The cover system in Homeworld 3 is fascinating and really feels like it adds an additional layer to the strategy. With a bit of exploration, I also found a tunnel going underneath the structure that I could use to sneak up behind the frigates for a surprise attack. I could charge straight in and just accept the losses my fleet took, or I could use the lingering debris as cover to try and dodge the missiles. Partway through this mission, my fleet was ambushed by pirates using missile frigates, and I’d need to destroy them to capture the next lock.Īt this point, I had three options available tactically. The second mission is where I got a true introduction to this new cover system, tasking my fleet with capturing four different locks to open a hyperspace gate. Blackbird InteractiveĪs revealed at Gamescom, terrain and cover are the biggest new additions to Homeworld 3, and it provides a wealth of new combat options. Missiles and bullets in Homeworld 3 are fully simulated, meaning if an obstacle gets in the way they won’t reach their target. We've been doing that through the different control schemes, and through being able to use terrain as a part of being able to interact with the environment and move around the space.” “We love the community, and we want to make sure that they're getting a truly Homeworld game,” says associate game director Kathryn Neale “With that said, it is quite complex for a player who hasn't dug into it before, and we want to make this more open and accessible. Playing through the tutorial mission it really struck me how Homeworld 3 almost feels like an extension of Homeworld 2, but with an upgraded aesthetic and smoother controls. The camera controls are totally customizable, letting you control everything from a kind of first-person moving through space approach or using your standard RTS controls. If you’ve played past games you should pick up the basics immediately, but for new players, there are a few slight changes to make the game easier to get into. There’s a sense of wonder and discovery that it looks like the game might recapture, at least based on my early impressions. Past Homeworld games struck an almost somber tone through their visuals and soundtrack, and the two hours of Homeworld 3 I played hit a lot of those same notes. It’s certainly a sight to behold as your fighters and frigates glide through space littered with debris and wreckage. The overall look and feel of Homeworld 3 is very reminiscent of past games, just with upgraded visuals. Homeworld 3’s general aesthetic and mood, like past games, manages to feel both epic and eerie at the same time. The heart of your fleet is your mothership, a hulking capital ship that has to be defended at all costs, which is also where you produce new ships and conduct research. The general flow of Homeworld 3 will instantly feel familiar to longtime fans, with a cycle of exploration, resource gathering, and combat, usually tied to some kind of objective. My demo consisted of two different missions, a tutorial that taught the basics of gameplay and a later more involved mission that really let me start flexing tactical muscles. And that kind of special spectrum where Homeworld sits, I think is very unique to the brand and hasn't been very well replicated,” says chief creative officer Rory McGuire “The secret weapon that we have here is that a lot of the people that have contributed to the original creation of that feeling, are at Blackbird and actively contributing to Homeworld 3.” Homeworld is much more subdued and restrained. “Oftentimes, when people make a Homeworld-inspired game it ends up feeling like the voice actors are too big, or there's just too much stuff, too much going on. After playing roughly two hours of the game and talking to developers at Blackbird, it’s clear that Homeworld 3 is looking to pay homage to the legendary games that came before it, while also trying to bring a modern spin that can attract new players. Yet for all that time, there’s still nothing that manages to strike the same mood and feeling as Homeworld, and that’s exactly what Blackbird Interactive is hoping to recapture with Homeworld 3. It’s been nearly 20 years since the release of Homeworld 2, and in that time the RTS genre has grown by leaps and bounds with titles like Starcraft 2, Company of Heroes, Sins of a Solar Empire, and much more.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |