Homeworld: Cataclysm - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Homeworld: Cataclysm

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Strategic Control
Cataclysm introduces several key improvements in the control interface, which not only make the game easier to play, but much more intuitive as well. For instance, there is no more "screen jumping" to figure out where your ships are; now you can locate your units (and take care of most of the game's functions) by using your handy sensor manager, which makes it incredibly easy to maneuver and control forces. For everything from plotting waypoints for scouts to ordering a wing of fighters to intercept a wave of inbound bogies, all your controls are in a convenient location. In fact, it's entirely possible to play an entire mission from the sensor manager, which, when you think about it, is exactly how modern-day naval commanders fight their battles--not on a bridge, but surrounded by sensors that tell them where everybody is and what's happening. The tactical and strategic awareness is invaluable in this mode, but you do lose the game's excellent 3D graphics.
Simply Stellar
You can tell from the beginning that this game is a visual feast: the graphics are gorgeous, and combat is a blast to watch. Fighters dart around in furious dogfights while the big ships duel it out with lasers and missiles. The attention to detail is impressive--even in the noncombat moments, it's still fun to watch a Worker extend its little landing gear as it prepares to dock with the Kuun-Lan. If there's any complaint, it's that it would be nice if there were better-designed spacecraft, instead of those weird, boxy ships that are in the game. For a generation that grew up with Star Trek and Star Wars, the crafts presented here look downright bulky at times.

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That is not the case, however, with the scenery. Developer Barking Dog did a nice job of changing the style and atmosphere of the game by throwing in a good dose of variety. In Homeworld, yours was the only surviving ship of your race, so you had to outwit and outfight your opponents by yourself during your long, lonely trek through cold space. But in Cataclysm, you have other Hiigaran factions and allies, so there are plenty of moments when you'll get to interact with other fleet units to coordinate attacks against colorful and scenic backdrops. The pacing is also better in Cataclysm; Homeworld was overburdened with too many long stretches where nothing happened. The 8:1 time compression here is quite handy, cutting down on those moments when you're just supposed to collect resources.
Perhaps one of the smartest decisions that Sierra made was to make Cataclysm as a standalone follow-up to Homeworld. More of a sequel than an expansion pack, Cataclysm is a game that will blow away both Homeworld players and new gamers. A true follow-up, it's a textbook example of what real-time strategy should be all about, and therefore we cannot help but love it.
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Space cadet and News Editor Jason Ocampo wanted to be an astronaut once. Then he discovered computer games. Agree or disagree with this review? Let us know.

Facts

Homeworld: Cataclysm
Sierra On-Line, 800/757-7707
Price: $39.95
Pentium II-266, 32MB RAM, 4MB video card

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Homeworld: Cataclysm

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