Homeworld: Cataclysm is not an Expansion Pack; you do not have to own Homeworld to play this game. The usual new features expected in a spin-off will be found (new ships, new weapons, etc.), but developer Barking Dog has taken the Homeworld universe and given it enough history and background to make it worthy of a miniseries. Players familiar with the original game will feel at home in the new game, and newcomers are given enough history to easily be drawn in.

In the original game, players could play as either the Kushan or Taiidan race. While traces of those fleets can still be found, players will be in control of a spinoff race called the Somtaaw. At the center of the game is a new enemy called the Beast. Described merely as an "organism," the Beast is shrouded in mystery by both the developer and within the game itself. When asked if the Beast was comparable to the Shivans of Freespace fame, (and after we explained what the Shivans were in the first place,) developer Michael Gyori simply smiled and said, "Without giving away too much of the story, they play a similar role but in a totally different manner." That cleared things right up.

Players will be given the expected new ships and weapons to command, but Barking Dog has also added many new capabilities and functions for each unit. The Corvettes, which were often ignored in the original game, will now have the ability to perform research and build their own modules, making them something of a "step-mothership". Waypoints have been added, and, in the early builds we've seen, they can make for some interesting strategies. Sentinel ships, which are essentially space buoys, can operate alone or as a well-oiled machine. Alone, they stand guard where they're positioned and provide a border patrol, but together they can link up and guard a larger vessel with a nearly impervious shield. Other new abilities of some ships include mimicking -- appearing to be an asteroid -- and leeching --basically stealing research and other goods by latching onto an enemy ship undetected.