The worst?

Four years of development, a contract dispute with the publisher, a superior stand-alone expansion to the original game to look back on and learn from, and this is what Relic throws our way? You would think that somewhere along the way, an employee of Relic or Sierra would have deigned to actually play the singleplayer campaign of the game they?re developing.

There is no other explanation for the state of Homeworld 2. No one can argue that skirmish and multiplayer work great, that the campaign has an interesting storyline that?s delivered in measured, powerful doses that will keep you hooked. The technical aspects, such as graphics, cutscenes, sound and music, are beyond reproach. All these come together to form what must be the most beautiful frame for the worst mission design in history.

It?s not just that Homeworld 2 is absurdly difficult and offers no way to tone that difficulty down. It?s a game that is clearly aimed at the hardcore audience that bought the original, which wasn?t exactly the easiest game in the world. Sure, the developer might actually be able to sell HW2 to more than the fans of the original if they?d insisted on a difficulty slider, but that?d be common sense. Common sense is missing throughout Homeworld 2.