A few hours ago, Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing announced a delay for Homeworld 3, citing the need for more time to refine the game so that it may be worthy of the series legacy. It’s not the first for the upcoming real time strategy game, which was originally meant to be released in Q4 2022 before a delay moved it to the first half of 2023.
The game has been in development since 2017, shortly after the release of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, the prequel game made by the same developer-publisher duo.
Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing announced Homeworld 3 at PAX West 2019. Roughly three years later, during last year’s Gamescom, Chris Wray got his hands on it and loved every minute of his time with the game.
This masterful implementation of cover genuinely feels revolutionary and makes the scenery within these maps important, rather than just the magnificent-looking things they are. Thanks to the fact that weapons use the new “real ballistics” system, everything is simulated. The missiles fired will move towards their target, giving you a chance to evade or put something between you. The cover adds to the rock, paper, scissors style that Homeworld – and practically every RTS – has worked with in the past, giving a weaker force a chance to beat the stronger one through tactical nouse.
Everything played during my time in Homeworld 3 was enhanced by an excellent atmosphere, pushed forward by more than enjoyable audio and visuals that were downright spectacular. You’ll find the game features the usual cutscenes that show off the scenery, such as background stars sending what can be astonishing-looking light through wrecks and asteroids. Still, most important is the control over the camera that can give you the same view.
There aren’t many games I come out of a preview thinking that the finished result could be one of the best games of the year, but Homeworld 3 and Blackbird Interactive have certainly done this. With a story that will take you on a quest to find out the source of “the anomaly”, darkness swallowing gates, outposts, planets and more, threatening the galaxy.
In a brief FAQ posted on the Gearbox website, Blackbird Interactive reassured fans that the biggest progress update would be shared later this Summer, showing all the work the studio has been doing behind the scenes during these long years.
