HOMEWORLD: DESERTS OF KHARAK trailers

Blackbird Interactive have released several trailers for Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, their real-time strategy game that serves as a prequel to the legendary Homeworld and Homeworld 2. First up is a story trailer:

Blackbird have also released a developer commentary summing up more of the game and its systems:

IGN also have a video showing the opening cinematic and the first two missions of the game.

These videos clarify several points: the game will be set 100 years before the events of the original Homeworld and will be set on the desert planet of Kharak. It will depict the expedition that set out into the Great Banded Desert to detect an anomaly detected from orbit. Those familiar with the existing Homeworld games will know what this anomaly is, but won't be expecting some of the surprises they encounter along the way.

The other thing the videos show is that this game is not skimping on the production quality. The cut scenes are impressive, mixing real video with CGI and hand-drawn illustrations. The 3D environments are sculpted, true 3D terrain rather than being tile-based. The music, again provided by Paul Ruskay, mixes Western strings, Indian instruments and Arabic themes suitable for a desert environment. The game also a distinct mix of SF influences, ranging from Dune to Mad Max to the classic ground-based RTS Ground Control.

Deserts of Kharak comes out next Wednesday, 20 January, for PC.