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 I remember playing the demo of the original Homeworld a year ago and being desperate to see the final version after having the demo cut off so cruelly at the cliffhanger of the second mission. When the final product was released I was not let down, as Homeworld would prove to be perhaps the finest RTS title of 1999 and one of the most innovative in a genre known for the banality and similarity of its titles. Homeworld combined gorgeous 3D graphics with beautiful sound, superb gameplay, a 3D camera that actually worked properly, and an incredible storyline that created one of the most immersive atmospheres of any game I have ever played. I was excited to hear that a new game in the Homeworld universe was being created, and I was actually more excited at the prospect of a stand-alone title in the Homeworld universe than just another generic expansion pack. Word that Canadian developer Barking Dog would be working on the title was surprising, but I figured that Relic would be giving the job to a good team. Now that Cataclysm has been released and I have had a chance to finish it, I can happily say that the Homeworld tradition proudly marches on in Cataclysm.
Cataclysm begins some 15 years after the events in the original Homeworld. You take the role of a small mining Kiith called the Somtaaw. The defeat of the Empire and the recapture of the Homeworld led to the return of the hierarchical system of the Kiith's, and the Somtaaw are mostly left to their own to find riches amongst the stars. At the very beginning of the game you receive a distress call from Hiigara, where Imperial remnant forces are attacking the Homeworld. From the very beginning you are thrust into a frantic atmosphere of near constant action, and you will never lose the feeling of being outnumbered and outgunned. Shortly after you discover a strange escape pod that contains the organic material for a galactic being known only as The Beast. Research experiments allow The Beast to be released, and it takes over half of your ship before it is frantically jettisoned away. This frantic action of the first few missions is present throughout the game, and after playing for less than an hour you are already face to face with what will be your mortal enemy for the duration of your campaign.
Were Cataclysm not the successor to a game which featured a truly deep and meaningful story there would be no real need for comparison. It does, however, come as somewhat of a disappointment after playing through Cataclysm when you finally realize that the story, while excellent science fiction, will never rival that of the original. There was such an intense sense of sadness and urgency in Homeworld, such an attachment to the role you had been given, that Cataclysm at times just seems a tad flat. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the story. It was well written and fleshed out, and the last few missions really did convey the sense of desperation that Barking Dog was trying to create.
  
Barking Dog Studios, Sierra and Homeworld: Cataclysm are tradenames, company-names, or trademarks belonging to their respective owners. All other trade-names are the trademarks or registered trademarks, such as Pentium, Windows, and Microsoft are the property of their respective owners. This review is considered an 'express opinion' piece and does not constitute a recommendation or suggestion to purchase or not to purchase the items discussed. It is intended only to share with the audience one person's subjective experiences and personally held viewpoint on the game reviewed.
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