I wasn’t sure I’d like. But before we go into detail, I really have to say that in terms of visuals, the remastered editions look absolutely gorgeous. I still think the original games look pretty good but the remasters, Homeworld 1 in particular, now look absolutely stunning. But, aside from the visuals, how else do the remastered versions differ from the originals?

Let’s talk about Homeworld 2 first, because in this case, there’s very little to say. The remaster of HW2 is essentially all about the upgraded visuals. Every other aspect of the original game remains relatively intact. There are, or so it appeared to me, a few balance tweaks here and there, especially in terms of difficulty, but I’ll speak more about this later.

Homeworld 1, on the other hand, has undergone a far more significant overhaul. Perhaps in a desire to create a degree of parity between the two titles, or simply perhaps for technical reasons, the developers essentially dropped the Homeworld 2 UI (with a few tweaks) and gameplay mechanics into Homeworld 1. This, understandably, upset the purists who simply wanted a like-for-like visual upgrade.

Me? I’m kind of torn on the matter. There are certainly advantages to this tweaked Homeworld 2 UI compared to the original, but having played the original HW numerous times, the remaster felt very, very strange to play. I think for new players, this is a good change that allows an easy transition between Homeworld 1 & 2. But personally, I do prefer the classic version over the remaster, and I wish the option to retain the original UI and mechanics was available.

As with the HW2 remaster, it also seems there’s been several adjustments in terms of unit balance, mission difficulty, resources and AI. Even today, though I know the game well, I still find the original Homeworld to prove a challenging experience. It can be a punishing game, perhaps frustratingly so at times, but for many this was a part of its appeal.

The remaster, by comparison, is a total cakewalk. This is largely due to the insane amount of resources available compared to the original. The AI also seems far less aggressive. Typically I’d have to restart a mission or reload a save at some point when playing through the original version, but in the remaster, I breezed through every level with ease.

This also applies, though not as strongly, to Homeworld 2, which is a little easier in it’s new remastered format compared to the original. These changes may not be to every fan’s taste, but it’s not like the originals are going anywhere, and I can understand why certain changes have been made to make them more accessible for a new audience. And I must admit that some changes, like the lack of unit fuel in HW1, is something I actually kind of prefer, although I’d agree it does subtract another layer of strategy from the experience.

A real issue with the HW1 remaster, however, is that of formations. They’re just completely broken. In the original, formations, particularly for fighters or corvettes, were vital to combat efficiency. But in the remastered HW1, the formations simply don’t work. When combat is joined, any formation instantly breaks.

Now, due to the apparent balance changes in the remaster, this isn’t too big of a deal, but I do feel it leaves fighters feeling somewhat useless compared to the strike craft in the original. Without working formations, strike craft simply lack the effectiveness they originally possessed. Will formations be fixed, or is it simply an issue of the engine and transplanting HW2 features into HW1? (Perhaps due to HW2 using a squad based strike craft system?) Either way, it’s another reason why, as fantastic as the remastered HW1 looks, I’d still rather play the classic edition.

If you’re new to the Homeworld series, this collection is an excellent bundle. And if you’re an older fan, I’d still say it’s worth the purchase, if only for the convenience of the hassle-free classic versions. Plus, it’s a joy to see these wonderful games looking so damn good. It’s a real shame this collection doesn’t include Cataclysm and complete the set, but maybe it’s something we’ll see in the future.

Overall, this package offers a lot. It’s not perfect, and I hope they fix the issues with the HW1 remaster and perhaps make a few balance changes, but aside from those issues, it comes highly recommended.

8/10