![]() ![]() High terrain offers both an explicit bonus in terms of attack, along with visibility and good lines of sight – enfilade and defilade are real, tactical elements of concern. It also keeps things dynamic and mobile there’s always somewhere to be, somewhere to project that awesome power. ![]() It acts as the ultimate rush deterrent, making killing a carrier a deliberate and sustained act. The carrier has it all: armor, cruise missiles, guns, anti-air, repair beams just not the power to run it all at once, and an overheating mechanic that prevents overuse. Early on, it might act as a defensive bastion keeping your resources safe while your army operates elsewhere, or you may end up using it to spearhead or support your major military actions. Instead, everything is consolidated in your land-carrier: a giant mobile factory, airstrip, weapons platform, and everything inbetween. Base-building is eschewed almost entirely, with only a few static emplacements in the form of sensor posts, mines, and turrets left in. The mechanisms of play are not all too surprising from your usual RTS fare – harvesting of resources, research of new technologies, construction of new units and the inevitable conflict that results. The volume is perfectly tuned to sit in the background and not interrupt the flow of the game, instead breathing life into your army in a way that is reminiscent of the excellent idle conversations from the classic No One Lives Forever. Of particular note, as I’m sure half of the people who’ve reviewed the game will feel compelled to mention is the background chatter: units discuss sand getting in places where it doesn’t belong, or technical issues with the lead engineer. Veterans of the series will even notice the odd easter-egg or homage, especially the presentation of the sensor manager. The attention to detail with the units and the whole presentation is breathtaking. From rocky plateaus, and dusty valleys, to rolling dunes, the Unity engine really has been pushed to its fullest potential in presenting so many variations on the theme. As with much art, there are bits and pieces that are implied, fuzzy, and left to the imagination, but without distracting from the main focus. The campaign is a journey, an experience, a work of art. ![]() The center stage is taken by five primary characters, most of them captains of land-carriers, the command and control vehicles that centre the fleets of vehicles venturing into Kharak’s deserts. Each mission is punctuated with voice logs, in-game and pre-rendered cutscenes. An expedition was sent.” Naturally, the game takes us to the surface of Kharak, a jolt to those expecting a full 3D strategy game, and on a series of 13 missions that depict that expedition. To understand where the game sits in the franchise, Deserts of Kharak expands upon what could have been a throwaway pair of lines in the opening cutscene of Homeworld: “100 years ago, a satellite detected an object under the sands of the Great Desert. On the other, sequels and prequels have a dangerous habit of being held up against their predecessors and, even when they’re good, the contrast undermines their better qualities. On the one hand, the game has a fantastic pedigree: Blackbird Interactive (BBI) have a number of ex-Relic employees who were associated with the original Homeworld, not to mention the fact that they managed to recovered the Homeworld IP itself to make a true game in the series rather an homage with nods and winks. Approaching a title the likes of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a difficult one.
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