Nearly seven years have passed since its release, yet this Homeworld prequel is still gaming's gold standard for Sci-Fi desert warfare. There have been several attempts from strategy titles to dethrone Kharak, yet not even the rebooting of the Dune franchise has managed that so far.

It should serve as testament to the intricacies and sheer fun factor of a title which went from the cold vastness of open space to scorching hot deserts of a dying planet, without losing any fans along the way. It's a rare case in which drastic scenery changes have such positive impact on an established fanbase.

Without exaggeration, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak has introduced its lore to a whole new generation of players that didn't skip it before diving into the more familiar context of the Homeworld Remastered Collection.

Kharak was the Steam debut for Blackbird Interactive and it has faithfully served as a blueprint for their future forays into strategy gaming. The Homeworld IP owners, Gearbox Publishing, made the right choice in allowing a new team to handle the prequel.

The franchise's veteran players might have been initially puzzled how the storyline and already expanded lore could connect with a strictly land-based title bearing the Homeworld label. It achieved that bridge surprisingly well, I might add. And it's a self-standing narrative.

Yet I strongly advise the purchase of the "Expedition Guide" DLC (and only that, if you're interested in the singleplayer component alone), since it serves as a complex companion app filled with context that only gets superficially brushed during the campaign.

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The factions and motivations from the Homeworld titles have weaved a tale that's as fascinating as many competitor Sci-Fi series. I won't spoil anything, yet you can probably guess that you will roleplay an organization looking for survival within a hostile climate.

The desert planet will become irreversibly unsuitable for life at an alarming rate and thus, a race to develop spacefaring technology ensues. Mirroring certain aspects of tribal desert cultures from Earth, Kharak's factions have been locked in perpetual conflict long before the prospects of a climatic apocalypse became obvious.

Recent discoveries surrounding their ancestors have kickstarted several expeditions to uncover the truth behind disputed origins and ancient spaceflight. You are now leading such a venture, within a veritable land fleet whose flagship could only be a massive aircraft carrier.

In one of the earliest examples of Unity Engine excellence, Deserts of Kharak's dev team have shown what can be achieved with the "Indie game graphics solution" once it reaches capable hands.

Skill can always tip the scales for tools of seemingly uncertain quality. And Unity's output is praiseworthy in this title. Kharak has aged gracefully to the point of becoming a template to future strategy games focusing on similar stories and settings.

It goes without saying that I encountered no technical issues during the entirety of the singleplayer campaign and the handful of multiplayer skirmishes I played afterwards. Shared 33 screenshots for this title on my Steam profile, but I ended up taking thrice as many for my personal archive.

The ability to disable the HUD meant that raw gameplay can become as epic as the cinematics themselves which are already split between in-game engine and beautiful drawings. The aforementioned Expedition Guide also has further examples of concept art.

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Voice acting and soundtrack are on par with the visual quality. They convey a very convincing storyline through characters torn between duty and family. Personal tragedy cannot alter immovable traditions, and progress will resume its course since the species' survival is at stake.

It's an original tale and it subverts enough tropes without making a parade out if its novelty. Blurring the game's self-imposed morality limits couldn't be achieved without proper cutscenes. The original score is far from repetitive and even the unit banter was enjoyable.

While Deserts of Kharak is a perfect introduction for novices, even Homeworld veterans shall notice gameplay similarities from strategic and logistic perspectives. The DNA is there, deeply imbedded despite trading outer space for desert dunes and canyons.

Having a strong, albeit slow moving base of operations, means that you're constantly encouraged to press on your advance through hostile weather conditions and enemy factions. Recon those maps carefully, but don't waste any opportunities to deprive the enemy of those limited resources that can bolster your fleet while weakening theirs.

I usually "turtle" in my RTS playthroughs by focusing on perfectly defensible positions before sallying forth, but this time I felt more comfortable on the tireless offensive since the flagship carrier can hold its own in combat once you properly support and upgrade its on-board systems.

Betrayal is never far away, yet at least you don't have to worry about deadly fauna within this title. The desert must be literally too hot to sustain even sandworms. You will be harassed by a clear enemy right from the start.

Developing better weaponry while still upgrading the existent one, shall be paramount towards expedition success. You're constantly reminded of the dwindling water supplies, though that resource doesn't play out during your battles.

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It's just a proverbial ticking clock towards your demise if the objective isn't reached soon enough. The two resources which do matter, are harvested from the wrecks and relics you uncover from one mission to another. Numerous and diversified objectives, you won't get bored.

Just like in Starcraft 2, you will have to make choices regarding the upgrade paths and unit bonuses, fully realizing that you can't unlock all of them during the campaign. Which is a sufficiently lenghty one even if you don't take your sweet time like I did.

The game's sole weak point is its limited replay value though. After you'll spend at least 30 hours in that desert climate, encouraged by that gripping story, there's not much incentive to jump into the AI skirmishes and MP section soon or at all. You'll find the multiplayer lobby's mostly a ghost town anyway.

Of course, your mileage may vary and time solves even the "burn-out" factor out of the equation. Know that Deserts of Kharak is an excellent example of PC strategy and its numerous discounts can only sweeten a very good deal by getting your time and money's worth. The future home and your legacy lie within the stars!

+ Fascinating story & lore.
+ Beautiful graphics and sounds.
+ Steam Trading Cards & Achievements.

- No replay value.

This article was submitted for Imperial Reviews. Following my Curator Page, will help me keep publishing new reviews as soon as I can. Thank you for your support!