Homeworld Remastered Collection

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 14,460 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Homeworld Remastered Collection Game Cover
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The Homeworld Remastered Collection brings the classic space-based RTS games Homeworld and Homeworld 2 to modern systems with updated graphics and multiplayer. Command your fleet across 30 single-player missions, choosing unit types, formations, and tactics. This collection also includes the original Homeworld and Homeworld 2 in their classic forms.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 14,460 reviews
story1,664 positive mentions
stability350 negative mentions
  • story5,554 mentions

    The "story" aspect of the Homeworld Remastered collection is widely praised for its emotional depth and engaging narrative, particularly in the first game, which is noted for its compelling themes of survival and exploration. Players appreciate the seamless integration of storytelling with gameplay, enhanced by atmospheric music and well-crafted cinematics. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing and mission design in the sequel, Homeworld 2, where the story feels less cohesive and is marred by difficulty spikes and bugs that can disrupt the experience. Overall, the remastered version retains the essence of the original story while updating its presentation, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven strategy games.

    • “The story is fantastic, probably one of the most engaging stories in any strategy game I've played.”
    • “The story and the telling thereof in HW1 is phenomenal.”
    • “The story is a classic tale of an odyssey across the stars to find your one true home, and along the way you meet friends, and monsters.”
    • “Hw2's story and pacing are bad, becoming a boring slog between the AI scaling and padded missions.”
    • “The story is poor; there seem to be some self-inserts, and in general, it's a poorly constructed and written game—an abomination to the original.”
    • “The scaling difficulty can be frustrating, and a lot of the missions you just have to throw yourself at and see what happens; sometimes you'll get wiped out, sometimes you'll steamroll them; it's really not great.”
  • graphics2,834 mentions

    The graphics of the Homeworld Remastered collection have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visual upgrades, effectively modernizing the classic titles while maintaining their original aesthetic. Players have noted the impressive detail in ship models, vibrant environments, and enhanced effects, which contribute to an immersive gameplay experience. However, some users have pointed out that despite the graphical improvements, certain gameplay mechanics and controls have not aged as well, leading to mixed feelings about the overall remastering effort.

    • “It's difficult to convey just how stunning some of the visuals are.”
    • “The updated graphics and modernized interface breathe new life into these beloved titles, while still maintaining the immersive storytelling and strategic gameplay that made them so popular in the first place.”
    • “The graphics update is beautiful, the enhanced detail on the ships, environments, and effects look great.”
    • “The graphics are worse than the original, the controls have been changed but do not help, the navigation sucks a lot, meaning that you cannot move the ships past a certain point while opening the sensor map, the way-points instead of patrol suck because, again, you cannot control the coordinates, mission Hiigara is totally unplayable, nope, this 'remastered' version is worse than the original.”
    • “The graphical improvements don't make it worth the gameplay issues it introduces.”
    • “The updated graphics look decent enough, but the game is unplayable beyond taking some okay looking screenshots which, incidentally, is all that was needed to convince me to buy it.”
  • gameplay2,296 mentions

    The gameplay of the Homeworld remastered series has received mixed reviews, with many praising its strategic depth and engaging mechanics, while others criticize the changes made during the transition to the Homeworld 2 engine. Players appreciate the stunning graphics and immersive storytelling, but express disappointment over the removal of key mechanics from the original game, such as fuel management and effective formations, which have led to a less satisfying experience. Overall, while the remaster retains much of the original's charm, it struggles with balancing nostalgia and modern gameplay expectations.

    • “The gameplay, story, and pacing of hw1 are great.”
    • “The game plays exceptionally well, boasting a level of polish that only enhances the original's revered gameplay mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay has also been polished and refined, making for a smoother and more enjoyable experience overall.”
    • “They ruined the gameplay of Homeworld 1 by trying to shoehorn it into Homeworld 2's game systems.”
    • “What frustrates me is that the HW1 remaster doesn't really stay faithful to the original game's mechanics, ship stats, UI, and more.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely slow.”
  • music1,182 mentions

    The music in the Homeworld series is widely praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the masterful compositions by Paul Ruskay. The remastered soundtrack retains the haunting and immersive qualities of the original, enhancing the game's storytelling and gameplay experience. However, some fans expressed disappointment over the absence of the iconic "Homeworld" song by Yes in the remastered version, while others noted occasional sound issues during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's legacy as a classic in the RTS genre.

