Homeworld: Cataclysm
- September 18, 2000 00:00 AM PST
It's back to the Mothership once again in the sequel to the first (and possibly best) 3D real-time strategy game, Homeworld: Cataclysm.
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The plot of Cataclysm plays out a bit like Alien or The Abyss: a civilian mining vessel, the Kuun-Lan, responds to a military distress call and ends up fighting to save the universe from imminent doom. As the missions progress, the Kuun-Lan must jettison its unnecessary mining parts to make room for new modules, such as a Hangar Bay and Engineering Module, eventually transforming into a mighty warship.
Cataclysm introduces a host of new ships, including Mimics, which can take on the appearance of enemy ships for infiltrating enemy fleets, and the Leech, which can latch on to enemy ships and gradually eat away the hull. They've also added a new alien faction called the Beast, with the ability to infect ships and bring them over to the side of the Beast.
Homeworld fans will be pleased to discover that developers Barking Dog have made several adjustments and improvements to the game. You can now assign waypoints to your ships for increased control and save games mid-mission (a blessing for getting through some of the more difficult missions), and a time compression feature lets you speed up the game during slower moments like gathering resources or travelling long distances.
Cataclysm uses the same engine as Homeworld, so the graphics don't look much better, but it's still a gorgeous game with intricately detailed ships and plenty of flashy explosions and lighting effects. A moody and haunting score combines with quality sound effects and voiceovers for an equally impressive audio experience.
Navigating the 3D environment was one of the harder aspects of Homeworld and it remains one of the trickier aspects of this game. The camera, though, is easy to control, and once you get used to switching back and forth between the game world and the Sensors Manager, issuing orders to your troops becomes gradually easier.
Skirmishes and multiplay add to Cataclysm's longevity with several fully customizable game style options, and with the in-game matching service, finding a mulitplayer game is a snap. Up to eight players can battle over the internet in games like I Hate Harvesting, which eliminates the need for gathering resources, or Bounty Hunter, which rewards players with resources units for destroying enemy ships.
Cataclysm shows what can happen when developers listen to the fans and make changes according to their suggestions and complaints. While the gameplay remains the same, the new features and improvements make Homeworld: Cataclysm even more enjoyable the original.
