Does Homeworld Command and Conquer?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great plot, excellent gameplay, have I mentioned its all in 3D, one of the few games that focus on strategy not attrition tactics

Cons: Cut scenes were poorly done, AI is questionable in some areas, and the ending was very disappointing

Author's Review
In Homeworld, Sierra ventures into territory that no other company has been successful in, that is making a good real time strategy game (RTS). Westwood has dominated the RTS market with their flagship Command and Conquer. Many companies have tried to emulate the success of Westwood but have been unable to make a solid game. Enter Sierra, which has made great games like Half Life. They changed the RTS world by making the first true 3D RTS game. But is the game anything more than a true 3D game?

Game Play:
Because the game is 3D there is a trainer that I would recommend everybody use before playing the game. Otherwise, the game is very difficult. The game starts off with your civilization (whether its Kushan or Taiidan) finding a buried tablet, which tells what planet your civilization originated from. The civilization creates a mothership to travel to your Homeworld. However, before you can go on your journey the ship’s hyperdrive must be tested. When you return from the test you find out that an unknown race has destroyed your planet killing everybody but those aboard the mothership. Since you have nothing left, its time to leave and journey to your Homeworld. This is when the plot gets interesting, so I don’t want to ruin it.

Being that the game is 3D, new tactics have to be learned. One tactic is attacking from above and below. Also, you are able to out flank your enemy and use formations that enable you to protect an important ship or to attack from different angles.

Eye Candy:
This game really doesn’t have much. The only exception is that the ships are especially detailed. The maps are good but unexceptional, having no unnecessary graphics that can distract the gamer. I think Sierra focused on the gameplay, rather than the graphics. The one thing I was looking forward to was the cut scenes. They were black and white and were not made very well. I was a little disappointed.

Multiplayer:
I really didn’t like this mode at all, because you are not given many options. You start off on two different ends of the map and have to destroy each other. But, maybe its the fact I like first person shooters more. One note, when I played the Computer, it would team up on me. For example, I would set it up as 2 on 2, but it would end up as 3 on 1, which makes winning almost impossible.

Conclusion:
This game is great. It has a robust plot, excellent gamplay, and it’s 3D. I do want to say that I was disappointed in the game in some areas; in particular: the cut scenes, and some levels which were a little too straightforward. If you are looking for an RTS that is well above average and not Command and Conquer, you have found one.