You should be able to find 'space' in your collection for this one. Aha.

Recharged

This may be the second Homeworld game, but the number two is significantly missing from its title. Indeed, like a devilish pair of twins you’d be hard-pushed to spot the difference between new boy Cataclysm and its predecessor Homeworld at first glance. The odd tweak of the interface amounts to little more than parting their hair in a slightly different way and it’s only on closer inspection that the distinguishing features really stand proud. This newcomer may only be standing on the shoulders of the original, but that still takes it to lofty heights of gaming that are well worth scaling.

Like Homeworld, Cataclysm is easy-going, real-time strategy fare set in space. A rare chance to put away the tanks and vehicle factories for a bit, replacing them with fleets of star destroyers, cruisers and motherships that majestically pound each other against the bejeweled backdrop of deep space. The unfamiliar is always likely to cause controversy and so, of course, the original 1999 game provoked deep divisions in the RTS-community. It looked beautiful, there was no argument there, but many cried “shallow” too.

The emptiness of space robbed them of their much-coveted terrain bottlenecks where foe could be hammered with heavy artillery. They fretted about the complexities of navigating a true 3D environment where attacks could as easily strike from above or below as from standard Terran vectors like North, South, East and West. And they didn’t care to breathe Homeworld’s highly charged atmosphere. But I, like many others, loved Homeworld. And Cataclysm is a highly refined reminder of why.

The game oozes atmosphere like a pressure suit with a harpoon through its neck. Once again, a classic sci-fi story line (see margin note) draws you deep into Homeworld’s space and sets your nerves on full alert. Homeworld’s trick is to cast you as the underdog.

Cut off from all sources of practical help, you’re constantly battling against the odds and a sinisterly unknown foe with inadequate resources. Okay, it’s a cheap trick, but it works as every twist in the missions’ tale brings the thrill of a new discovery and a seeping sense of dread. Then there are the battles themselves. Think Babylon 5, think Star Wars, think Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek rolled into a violent war-cheroot and smoked with a Pentagon-sized special effects budget.

Even one year on, Homeworld’s space scraps rank as the most awesome sight in RTS. Huge cruisers and squadrons of tiny interceptors dance amid the void, backlit by searing stabs of plasma. Throw a bombastic soundtrack and the crackling intercom cries for help and, frankly, sometimes you just want to drop the mouse and watch merry hell explode across the galaxy through a pair of pearled opera glasses.

Keep your grip, though, and Homeworld’s tactical astuteness gradually reveals itself. A simple series of formations and unit behaviours adds depth, and even the bottom of the foodchain ships can be useful if used correctly. Cataclysm’s few subtle interface changes have made the world of difference too. Definitely the most significant is the ability to give attack commands in the sensor’s manager. This enables you to manage complex battles far more easily, without the need for constant screen-hopping and losing your train of thought. And whenever events start to run out of control (inevitable with a hundred or so starships per side), you can always resort to giving orders in pause mode. Several other interface adjustments will also cause old Homeworld hands to twitch appreciatively, while the way-points and time acceleration feature (compress time as you hoover up resources at the end of a mission) deserve special mention.

But what of the two new fleets? Much of Homeworld’s original success flowed from its beautiful unit balance. Every ship had its own niche and its own predator (that kept super-units in check) while the occasional special unit pepped things up. The same is true of Cataclysm, mostly because the new forces are much like the old. The Beast are a ‘best of’ collection of the Taiidani, Kushan, Turanic Raiders and Somtaaw, with a few twists, while the Somtaaw (who you play in the 17 single-player missions) are broadly similar to the original fleets with some intriguing new specials. On every level Cataclysm broadcasts the same message: ‘more of the same’.

The interface is improved and while the single-player campaign is good, it doesn’t pack quite the same punch anymore. The net result is still a brilliant game. It may not be a true sequel but you’ll barely notice. Time hasn’t only been kind to Homeworld, it’s bought it a new suit, found it a flat and introduced it to its future wife. If you like Homeworld then buy Cataclysm, but if you weren’t convinced then steer clear. If you’ve never tried it, we urge you to get with the space program.

		Homeworld 1.5. We've seen it all before but, what the hell, welcome back old timer.