Relic Entertainment pushed the RTS genre into new territory with their 1999 release Homeworld.
They were able to separate themselves from other real-time strategy titles by introducing a fully 3D movement system, allowing you to control ships across both x and y axes.
A sequel was released four years later, and only improved what made the first game so good.
To delve further into Homeworld 2, there’s quite a few mods available all for free. They’ll keep the game fresh and likely keep you coming back for more, even all these years later.
If you’re looking to extend your HW2 experience without changing vanilla gameplay, Gameplay Enhanced is a great way to do so.
Before getting this mod, you’ll need to install Homeworld Universe, which simply makes all races within the game playable.
With that HWU installed, Gameplay Enhanced will give you new game modes to enjoy, either by yourself or with some friends.
A great example of some multiplayer fun would be the Defined Roles mode, where one player controls shop production, and another is assigned to resourcing, frigates, and platforms.
There are other modes to try as well, so definitely check this one out.
Next on the list is Homewolrd: Blue Planet, which aims to bring in the world of another popular space.
FreeSpace 2 is a space combat simulation game released around the same time as the original Homeworld. And though wasn’t very well received, it still managed to gain a following.
This mod replaces all units with ships from FreeSpace 2, and follows a storyline starting 18 years after the events of the game.
You’ll be able to play through a massive map based on FreeSpace 2 as well.
Getting into the bigger Homeworld 2 mods now, we have Tactical Fleet Simulator.
TFS is the result of almost 9 years of development, and is a complete overhaul of the game.
Mostly focused on enhancing pacing through combat changes, TFS introduces split-second decision making in battles to make everything feel a bit more exciting.
Dynamic Combat is also introduced, where every unit plays a specific role.
No one ship is overpowered, so tactics and strategy are much more important in winning battles.
Slipstream is one of the more unique ideas out there, but definitely makes for an interesting Homeworld 2 playthrough.
The setting is 2631, and humanity has been divided into two separate factions.
They have been fighting in the “Freedom War” for almost a hundred years with no end in sight.
This mod focuses on creating a fast-paced multiplayer experience, where weapon damage and ship movements are randomized to make battles feel more tense.
It’s a great mod to enjoy with friends if you’re looking for an exciting space combat title to play around with.
