Homeworld 3 has had a fascinating journey since it was first officially announced. Originally revealed as part of a crowdfunding campaign on Fig, Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox saw the campaign canceled and development continue under more traditional funding models. Since then, the game has been mostly in the background of news as development continued on it, but it is scheduled to be out later this year.
This second sequel to the original 1999 game is being handled by Blackbird Interactive, a studio that earned critical acclaim for its Homeworld prequel, Deserts of Kharak, in 2016. Details are scarce on Homeworld 3, but with several developer diaries, trailers, and official details, we've gathered up everything that we know so far.
"Our primary goal is to deliver a Homeworld experience that lives up to the standards set by its predecessors and is worthy of the series' incredible legacy," the studio tweeted.
"With her people's hard-won peace and prosperity threatened, Karan led a fleet into Anomaly space to search for answers. She never returned. Now Imogen S'Jet, Karan's successor, is the only one who holds the key to unlocking the mystery threatening the galaxy's future," the official synopsis for the game reads.
On the visual front, Blackbird says that it has "evolved" the art direction of the Homeworld series with modern technology that offers an upgraded sense of scale and destruction. For example, ships will carry the battle scars of encounters on their hulls, the galaxy is constructed of dark matter and nebulae, and enemy engagements will look incredibly damaging in the cold vacuum of space. That, and seeing fleets of spaceships and capital ships cruising through space in tight and neat formations always looks great.
As for the soundtrack, original Homeworld composer Paul Ruskay has created several new tracks for the game and you can find out more about the unique sound of the game in a 20-minute documentary video embedded above.
You'll also need to focus on your position in a galactic sector, as the realistic ballistics system makes line of sight and cover critical for your strategic options. Additionally, your fleet persists from mission to mission, so you'll want to take good care of your assets and avoid reckless engagements or dangerous space phenomena like particle storms and asteroid fields.
Darryn Bonthuys on Google+