Skip to main content

Homeworld 3

Homeworld 3 takes some big swings, but while it's a very good RTS, it never quite comes together in the same way as its predecessors.
Homeworld 3 Game Cover
49%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
42% User Score Based on 5,369 reviews
Critic Score 63%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

PCEpic GamesCloudNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindows
Buy Nowfrom $1.62
Buy NowGet on Steam $29.99Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store
Homeworld 3 Game Cover

About

Homeworld 3 is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by Blackbird Interactive and was released on December 8, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

Homeworld 3 is a single-player and multiplayer sci-fi RTS game with a good story, offering tactical fleet combat in a fully 3D space. Expect strategic freedom with 3D terrain, space derelicts, and hazards like particle storms and asteroid fields. Play in co-op or against others, using hulking spacecraft and turrets to outmaneuver and outgun your enemies.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
Homeworld 3 screenshot
+14
Skip User Reviews

42%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,369 reviews
story950 positive mentions
optimization56 negative mentions
  • Stunning graphics and sound design that captures the essence of the Homeworld series.
  • Gameplay offers a mix of nostalgia and new mechanics, providing a fun experience for both new and returning players.
  • Wargames mode adds replayability and a fresh twist to the traditional Homeworld gameplay.
  • The campaign story is poorly written, lacking depth and coherence, and feels disconnected from the previous games.
  • Unit AI and pathfinding are frustratingly clunky, often leading to unresponsive ships and chaotic battles.
  • The game feels rushed and incomplete, with a lack of strategic depth and limited ship variety compared to earlier titles.
  • story
    6,372 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Homeworld 3* has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from players, who criticize it for being shallow, poorly written, and lacking the depth and epic scale of its predecessors. Many reviewers express disappointment with the character-driven narrative, which they feel detracts from the overarching themes of survival and resilience that defined the original games, instead focusing on personal drama that feels disconnected from the franchise's lore. The campaign is also noted to be short, with only 13 missions that often rush players from one objective to the next without allowing for resource management or strategic planning, further diminishing the overall experience.

    • “The story is more focused on individuals.”
    • “The campaign missions are interesting to play and can be won by different approaches.”
    • “The missions themselves are fun and worth a playthrough, but not at full price, so wait for a very good sale.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is plagued with issues that make it a frustrating experience, from clunky AI to a storyline that feels more like a forced social commentary than an engaging space epic.”
    • “The plot of *Homeworld 3* feels hastily thrown together, with poorly developed characters and a storyline that lacks the depth and complexity we’ve seen in previous entries of the series.”
    • “The story is just beyond stupid, making this game not even worth finishing.”
  • gameplay
    1,823 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Homeworld 3 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant departure from the depth and complexity of its predecessors. While some appreciate the updated graphics and certain new mechanics, such as terrain-based cover, others criticize the simplified gameplay, lack of strategic options, and numerous bugs, particularly in unit pathfinding and AI behavior. Overall, while the core gameplay retains some elements of the original series, it is often described as feeling rushed, shallow, and lacking the engaging tactical depth that fans have come to expect from the Homeworld franchise.

    • “The gameplay is great fun, and I believe war games has got the foundation to give this game a lot of life post launch where other RTSs fall to the wayside.”
    • “The stealth mechanics along with the revamped graphics make for an excellent experience in the campaign.”
    • “The game offers a variety of elements, such as resource management and ship positioning, which add depth to the gameplay.”
    • “However, the multiplayer and skirmish modes strip the game mechanics to their bare essentials and... this is a very bad game, and can barely be called real-time strategy.”
    • “The story is atrocious, especially for the idiotic writing, the gameplay is mediocre with broken pathfinding, terrible ship AI, and a time-to-kill every ship so short that any tactical depth is lost.”
    • “This game is an insult to past Homeworld titles; the story is garbage, gameplay is riddled with issues, it's just not worth it, I can't recommend this game now.”
  • graphics
    1,290 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in Homeworld 3 have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and detailed environments, showcasing a significant upgrade from previous titles in the series. Players have praised the game's art style, ship designs, and atmospheric effects, although some have noted that the cutscenes do not match the high quality of the in-game graphics. Despite the impressive visuals, many reviews express disappointment with the overall gameplay and narrative depth, suggesting that the focus on graphics may have come at the expense of other critical elements of the game.

