Shipbreakers now Deserts of Kharak and out this week? When did that happen?

I remember signing up for BBI's Hardware:Shipbreakers beta and newsletter back in the day. I was excited that they teamed up with Gearbox to get the Homeworld name added to it, but then it went dark. I would check BBI's website regularly to find any news on the game, but eventually gave up, figuring that I'd hear about it sometime.

Today on Steam a game called Homeworld:Deserts of Kharak rolled across my queue. I thought, "It looks like Homeworld:Shipbreakers, but it's not called Shipbreakers. Maybe Shipbreakers is coming out soon and this is a mini game to rev up hype for Shipbreakers?" It took a while to realise that Deserts of Kharak is Shipbreakers, and not only that, it is out this week, pre-order on Steam, to anyone who was excited about Hardware:Shipbreakers back in the day.

Had no knowledge or interest in it before but does look like it has potential. Just was not marketed but looks like it has production values and everything. Plus ex-Relic guys and I'm a big Relic fan.

The physics, vehicles, and terrain reminds me of Men of War in ways. Looks cool though I'm interested for sure.

@artisanbreads: Unless turning your giant land carrier 45 degrees so that the armors corner points at the enemy and reduces round penetration, that ain't no men of war.

I think it's really odd to put a non-space game under the homeworld license? Do people really love that backstory of that universe?

I hope to play some of that remastered homeworld sometime soon though and this eventually if all goes well.

haha yeah but just the fact that they're doing physics on the vehicles. I hope there are as cool of moments with vehicles exploding and flying off cliffs and I'll be happy. It's the only game I could really think of when the guy said "no other RTS games do vehicles like this".

As far as it being a Homeworld game, hey that's more of a name than a totally new IP. Gearbox spent money on it. This does look like it could be kind of similar in feel too if you're using a fleet of vehicles like it seems.

@artisanbreads: Wow, this looks really awesome. The way the built up the levels especially looks like it'd make for some exciting stuff. "Shipbreakers: Deserts of Kharak" woulda been a pretty good title--even more so if it remained a prequel to Homeworld just with a less explicitly related name--but I understand the need to put "Homeworld" in there. And those cutscenes are something else.

I appreciate that they're going for the full package with the soundtrack and animatics, rather than just similar gameplay.

At this point i am just happy with any RTS game the comes out in 2016, that isn't a MOBA

I always enjoyed the Homeworld aesthetics that are kind of unique to that franchise. The way all your units build out of the main ship, the little light trails they leave behind, the polygonal design. I'm not sure how this will pan out in a 2D plane. To be perfectly honest I don't think the 3D combat actually mattered all that much in the original Homeworld games. The moment your forces met with the enemy it all quickly transformed into a busy cloud of ships zigging each and every way. Maybe there were flanking bonuses gained by attacking from below but I can't remember.

This probably isn't going to be a day 1 purchase for me but I'm curious what professional videogames persons will have to say about it.

Yo dawg, me too.

pre-load is up... 3.6 gigs

Yeah it's weird how little press there's been about the game. Feels like Gearbox is sending it to the market to die.

I'm a huge fan of the original Homeworld, and I'm fine with this game using the name. As Humanity mentioned, ultimately the 3D aspect of Homeworld didn't really matter that much tactically. They could have locked it to a 2D plane and it would play almost completely the same - however, it wouldn't look or feel like space and that matters. From what I've seen, the aesthetics and gameplay of Deserts of Kharak fits the name. Unfortunately, I don't want to pay $50 for a game with only 13 single player missions when I have no intent to touch MP.

It is worth it, i think, if you didn't play the remastered. If you order the game now you get the remastered free.

also, who knows long long 3 missions are? from the preview stuff i watched it seems like each mission has a lot of stages in it.

Shoulda been called Homeworld: Shipbreakers. That's a way cooler name.

They must be short-funded. Would explain the lack of marketing and the fact everyone is wearing a hat (the heat is turned down)

@magicwalnuts: Deserts of Kharak fits very well, but I agree, Shipbreakers would've been way cooler.

I really dig the land-ship thing. I hope my computer can handle this, will find out tonight I guess.

Homeworld is one of my favorite games so I'm glad to see its name on a thing in 2016!

@magicwalnuts: Yeah, Shipbreakers was a cool name. I do agree with other more that for this game and what it is, that Deserts of Kharak is more appropriate.

Gearbox is letting this out with little marketing behind it, but with the way this game had been funded I'm not too surprised. I would have at least liked to have seen Steam showcase it a bit more on their storefront. The game really seems like one that is for people that really enjoy dipping into the Homeworld lore, and who like the RTS gameplay of a Homeworld game.

For myself, I get goosebumps when I hear the musical cues, the names of the clans, and see the camera angles pair with the visuals. It has an amazing style to it that just screams science fiction book cover.

What a great style this thing has! I feel obligated to support the kind of RTS I loved that has been gone for years like this and Grey Goo. RTS games with campaigns!

This is a little to much like the first homeworld... like it seems like they are telling the same story but on the ground.

I like the art style, and i'll give it a chance. I hear the story is only 10-11 hours long and i kinda don't understand the pressure to get to the crashed ship. In homeworld their whole planet is blown up, but in this one the issue seems to be them looking for the ship... (but i'm only 2 missions in)

What are other's thoughts?

I really like the aesthetic so far, but there are a couple important control options that I either can't see or aren't there and it makes it a bit difficult to actually play with any finesse. Where are unit formations/spacing? How about specific unit stances, like aggressive or defensive?

Other than that, it's basically Homeworld on the ground - in 2016 - and it's a lot of fun regardless

@zurv: Deserts of Kharak takes place 100 years before the events of Homeworld 1.

It was hardly believeble when I've opened my email box this morning and found the ad from Gearbox. This days will be dedicated to Homeworld, baby!

I'm enjoying what I've been playing so far. I hope GB does a quick look.

Played up to mission 4 last night and really like it so far. The atmosphere is really Homeworldy, and it's tripping all of my nostalgia sensors. Vehicle design is once again godlike. I reaaaaaaaaally like the idea of the vehicles being sort of like ships with the desert as an ocean.

Also like that they brought the sensor manager over, it's actually helpful in getting situational awareness. The importance of height and line of sight is also cool, you can do some cool ambush type things with all the sand dunes and everything.

i know. i was saying that there is urgency in homeworld 1 because the planet is gone. In this game they don't seem to give much reason to be freaking out so much. But that is something that i hopefully will know more of when i get to play more of the game this weekend.

It is pretty :) I do the the fancy lighting on laser-ish weapons that we would see on the huge ships in homeworld two. At night in the desert it would look cool to have everything light up as a beam is fired across the land. From the pre-view videos there seems to some ion cannon thingy, but that isn't the same as shooting in line with the land :)

@zurv: ah well, there is some weird companion application/Artbook for it. I guess I got it because I took the pre-purchase dive and already have Homeworld remastered.

Has some production art + history of Kharak lore entries available.

@tbk: how do you access that thing? it is listed in steam as DLC on my account.. but it isn't under extras

@zurv: Start the game get a steam launcher with the option to either start deserts or that companion application.