-> click click click click... -> group -> point -> click. click, click, "crap they have 20 x the number of ships I got, I got wiped out" -> repeat, click, click, click. Needless to say that experience left me feeling like I just took the SAT verbal again, not my idea of fun.Perhaps I am being too harsh. This game does have its upsides, and in truth it is still better than most RTS games out there. But compared to the orginal Homeworld game I think it's actually a step backwards (except for the sub-systems attackes, which is one aspect of the game I enjoyed very much, but in the single player missions, things are so hectic, you won't even have time to target individual ships, let alone sub-systems). 3-stars for susb-systems, the multi-player levels (which is excellent in spite of the single player missions) and the ease of Modding (which adds to some replayability). Otherwise the game gets a 1.
Rating: 
Summary: Homeworld 2 rocks
Review: This game brings out the fun of space games, it definitly lives uo to its prequels of Homeworld and Cataclysm
Rating: 
Summary: homeworld 2 is the same as orb
Review: in my view playing homeworld 2 is about the same as O.R.B if you seen that game they mirror each other both have great graphics. homworld is harder than homeworld 2 but orb is cooler because of the levels
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent game, but too hard for most
Review: This game was a must-buy for me since I also owned the original Homeworld. The story of HW2 is a lot less compelling than the story of the original Homeworld, but still not bad. The gameplay is however better.
If you are unfamiliar with the Homeworld series, it's based on fighting your way through levels, where you bring your resources and space fleet from the previous mission (level) to the next. They are all interconnected, and if you do poorly in one, chances are you'll be at a disadvantage in the next one.
You command the mighty mothership in your quest to save the galaxy by retrieving an old hyperspace gate. The mothership is able to build ships, including carriers that in turn can build most types of ships. You will be tasked with developing technology, building a viable fleet, mining for resources, completing mission objectives, and fending off the enemy - all in a nice concoction of organized chaos. The pace can be pretty high at times, and although the battlefields are nicely laid out and the navigation relatively simple, it's still a mess to get through some of the missions. Chances are you'll play each mission somewhere between 2 and 20 times before you succeed.
PROS:
* Excellent concept and gameplay
* Beautiful graphics and sound
* Hours and hours of fun and challenging gameplay
* Multiplayer option, and option to play against the computer
* Large fleet of different ships - friends, allies and foes
* A lot of improvement to make to your fleet through research
* Nice storyline to follow
CONS:
* Extremely hard - only one difficulty level. It's a good idea to either read online strategy guides and walkthroughs, or simply buy the official strategy guide.
* Hours and hours of challenging gameplay - It can get a bit tedious and frustrating to play the same mission over and over again.
* Not a game for relaxing in front of the computer.
I highly recommend this game, and it's sure to give you days and days, probably weeks and weeks of active gameplay. I was considered giving this game a 5, but since there's quite a bit of room for improvement, and the difficulty level is a bit on the high side, I give it a still very enjoyable 4 STARS!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great game, a few glitches
Review: I loved homeworld, played it over and over for months. Homeworld 2 has not disappointed. I like the story. The graphics are awesome of course. The missions where balanced and interesting. It's great that the same voice actors are doing Sjet, the Bentusi, etc.
I see lots of talk of it being too hard. I don't agree. I'm not a really great player, but I found this one to be just slightly harder than HW1. If you find you are having problems, it is because you've been using the wrong strategies (or because you blew the last mission so bad, that you start the next mission without a fleet).
For instance, Mission 3 was really tough for me at frist. The enemy kept swarming me with gobs of units. I took a deep breath and thought. Where are all those units coming from? - the carriers! On my next attempt a launched all out strikes on the carriers instead of defending a key asset, and mopped up handily.
They don't call them Strategy Games for nothing.
All that said, there are some glitches with the game. Some of the routing AI needs a bit of work and there's a quite embarrassing bug where folks behind firewalls can't host multiplayer games (like anyone isn't behind a firewall these days). In one level, if you meet the objectives out of the usual order, the mission won't end. A patch is in the works. Rumored to be coming very soon, so hopefully these problems will disappear. Also the relic forums (google it) have tips to get by such problems.
Rating:
Summary: Good Game
Review: This is an excellent sequel to the other Homeworld games. I found no flaws or problems with the game other than I had to upgrade my TNT2 video card.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent game!
Review: Homeworld 2
General/Summary:
When Relic released the first Homeworld in 1999, I was amazed at the graphics, gameplay, and story that took the gaming world by storm. I said "WOW." It was a sensational game worthy of awards for innovation and game depth not seen before in a RTS game. It was such an ambitious title at the time, and they pulled it off with an incredible 3D engine taking RTS gamers into the depths of space. Homeworld 2 has some large shoes to fill as it tries to recapture the genre once again. It has been refined and improved in many ways over the predecessor, and most of the changes are welcome. Many gamers will criticize Homeworld 2 because it is not their beloved Homeworld 1, but game studios have to create new content to sell games. While the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" motto could apply, Relic made very positive changes in the interface and gameplay design.
Gameplay:
Homeworld 1 did not play much like a typical rock-paper-scissors RTS game. Players massed units like frigates and placed support ships on guard to heal them as they fight. Players made fighters, bombers, and other ships, but there was less of a need for variety. Homeworld 2 on the other hand requires gamers to have many types of ships due to a more strict rock-paper-scissors gameplay design. Also, larger ships now have subsystems, so bombers can target weapons or engines to take those ships out of action. There are more ways to attack in Homeworld 2 and it now resembles other games in the genre. I miss the formations from Homeworld since they played an important part in battle success. Also, watching fighters fly through space in X formation sure was cool. However, the gameplay changes make for a fantastic chess match as players move their different classes of ships around to win battles. I got used to the changes after several games online, and now I am starting to see the benefits. The multiplayer is vastly improved with the new system, and there are more options for offensive tactics.
