Home Games Homeworld Homeworld 2
Homeworld 2
HomeworldPCReal-Time Strategy

Homeworld 2

Developer: Relic Entertainment · Published by Sierra Entertainment · 2003
Beautiful, but missing the soul of deep space.
3D RTSCampaignMultiplayerStrike GroupsSubsystem TargetingSpace Combat
3.5
Good
POCG VERDICT
A good game that can't touch the greatness of its predecessors.
Homeworld 2 brings great visuals, smart strike groups, and subsystem targeting, but its hokey story, forced mission endings, and dead multiplayer hold it back.
About This Game

Homeworld 2 is a 3D real-time space strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment. Released in September 2003 for Windows, it is the third main installment in the Homeworld series. Players command fleets of spaceships across a 3D battlefield, managing resources, researching technology, and constructing vessels to complete mission objectives. The game continues the saga of the Hiigaran people as they face a new threat from a warlord who believes himself divinely chosen.

The gameplay retains the series' hallmark full 3D movement and large-scale fleet combat, while introducing new features such as ship subsystem targeting, strike groups that attack cohesively, and a streamlined interface with unified panels. The single-player campaign consists of sequential missions where the player's fleet persists from one to the next. Multiplayer is limited to straightforward deathmatch skirmishes.

Visually, Homeworld 2 offers detailed ship models, higher-resolution textures, and improved special effects compared to its predecessors. The pre-rendered cutscenes are smoother and of higher quality. The audio design includes orchestral music, extensive voice acting, and weapon sounds that vary by ship class. The game received generally positive reviews upon release, praised for its strategic depth and visual presentation but critiqued for its weaker story and sometimes frustrating mission structure.

Screenshots5 shots
Homeworld 2 screenshotHomeworld 2 screenshotHomeworld 2 screenshotHomeworld 2 screenshotHomeworld 2 screenshot
POCG ReviewOriginal: October 26, 2003
3.5
Good
Review Verdict
Private: Homeworld 2
Homeworld 2 brings great visuals, smart strike groups, and subsystem targeting, but its hokey story, forced mission endings, and dead multiplayer hold it back.
In the News3 mentions
Jul 242012
Outernauts Lands on Facebook Today
Insomniac Games and EA launch the alien monster-collecting social game Outernauts on Facebook.
Release
Aug 241999
Game Developers Chat on MSN Gaming Zone Tonight
Game Developers Chat on MSN Gaming Zone Tonight landed today, giving players another thing to circle on the calendar. Microsoft is behind the announcement. Microsoft...
Release
Jul 291999
Homeworld Fan Site Building Contest
Sierra Studios says that it is partnering with WON.net and Urbanite to launch a promotion allowing consumers to create their own Homeworld fan pages.
Deals
How to Play TodayYour options for running this game in 2026
Original Hardware
Original boxed copies appear on eBay occasionally. Requires a Windows 98/ME/2000/XP PC with a 1 GHz processor, 256 MB RAM, and a 32 MB DirectX 9.0c graphics card. A CD-ROM drive is needed for installation.
Modern Re-release
Homeworld 2 is included in the Homeworld Remastered Collection on GOG and Steam, frequently on sale for under $5. The remastered version runs on modern Windows, includes updated graphics and audio, and bundles the original game.
Emulation / Other Options
No emulation needed; the game runs natively on Windows. For the original 2003 release, compatibility mode or community patches may be required on newer operating systems.