    • “The music goes really hard on emotions at the right moments, and the story that reminded me suddenly of a Dune-like adventure is outstanding.”
    • “The game's awe-inspiring soundtrack, composed by Paul Ruskay, complements the space odyssey beautifully, evoking a sense of wonder and mystery as you traverse the vastness of the cosmos.”
    • “The soundtrack alone is among the best ever created for this genre, and the new visuals are absolutely stunning!”
    • “The music score is not quite as iconic but still engaging.”
    • “Sadly shedding Homeworld 1’s ethereal, eastern-influenced soundtrack for more generic synth-orchestral filler, the plot also suffers from being essentially a weakly-justified re-run with unwelcome messianic overtones.”
    • “The only complaint and it's a minor one for all the pleasure it gives is the missing Homeworld song by Yes at the end; the new end credits music fits but that song was written for it.”
  • stability372 mentions

    The stability of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players have noted that Homeworld 2 runs relatively well, the remastered version of Homeworld 1 is described as a "buggy mess," plagued by issues that persist even after multiple patches. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, leading to frustration among players who find it difficult to enjoy the experience due to these technical problems.

    • “Bug free and plays smooth.”
    • “The game looks beautiful, it runs great on low-end systems too, lower than the minimum specified specs.”
    • “Beautiful, runs great and brings me back to my memories of obsessively playing Homeworld in 1999.”
    • “Even after multiple patches, this remaster is unfortunately very buggy and broken.”
    • “This is a buggy mess, do yourself a favor and find the originals; they were great.”
    • “The remastered version is very buggy, not challenging in any way.”
  • atmosphere306 mentions

    The atmosphere of the Homeworld series is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by a stunning soundtrack and rich storytelling. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of desolation and tension in the vastness of space, making it a unique experience in the real-time strategy genre. Despite some dated graphics and gameplay mechanics, the overall atmosphere remains a standout feature that draws players into its intricate universe.

    • “The atmosphere and immersion in this game is something I haven't seen elsewhere.”
    • “The atmosphere it created really draws you in; it was something I had never experienced before in a game.”
    • “Homeworld is deep, captivating, incredibly atmospheric and now stunningly beautiful as well with Steam multiplayer support.”
    • “However, I could not enjoy the atmosphere much because I have spent most of my time within the tactical map and frantically clicking numerous units.”
    • “The relaxing atmosphere from Homeworld 1 is diminished to a few isolated occasions in Homeworld 2, which makes both games two very different experiences.”
    • “The same goes for the atmosphere in HW1 in general: barely noticeable.”
  • emotional144 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players noting its ability to evoke deep feelings through a compelling narrative, stunning visuals, and a powerful soundtrack. Reviewers frequently mention moments of heartbreak and attachment to characters and ships, highlighting the game's capacity to create an immersive and moving experience. Overall, the emotional depth of the story, combined with its strategic gameplay, makes it a standout title that resonates with players on a personal level.

    • “It's the only game that has ever made me cry, and that's something I haven't been able to do for over 10 years.”
    • “The captivating storyline, filled with heart-wrenching moments and unexpected twists, adds emotional weight to your journey, creating a truly immersive experience.”
    • “Homeworld has such a powerful and emotional campaign.”
    • “Boring story, less interesting gameplay, and overall less connection to your fleet.”
  • optimization114 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback. While many players praise its smooth performance and ability to run well on a variety of hardware, some report issues such as stuttering, low FPS, and bugs, particularly with AI and audio. Despite these concerns, the remaster is generally considered well-optimized for modern systems, enhancing graphics without significantly impacting performance.