Homeworld 1 had an incredible story for the single player component, where gamers were stuck in space trying to get home. Homeworld 2 has more of a save the world story, and I found it to be enjoyable. I am not a big fan of stories in RTS games, but Relic does a great job to heighten the experience. I felt like a general commanding my mothership through space on the quests presented to me throughout the game. The story is not Homeworld 1, but Relic presented a very stylish successor that gamers should be proud to own in their collection. Some gamers complain about the lack of a hyperjump button since the missions move quickly and it does not give the player time to absorb much. It does not bother me since the game gives you all the resources on the level automatically, and it saves each time you advance. My only complaint with the missions is that some were very hard, but tips from the Relic forums really helped me move through them quickly. It did not take me long to get through the 15 missions, and I expect that they will release more in an expansion.
There are many refinements in the interface that enhance gameplay. The one major change is the addition of the side scroll. It does not sound like much, but players can move the camera around by moving the pointer to the sides of the screen. All RTS games feature this behavior except Homeworld. This enables players to rely less on the sensor manager to look around, so they can keep their eyes on the main battle screen. Also, they now provide more information on the screen in a collapsible tool bar. Furthermore, the build and research screens now take up less than a third of the main window, so gamers can stay in the game and make purchases at the same time. Another change is the ability to send ships on the vertical axis by holding down the left mouse button. The shift key is still usable for that action, but not necessary since one hand can be faster. The interface has changed for the better, and it helps to control units in 3D space.
The refinements make Homeworld 2 a great game. It is similar enough to learn quickly, but tough to master. One new addition is a defense platform that allows players in online play to send these to things to resource patches ("platform rush"). Resource collectors have no chance against them, but they are easy to counter with Torpedo Frigates that shoot long range torpedoes. You need to defend your Torpedo Frigates with interceptors. I keep finding more and more strategies as I play it online, and the game balance seems impressive. Frigates are no longer big ships like in Homeworld 1, and they can die fast. The big boys now are the Battlecruisers.
Graphics:
The best way to describe the graphics is by saying "WOW." It has a beautiful 3D environment that places gamers in deep space fighting through stars, nebula, and debris. The battles are vivid as ships streak through space creating brilliant screen lighting explosions. Ships have excellent animations and space looks more detailed than the predecessor. The same wow factor is there with improved graphics, but it is not a huge leap from the original. You could really makes a statement about the original Homeworld's graphics being way ahead of it's time. There is no doubt that the graphics are the pinnacle of the Homeworld series, and this version does not hold back.
Sound:
The music is fantastic, just like the other two Homeworld titles. This year they have more of a haunting classical tune to rhythmic beats, and it really adds to the excitement of the game. I have never been disappointed by the music in any of the Homeworld titles. The rest of the sounds add to the overall experience. The explosions are big and make great use of a sub woofer, so crank it up. The music dancing, the ship engines humming, and the explosions create a wonderful space battle environment.
Rating:
Summary: Playing a tight game gets in the way of watching
Review: I throughly enjoy this game - its everything a space RTS game should be. The battles can be huge - just in my fleet I might have a over a dozen major capital vessels surrounded by 40-50 fighter, corvette and frigate squadrons providing cover across a map where I have to pay attention to 2-3 fronts at once. My only regret is that in tight situations I find myself stuck at a high-level view managing all the activity when I just want to dive down, attach my view to a single corvette, and watch it careen in between frigates and battlecruisers in a major head-to-head clash.
The ships types are balanced, I feel, a bit more than in the first game - unguarded capital ships can be decimated by a well-time attack by bomber squadrons, and constraints on constuction modules make you plan how to best configure your capital assets. Give this game a try..
Rating:
Summary: Veteran Strategy PC Gamer
Review: This is my first review from what I've seen so far.
Everything on this game is being tweaked. People complain about the graphics, yet one must know more before considering such comments valid.
Homeworld 2 continues to dominate even its superiors. ORB is so basic you can count the polygons and vertices, zooming out and moving dots around degrades it further. The best computer takes much time to load such an odd game, as its saving grace stands only to satisfy a VERY hungry gamer.
HW2 will have slightly less graphic strength than Hegemonia, because that is the point. This is when compared to Hegemonia, where you have excellent graphics, but few ships at any given time. Players can hardly call what they have "fleets". Veteran, non-biased players supplied this very information. HW2 allows for hundreds of ships from entirely distinct races. Swarms of detailed fighters rage around massive captital ships protecting one-another with unheard-of Artificial Intelligence. The game is optimized for lower-end PC's as a mercy to those who haven't followed the curve of PC's. Those with Higher systems are treated when the engine automatically (and manually if you like) adjusts to use your systems strength, activating dorment "Eye Candy". This is to enhance game-play, so that you can even play the game at all.
Finally, the games story and sound technology have Never EVER been beaten, and there are absolutely no negative points to give this game. Dubbed "Perfect" by all credable sources with the original, this improved generation sequel will test the merits and validity of reviewers to come. May it yet again receive an unbiased "Game of the Year" from all reviewers as before. This game is "the most advanced tactical game ever" - part 2.