    • “Homeworld 3 is a visually stunning game that excels in its sci-fi graphics and epic spaceship battles.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, and the special effects are award-worthy.”
    • “The visuals are beautifully crafted, with detailed ship designs and breathtaking space environments that truly bring the universe to life.”
    • “Even graphically, Homeworld 3 is a downgrade from previous titles.”
    • “This game is nothing like the first two and does not deliver on anything other than graphics.”
    • “Sadly in Homeworld 3 they have completely changed the style of the cutscenes; they used to be beautiful and captivating with their 2D art style, but now they are ugly and clunky with what looks like rushed and incomplete 3D modeling.”
  • music
    555 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Homeworld 3, composed by Paul Ruskay, receives mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and atmospheric qualities that evoke nostalgia for the original games. While some players find the soundtrack to be a highlight, capturing the essence of the series, others feel it lacks the impact and memorability of previous installments, blending into the background rather than standing out. Overall, the music is generally regarded as solid and well-executed, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic despite criticisms of the overall gameplay and story.

    • “The music score for the game is absolutely perfect, spot-on, and just gorgeous (100/100 for music).”
    • “The music, a hallmark of the series, is as hauntingly beautiful as ever, perfectly complementing the vastness of space and the intensity of battle.”
    • “The soundtrack may be the best part of the game.”
    • “Music is barely a shadow of the first two games (and cataclysms) god-tier soundtracks; it just sorta blends in with the rest of the dull muted soundscape that is only punctuated by real loud explosions. When I play at night, I've learned to use headphones or else I'll fumble with turning the volume up and down every few minutes.”
    • “The game is boring; the people in the game act like it's a musical with no music.”
    • “The music is uninspired and the story can be boiled down to 'two women have a spat on a galactic scale.'”
  • optimization
    204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly during large battles where frame rates can drop drastically, even on high-end hardware. While some users experienced smooth performance on lower settings, others described the game as poorly optimized and buggy, suggesting that it requires substantial patches to improve stability and overall gameplay experience. Overall, the consensus indicates that despite its beautiful graphics, the game's optimization is lacking and detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “Performance is good, my Radeon Fury with Ryzen 5600 is able to run it well enough.”
    • “Like many others, I waited a long time for this game and the graphics/performance delivered beyond expectations.”
    • “Loving the addition of co-op for playing with me and my friends, and on top of that, the game seems well optimized on a myriad of different PCs and laptops I have played on.”
    • “The game may look good, but it is very poorly optimized.”
    • “Performance issues drop fps significantly on battles with a mass number of ships.”
    • “My only gripe here is the bad performance optimization, that - according to the in-game benchmark - even drives decent to high-end systems well below the 30 fps mark during larger battles.”
  • emotional
    164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players feeling that the forced emotional dialogues and character reactions disrupt the immersion and tone of the gameplay. Critics argue that the characters are overly emotional and lack depth, leading to a disjointed narrative that fails to evoke the emotional investment seen in earlier titles. While some appreciate attempts at personal storytelling, the execution is often described as awkward and unconvincing, resulting in a disappointing experience for fans of the franchise.

    • “Those moments are especially heartfelt, and you can tell that some love and care for the franchise went into the story, with a few callbacks and nods here and there for longtime fans.”
    • “I thought the reunion between the two was heartwarming and well-voiced acted.”
    • “From the megaliths to the ways they can mess with geometry to the unbelievably gorgeous 'space scapes' we usually only saw in static backgrounds of the previous games... it's been honestly quite heartwarming to feel that vibe come through the entire time I've been playing without it having to be specifically said.”
    • “Game has very nice graphics, but unfortunately the writers created a very boring story not focused much on the Homeworld world at all.”
    • “Boring, terribly boring story.”
    • “Boring story not worth the price.”
  • stability
    152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and unresponsive AI, making it feel unplayable at times. Players have noted issues with unit pathfinding, UI glitches, and inconsistent gameplay mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite some positive remarks about graphics and potential, many reviewers recommend waiting for further patches and improvements before purchasing.

