Game Rant recently had the chance to speak with senior developers at Blackbird Interactive aboutHomeworld 3, the long-awaited threequel with an established cult following. In the 20 years sinceHomeworld 2was released toPC, many innovations in gaming have allowed Blackbird developers to draw inspiration from interesting sources.
Homeworld’s best-in-class brand of space strategyhas always stood out in the genre thanks to a host of unique gameplay features. The fully 3D movement system allows for true verticality in space as ships maneuver above and below one another, while the campaigns ofHomeworldgames are also notable due to the persistent nature of the player’s fleet. The player’s fleet is carried over into the next mission, which rewards careful planning while demanding strong strategic adaptability as unexpected threats challenge previously successful fleet compositions.Homeworldis excellent at keeping players thinking on their feet, and extending this philosophy to a challenging roguelike mode is a suitable addition to the game.
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Rory McGuire, Blackbird Interactive’s Chief Creative Officer, expressed his fondness for the roguelike genre while talking with Game Rant. Rory McGuire told us that he tends to play just about every roguelike that comes out, an interest that other team members at Blackbird Interactive share. In particular, he referencedRisk of Rain 2as an inspiration forHomeworld 3’s roguelike mode.Homeworld 3’s take on the roguelike approach will feature session-basedco-op gameplay similar toRisk of Rain 2, in which players will face off against progressively difficult waves of randomly generated enemy fleets.
Rory McGuire said ofRisk of Rain 2’s impact onHomeworld 3:
I will say our inspiration is very much so grounded in Risk of Rain 2. We absolutely love that game. And we expect to have some degree of connection to that.
Few details aboutHomeworld 3’s roguelike mode have been revealed to the public so far, although some information can be garnered fromHomeworld 3’s pages on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The new mode will be approachable solo or with a partner, and players will face a randomized series of combat challenges. Harkening back toHomeworld’s persistent fleet campaigns, players will have to carefully compose their fleets in order to survive long-term while earning powerful rewards upon victory. Successful runs will unlock powers that persist between runs, similar toRisk of Rain 2and other roguelikeswhere alternate weapons, abilities, and characters can be unlocked for future runs.
The inclusion of a multiplayer roguelike mode with persistent progression is another huge leap for theHomeworldseries along withHomeworld 3’s all-new cover system, and its presence should add quite a lot to the series' already-high replayability.
Homeworld 3is currently in development and will be available on PC in the first half of 2023.
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