Homeworld 3 Critic Reviews

Homeworld 3 is everything I hoped it could be. It improves on its predecessors in every conceivable way, and adds meaningful new features including a cooperative War Games mode. I never thought it would happen again, but I’m happy to report…the mothership has cleared the scaffold...we are away once again.

Their roadmap for the rest of 2024 and into 2025 is a testament to that. There will be free DLC drops in June, August and Q4. July and October will see paid DLC made available. In 2025, the free and paid DLC drops will continue. Homeworld fans can take heart the latest game in the series sets new benchmarks for the franchise. The new line-of-sight gameplay mechanics make for even more challenging space combat strategies. The gameplay depth is greater, the customization is deeper, and the replayability is longer. Homeworld 3 oozes quality across all aspects.

Homeworld 3 is one of the most entrancing experiences I’ve had with a strategy game in years, and proof that the single-player RTS still has an important role to fill.

Homeworld 3 plays incredible from top to bottom, and I think whether you’re a fan of the series that’s been waiting for this or a newcomer that just likes good strategy, everyone who takes control of the Khar Kushan is in for an absolute feast of stellar strategy gameplay.

All in all, the developers at Blackbird Interactive have succeeded in delivering a worthy successor that offers everything fans expect from a Homeworld. The campaign is wonderfully atmospheric and offers exactly the right Homeworld mood with its impressive set-pieces and fantastic music. The tactical challenge of the three-dimensional space and the possibilities offered by the variety of units set the title apart from other representatives of the genre. The biggest question mark remains regarding the long-term motivation of the war games, which will only become apparent with the planned content updates from the developers.

The challenge I described at the beginning of this review is capably met by Homeworld 3, even if its story felt a little simplistic. Its lightweight story did not stop me from being captivated by its depiction of the endless, beautiful void of space. The frustrating, difficult-to-master control scheme has been both modernized and preserved for those who crave the classic experience. It's easily beautiful and satisfying enough to meet the standards of classic players and entice a brand-new crowd of interstellar heroes.

Homeworld 3 marks a successful return to a long-revered series. Bringing back the successful space strategy series, but improving the combat by a large amount with a more tactical approach, Blackbird Interactive has successfully made their mark. With exceptional tactical combat, made all the more important by the fact that everything carries over, and one bad mistake could cripple you much further down the line. The additional War Games mode only enhances this, making for a very engaging title.

It’s a shame that Homeworld 3’s plot seems to completely miss the point of the story in the older games, focusing too much on Imogen’s hyperspace superpowers rather than on the Kushan’s struggle as a people, because gameplay and presentation are otherwise top notch and prove once again Blackbird Interactive’s competence and skill as a versatile RTS developer.

The modernization of the series has yielded amazing benefits that make it feel like the definitive Homeworld experience unless you are looking to go back and experience the whole story for yourself. It isn't easy to make a sequel worth a decades-long wait, but Blackbird Interactive has managed to pull off just that.

Homeworld 3 balances incredibly technical gameplay with streamlined mechanics that is easy to get into, but difficult to master.

It's clear as day that Blackbird Interactive has a love for the brand. Everything both sounds and looks as you would hope it would, and the overall whole is a step forward from the original in a good way.

An excellent space RTS like few others. A breathtaking campaign, polished single-player and multiplayer gameplay... With its content additions and future mods, Homeworld 3 could become the worthy heir to the mythical saga and a benchmark for the genre.

Homeworld 3 offers the experience of handling a full fleet with aplomb through tactical gameplay options that live up to and build on the systems of its predecessors. With gorgeous atmosphere and crisp audio design, it's a game that asks big questions of its new cast of characters with some solid writing. Not every narrative decision lands, but Homeworld 3 stands on its own feet as a worthy new entry in the long-running franchise.

Homeworld 3 continues the gameplay that fans of the series know very well. At the same time, newcomers will easily find their way through the meanders of creating their own fleet - ready to crush all enemies that stand in its way. For strategy fans Homeworld 3 seems to be a must-have title, especially since the developers clearly want to support mods.

Homeworld 3 will arrive almost 21 years after the previous installment, Homeworld 2, and after you plunge into this deep space strategy, you’ll soon realize it was worth the wait.

Homeworld 3 feels like a great return to form for this iconic RTS franchise. Diehard fans will love experiencing what comes next in this turbulent galaxy, while newcomers can use this as the perfect way to jump into the series for the first time. And even though some of the controls can be unintuitive and the camera needs a bit of work, the battles seem to be as exciting as ever. It really feels like Blackbird Interactive understood just what makes Homeworld and the RTS genre tick here, so hopefully there are plenty more adventures in store for the future.

While not as trailblazing as its predecessors, Homeworld 3 is still a well-made and worthwhile sci-fi real-time strategy with a solid story and exceptional production values.

Relic did everything right back then and after many, many years Blackbird Interactive has managed to build on this in a worthy way. In terms of gameplay and feel, Homeworld 3 is very close to the originals and I would definitely say that all fans will have fun with it. The war games mode isn't necessarily for me, but I'm sure it will be a worthwhile challenge for some. All in all, I'm happy with this game and glad that it exists.

The game offers engaging space battles with complex formations and strategic depth, yet suffers from a predictable narrative, unimpressive cinematics, and reactive AI. The campaign missions are varied and enjoyable, but the multiplayer content is lacking, and the game requires performance optimization.

It may not be perfect, or exactly how any of us wanted it, but Homeworld 3 is a great game.