|
|
 
| ||||||
 |
|
September 13th, 2000
|
The Beast Okay, so far I haven't told you what the plot line is. Attention, attention, this is not a spoiler. The Somtaaw, while peacefully mining out and about around Hiigara come into contact with some sort of spaceborn organic entity. It's one mean critter too, it has some of the most powerful units from Homeworld at it's disposal. The Beast uses a special power to "infect" enemy ships with itself. That means, the Beast can take over any ship of yours and use it against you. Beast tactics and formations are identical to that of the Somtaaw. However, the Beast does not have to research things as much as the Somtaaw. Once the beast takes over a ship, depending on whether it has the technology or not, retires it. This gives the Beast the ability to build anything that it comes across. Be prepared for some quick thinking and action if you plan to deal with the Beast and win.
  Controls Controlling things in Cataclysm hasn't changed a whole lot since Homeworld. Movement is based in a completely dimensionless environment. Players have 360 degrees in which to move, you are not hindered in any way. Ships can be zoomed in towards completely. Focus is given to each ship by clicking on them and then selecting focus from the menu. This allows you to hop from hotspot to hotspot during dogfights. You can view a long range sensor map with just a keystroke. This allows you to not only plot long range movement, but also see incoming enemy ships with long range sensors. True to Homeworld, you can rotate and view your fleet from just about any angle imaginable. If you loved Homeworld's setup, you will not be dissapointed by this. Multiplayer Okay, this is the big one on everyone's mind. Does this game come through with multiplayer? oh yes, yes it does indeed. Cataclysm is just as fun, if not more than Homeworld. All of the games revolve around destroying your enemy or collecting the most points through harvesting. If you are a fan of long drawn out strategic games, this one is for you. All multiplayer games are conducted through WON.net, where the cd keys are verified. Players are connected to a main chat channel from which games can be launched. I strongly suggest that you become involved with gaming forums for this. It is a great place to find opponents and partners for cooperative. Multiplayer games for Cataclysm rock, plain and simple.
  Conclusion and thoughts Homeworld Cataclysm is an extremely satisfying addition to the Homeworld universe. The graphics are awe inspiring, not to mention top notch. The storyline is intruiging, and really draws the user into the plot. It is very much like a good book, with the exception that the pages are different each time. The music is very good, but somewhat dissapointing after the music tracks in Homeworld. The gameplay/replay value is enormous. When you finish with the single player, there is skirmish with the AI as well as multiplayer through WON.net. The multiplayer experience for Cataclysm is very good. If you like multiplayer games, you will not be dissapointed. I feel that Homeworld Cataclysm is a very wise use of your gaming dollar. In conclusion, Homeworld Cataclysm is a top notch 3d RTS combat simulator. There were no major game wrecking bugs that I could spot, and it didn't crash once on my computer. If you have any love for space based strategy games, you need this title. Go out, purchase it, play it :) How it rates 92% out of 100% Negative point loss -8% - The soundtrack is dissapointing comparing it to Homeworld. I was really looking forward to having the same type of high quality music. Instead, we ended up with some sort of techno mix, where is the choir? | ||
|
 |
 |