    • “Bugs: mostly bug free, though I have found a few and none of them are game breaking.”
    • “Great graphics, great soundtrack, great models, largely bug free gameplay (only a bit of occasional snagging on terrain features), interesting campaign missions, maps, and tactical situations.”
    • “Otherwise, it's a fantastic well polished game with no glitches or problems (disclaimer: that I've encountered, I'm aware some non-QWERTY keyboard users are having some issues).”
    • “It's been a couple of months since it came out, and after multiple patches, the game still suffers from terrible netcode, frequent crashes, units refusing to obey orders, audio, camera glitches, and more.”
    • “The UI is buggy and unclear, displaying wrong numbers on control groups constantly, and it's hard to tell what I have currently selected, and the unit pathing is a mess.”
    • “It's honestly just buggy; instead of macro-managing your fleet, you have to micro-manage every single vessel or they will do something stupid, and they revert their changes on their own and don't listen to commands.”
  • atmosphere
    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its stunning graphics, engaging music, and a sense of scale reminiscent of the original Homeworld titles. However, many players feel that the immersive storytelling and deep atmosphere that characterized earlier entries are lacking, particularly due to poorly executed cutscenes and a less compelling narrative. Overall, while the game captures some atmospheric elements, it fails to fully replicate the rich, immersive experience of its predecessors.

    • “The atmosphere of the game and environments to explore are top notch.”
    • “A strong campaign that offers the deep atmosphere and subtle storytelling that we know and love from Homeworld.”
    • “The game has a great atmosphere, impressive graphics, and captivating music.”
    • “The cutscenes are choppy and oddly paced, the backstory feels lackluster with peculiar animation mannerisms, and the atmosphere is uninspired.”
    • “The atmosphere, the characters, the loving attention to detail the series always had is just not there in HW3.”
    • “The atmosphere is gone.”
  • replayability
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag. While some players find the "War Games" mode and skirmishes to offer engaging and dynamic gameplay, many criticize the campaign for its short length, linear structure, and lack of meaningful replay value. The potential for increased replayability through mods and future updates is noted, but currently, the game struggles to provide a compelling reason for multiple playthroughs.

    • “War games is some of the most fun I've had in an RTS in a very long time, with incredible replayability and dynamic gameplay.”
    • “Skirmish/challenges/war games offer a variety of replayability.”
    • “I think it's quite awesome as an idea, you get to pick 1 out of 3 buffs for your ships for each artifact you find, this way the game is very, very replayable.”
    • “This seems like an attempt to add some live service replayability, but this has largely fallen flat on its face like the rest of the game.”
    • “The campaign has no replayability, as there is only ever 1 way to beat the mission.”
    • “The campaign is too short, far too easy, and has zero replayability, with a lackluster story.”
  • monetization
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over the reliance on microtransactions, season passes, and planned DLC that detracts from the core experience. Players feel that the game lacks depth and spirit, with essential content locked behind paywalls, leading to a perception of it being an overpriced and underdeveloped product. Overall, the sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over quality, leaving fans of the original series disillusioned.

    • “There is a 'season pass' kind of DLC which suggests they are going to focus on us purchasing extra stuff to play the game, which means more microtransactions.”
    • “I'm sure if DLC and microtransactions are too expensive, the community will complain and the devs will probably change it.”
    • “And as a bonus, they do not come with DLCs or microtransactions, nor will they sell off all your data to Google or Facebook.”
    • “It's Homeworld... the graphics are beautiful... there are some pretty cool moments... megalith giant structures are incredibly cool... I had a good time... it's not a bad game at all... just an overpriced, under-optimized mess with a weak story, dead-on-arrival multiplayer, and filthy monetization.”
    • “This game lacks spirit and cut corners for a blatant cash grab that fits the modern-day entertainment industry.”
    • “After nice graphics, none of the RTS mechanics/promises are there after all the development; instead, things are simplified and dumbed down, the lore is butchered, extra content is removed behind 'planned DLC', and the Denuvo was the icing on this cash grab. Being a long-time fan of the originals, this is so sad.”
  • character development
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has been widely criticized for being rushed and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that character arcs feel abrupt and poorly executed. The designs of the characters, particularly the main protagonist Imogen, have also drawn negative feedback for their perceived lack of quality and coherence, contributing to an overall sense of disappointment in the narrative experience. Many players feel that the campaign's short length and superficial storytelling fail to provide the emotional engagement and character growth expected from a AAA title.

