http://www.homeworldremastered.com/
***Warning!!!*** The following will be boring to those that know or have played the game.
I am getting this if it's the last thing I ever do. I still have my original release day copy of the game, including the absolutely wonderful 7" x 9" 115 page game manual/background and history info book. I also have the free Raider Retreat add-on that was released shortly after the game as a disc you could pick up at game stores (I don't know if it's available for download). RR was a couple of missions that were dropped from the game shortly before release because they weren't ready, didn't flow with the storyline well, there wasn't room on a single CD for it, or some combination of any or all of those reasons.
It was pretty much the first true 3D real time strategy game ever developed. 3D in the sense that you could position the camera in *any* position, as well as move your ships to any spot on the map, including above or below the starting plane. Ships are "to scale" to one another, although there's still a little "cheating" in it.
The storyline is a bit cliche, but still good in its implementation, and while the graphics would be considered garbage nowadays, they were fantastic 14 years ago, and in some ways, still look good today. Especially the backgrounds.
But the real draw for me is the music combined with the graphics. I'm glad that they are keeping the same music, as it really gave a nice feel for the story and imagery.
Here's the opening sequence of the game: http://youtu.be/yrW4jkQdmjI
I can just imagine how it's going to look with the updated graphics.
Homeworld 2 isn't quite as good gameplay and story-wise, but the graphics are much better. The music isn't quite as good as the original, but it's consistent the length of the game, which is good, IMO. It has more of a Middle-Eastern feel to it.
). It's the first mission that immediately drew me in - that haunting, desperate, lonely beautiful music playing as you try to load onboard the last, few survivors of your race as your planet burns beneath you. Magnificent.