RTS games generally aren't my thing, mostly because I'm not very good at them. But I loved the original Homeworld: Enemy AI was too easily exploited (although for me, that's a feature, not a bug) but the setting and presentation were magnificent—more than enough to make it one of the most unforgettable games I've ever played.
I'm not the only one who thinks so: PC Gamer's Fraser Brown, who very much is a strategy guy, said a few years ago that even after decades, Homeworld is still his "dream RTS." That's a pretty powerful recommendation.
For those of you who haven't played it, this is your lucky day: The Homeworld Remastered Collection, with remastered and "classic" editions of that great sci-fi epic and its perfectly fine follow-up, is available for just $8 as part of the new 2K Tactics and Tycoons Humble Bundle. Astute online shoppers may point out that the Homeworld Remastered Collection can be had for just $3.49 on Steam right now—that's 90% off of the regular price—and that is true.
But wait! There's more! (You didn't think I'd point you toward a bad deal, did you?)
The 2K bundle also includes the outstanding prequel RTS Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, which Rob Zacny—another serious strategy guy—said is "a terrific RTS" in his 90% review, and "also an excellent Homeworld game that reinvents the series while also recapturing its magic." Deserts of Kharak is also 90% off on Steam right now, dropping it to just a fiver—so you're already saving money with the Humble Bundle.
But wait! There's more!
I'm really just here for the Homeworld, but there's a bunch of other good stuff on tap too, if you're into the RTS scene. You'll also get:
- Railroad Tycoon 2 Platinum
- Army Men
- Army Men 2
- Army Men: Toys in Space
- Army Men: RTS
- Shattered Union
- Freedom Force
- Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich
These games are quite dated but generally well regarded (with the possible exception, I am informed, of the Army Men games), particularly Railroad Tycoon and Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, and one of the nice things about RTS games, and strategy games in general, is that they don't rely on cutting-edge visuals to succeed. In fact, I look at this screen from Railroad Tycoon 2, released in 1998, and aspect ratio aside I think it looks pretty sweet.
Of course, Homeworld is just flat-out sexy.
So anyway, if you want just Homeworld Remastered, or Deserts of Kharak, Steam is probably the way to go. But if you want both (and why wouldn't you?), then get the bundle—you'll get a bunch of other good games along with them, and you'll save 50 cents, too! (Hey, every little bit counts these days.) The 2K Tactics and Tycoons Humble Bundle is available until April 24.
