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Homeworld: Cataclysm
"Homeworld" was an RTS masterpiece, and Barking Dog Studios has brilliantly crafted a worthy addition in "Cataclysm."
By - Nate "Lokust" Timperley
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Cataclysm features multiplayer support over a LAN, or online through WON's gaming service. I found there to be minimal lag while playing online, even in games with a mix of several modem and cable users. An important thing to note is that while the Beast race cannot be played in the single-player campaign, they are available in multiplayer.
Unfortunately, when it comes to multiplayer battles, the Beast just seems to outmatch the Somtaaw. That's not to say that a good Somtaaw player can't win, but the game seems more than a little unbalanced in favor of the Beast. While this will almost certainly be dealt with in a patch later, if you go on WON now, you will find the majority of the players playing as the Beast.
Single-player, however, is great. The 17-mission campaign in Cataclysm is extremely fun and has great plot development. You might even find yourself wanting to play some of the more memorable missions over because they are brilliantly executed. My only problem with the single-player game were a couple of missions where the mission scripting "cheats" against you by not allowing you to fully repair some of the ships you're supposed to defend. All things considered though, this is a very minor concern at best.
The Final Word
Homeworld:Cataclysm is an outstanding game and a worthy addition to the Homeworld series. As it does not require a copy of Homeworld to play, I recommend that both veteran Homeworld players and neophytes give it a look. Some of the hardcore multiplayer strategy fans may wish to wait until a balancing patch is out, but I wouldn't let that keep you from enjoying one of the best single-player RTS campaigns I've ever played.
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pros:
Outstanding story, innovative ship design
cons:
Multiplayer balance issues
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pros:
Beautiful visuals and sounds, supports OpenGL, Direct3D, and software
cons:
Occasionally wouldn't save my video settings
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One of the best single-player campaigns ever makes this a great expansion to the Homeworld series. A "must-buy" game.
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: Real-Time Strategy
: Barking Dog
: Sierra Studios
: LAN and Internet
: NA
: Pentium 266; 32MB RAM; 250MB Hard Drive Space; 4x CD-ROM; Sound Card; Win95
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