21 years after the previous installment launched, re-entry for Homeworld 3, the latest game in space strategy series, has not been smooth. It launched to solid critic reviews but very mixed player ones. Now, developer Blackbird Interactive has attempted to right the ship by releasing its new 1.1 update that offers over 100 bug fixes and gameplay improvements.
Homeworld 3 launched Monday May 13 to mixed reviews and has been struggling a little ever since. The space-faring strategy game was criticized for owing to its story, and mechanics which felt overly streamlined compared to other games in the series – as it stands, the Homeworld 3 Steam user rating remains at an inglorious ‘mixed. But a big new update aims to turn the starship around.
While the update doesn’t address what seems to be the biggest issue for players — the story — it is adding a new ship type to the roguelite and skirmish modes: the heavy suppression frigate. This is a free addition to the game and has a pair of dual heavy mag cannons and pad MK. 2 light rapid fire railguns, so it can out shoot the suppression frigate by a fair bit.
There are also 12 new artifacts being added to Homeworld 3. One turns the suppression frigates into beasts up close, while another makes their capabilities at range far superior. These come alongside new challenges that unlock nine of the artifacts. There’s also a new map being added to the skirmish mode: Karos Graveyard. With less terrain and more open space, this map is more heavily inspired by previous Homeworld games.
Some of the bug fixes and improvements include the ability to pause and slow time during war games and skirmishes, some unit AI fixes, so they should target the correct ships, and missing voiceover while playing as the Incarnate fleet. There are also modding tools on the horizon, which should be launching later this month, so the community can fix the game’s issues itself.
You can read the full patch notes for this large update right here. You can also read our Homeworld 3 review, where we “mostly enjoyed how the dramatic cutscenes seamlessly transition into gameplay.”
If you want to play some other RTS games that are a bit more polished, we’ve got you covered. Or, if you want great story games, we’ve got recommendations for those, too.
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