Making Homeworld 3 must have been a huge challenge, so kudos to Blackbird Interactive.

Not only did it have to live up to the legacy of the first two Homeworld games and satisfy RTS veterans, it also had to refine the old formula and give players a reason to return. Luckily for fans, Homeworld 3 does both.

Let’s start with the part of Homeworld 3 that you’ll be most interested in: combat. It’s very similar to previous Homeworld games and other sci-fi RTS titles. You construct buildings, control units, and gather resources in a fully 3D space. Homeworld 3 has a steep learning curve, but it does its best to teach you the mechanics at a steady pace.

Starting out on Easy mode lets you rush through objectives without consequence, but the game gets dramatically harder starting at Normal difficulty. You’ll need to strategically spread out your units, plan how to allocate your resources, and use cover to dodge incoming fire. Each mission is unique, with you navigating an asteroid field in one and battling overwhelming hordes of enemy spaceships in another. There are plenty of units to coordinate, which can feel overwhelming at first.