    • “The classic game was already considered a graphical gem back in 1999, but the remaster has gone further in increasing graphical fidelity without affecting performance.”
    • “Both HW and HW2 remastered versions seem to be optimized well, as I've never had any lag or framerate issues.”
    • “Even with the enhanced graphics, the game still manages to not be too demanding on hardware and it runs smoothly without any major stability issues.”
    • “After a while the game starts stuttering / low fps, others have reported it, there's no fix (5800x3d / 6900xt), during the stutter the CPU and GPU are ~5% load.”
    • “Poorly optimized and has often installation issues, making part of the game unplayable.”
    • “It's a mess with several performance and gameplay issues, a poorly scaled UI, and multiple crashes.”
  • replayability100 mentions

    The game's replayability is significantly enhanced by modding tools, multiplayer options, and custom skirmishes, allowing for endless gameplay possibilities. While some players note a lack of content in the single-player campaign, many find the multiplayer and community-created content to provide substantial replay value. Overall, the combination of engaging storylines, stunning graphics, and the ability to revisit the game over the years contributes to a strong sense of replayability, particularly for those who enjoy multiplayer experiences.

    • “The included modding tools further enhance the replay value of the collection, allowing players to create and share their own custom content.”
    • “Endlessly replayable, especially if you have friends to play with.”
    • “20+ years later and the remastered version of this series has made it replayable for a lifetime.”
    • “Currently the community doesn’t offer much in the face of new maps, which makes replayability a bit of a short-ended stick.”
    • “It may be that it is simple by comparison with almost every space game ever (what with only having one resource that you can gather in finite amounts) and that is one part that detracts from this game's replayability.”
    • “One of the best storylines in any strategy game I've played, but not a lot of replayability.”
  • grinding50 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the slow pace of missions and the lack of options to adjust game speed. While some appreciate the strategic elements and story, others criticize the dynamic difficulty and basic combat mechanics, leading to a grindy experience that can detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, players suggest that while the game can be fun, it often requires significant time investment to overcome its grindy nature.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
    • “With no way to change game speed, this becomes increasingly tedious as you go on.”
    • “The gameplay is tremendously tedious and the UI is godawful; the combat and tactics are absolutely basic, and the ships are bland and uncharacteristic.”
    • “Once you learn which spacecraft are the most effective, the game becomes a very tedious, repetitive cycle of spamming those units, assigning them all together into the same group, and watching them lumber toward the objective.”
  • humor34 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as both intentional and unintentional, with players finding amusement in the absurdity of storylines and game mechanics. Many reviewers appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements, likening the experience to reconnecting with an old friend who has a newfound sense of humor. Overall, the game is seen as a blend of funny moments and entertaining contradictions, contributing to its charm.

    • “In conclusion, Homeworld Remastered Collection is a galactic hit – it's like meeting an old friend after years and discovering they've got a brand new wardrobe and a fresh sense of humor.”
    • “It's hilarious and game breaking.”
    • “I want to post something hilarious about this, but Gearbox finally did a good job and did an amazing remaster of an already perfect game.”
  • monetization18 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many players feeling that the developers prioritize profit over their fanbase. Users expressed frustration over the presence of advertisements and the lack of meaningful content in the remaster, calling for a standard that includes untouched original games in such releases. While some noted the absence of additional DLC or microtransactions, the overall sentiment remains negative regarding the game's monetization approach.

    • “At least they had the decency to not add DLC or resource bonus microtransactions.”
    • “It feels like a cash grab by people who care more about their paycheck than their fanbase.”
    • “Of course, this collection was merely a cash grab, and it shows even with the classic version.”
    • “Support companies that do proper remasters rather than just a rerelease cash grab.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The character development in the game is criticized for being simplistic and lacking depth, leading to a general consensus that it detracts from the overall experience and makes the game hard to recommend.

    • “The campaign's story is very simplistic with no character development of any kind; unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

14hMedian play time
31hAverage play time
6-39hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 32 analyzed playthroughs

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