    • “Definitely doesn't give the same vibe as HW1 and HW2, but I like the change; it shows character development instead of a character (Karen Sjet) that's too god-like and has no emotion.”
    • “While the story is more personally dramatic than HW1 or HW2 (and more than Deserts of Kharak), by design surely, it did feel like some of the character development was rushed at places.”
    • “To a: cinematic storytelling with character development and human emotions, mission objectives, mission updates.”
    • “The campaign’s storyline feels disappointingly hollow, lacking the emotional depth and character development that were hallmarks of the earlier games.”
    • “Story feels empty and hollow, very rushed with little to no plot or character development.”
    • “The campaign is far too short to allow for meaningful character development in the way this game does it - through cutscenes at the beginning and end of missions.”
  • grinding
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and cumbersome, with players expressing frustration over micromanagement, slow unit production, and repetitive gameplay. Many feel that the game prioritizes attrition over strategy, leading to a monotonous experience that detracts from enjoyment. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant drawback, making the game feel more like a chore than a fun challenge.

    • “The war games mode is cool but only really has about 2 to 4 hours of content max. It's exceptionally grindy to get to all the content, which is absurd.”
    • “Ships have never been more generic and expendable than they are here, and victory is simply a matter of grinding, production-based attrition rather than any test of tactical or strategic finesse.”
    • “The pacing and behavior of ships has been 'modernized' to something more akin to Starcraft 2, a spam game where even though the tactical choices are present (in a brutal amount of options), the skirmishes feel like an unstoppable tedious clickfest about fabricating ships with zero odds of survival, setting stance/formation, sending them to an unending cluster of ships and repeat.”
  • humor
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as both unintentional and situationally hilarious, with players finding amusement in the chaotic gameplay and absurd character dynamics. Many reviews highlight the poor writing and awkward animations as sources of comedy, while others appreciate the ridiculousness of certain game mechanics and scenarios, leading to a mix of frustration and laughter. Overall, the humor is seen as a redeeming quality amidst the game's shortcomings, making it entertaining in a bizarre way.

    • “You might get annoyed at first, but it gets hilarious when you realize this is essentially a galactic bitchfight.”
    • “2 hours laughing at the utter shambles that is the skirmish gameplay (to be fair, I genuinely got a good laugh out of this).”
    • “Hilariously, there is a turret-based fleet that I ache to try just to laugh at how utterly useless it must be.”
Skip Critic Reviews

63%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Homeworld 3

9h Median play time
11h Average play time
6-12h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 42 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Homeworld 3

Games Like Homeworld 3

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak Image
79%9.9kreviews

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

2016Real-time Strategy
PCEpic GamesMac OS+1
Homeworld Remastered Collection Image
84%14.5kreviews

Homeworld Remastered Collection

2015Role Playing
PCCloudMac OS+2
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 Image
62%14.2kreviews

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3

2017Role Playing
LinuxPCCloud+2
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Image
81%2.9kreviews

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

2017Turn-based Strategy
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+6
Iron Harvest Image
73%7.9kreviews

Iron Harvest

2020Casual Real-time Strategy
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+7
More games like Homeworld 3
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Homeworld 3 is a real-time strategy game with warfare and science fiction themes.

Homeworld 3 is available on PC, Windows, Epic Games, Cloud and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Homeworld 3.

Homeworld 3 was released on December 8, 2021.

Homeworld 3 was developed by Blackbird Interactive.

Homeworld 3 has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Homeworld 3 is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Homeworld Remastered Collection, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, Iron Harvest and others.