Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak: Small game with limited playability (very few unit types). Recommended as a technology demonstration for possible Homeworld 3 engine characteristics. Positives: The atmosphere and visual effects are excellent. Deserts of Kharak feels like the spiritual successor to Westwoods Tiberian Sun - a dark, militaristic, no-nonsense RTS.

Deserts of Kharak takes the series out of the stars and into the sand, but it still feels every bit like a true Homeworld universe.
The vast deserts replaces the deep space, dunes instead of nebulae. But watching our carrier and and fleet maneuver across shifting terrain scratches the exact same tactical itch as its predecessors, only now the horizon replaces the starfield.
Deserts of Kharak proves you don’t need a zero-gravity setting to deliver a classic Homeworld experience. It’s grounded, but it still lifts off.

A nice RTS with:
beautiful graphics, soundtrack, and sound design;
superbly designed and highly detailed units;
satisfying gameplay of combined arms attacks, flanks, and head-on carrier assaults to tie it all together :D
The implementation of terrain height variation adds a good depth to tactical planning
The story is simple but engaging
It is available for purchase on GOG.com (for 5$ on sale often; current sale till 10.07) without DRM or the need to accept Epic's intrusive EULA, although re-purchasing a game you already own simply due to retroactive user agreement changes really sucks.

It is said that there are a few games in a person's lifetime that will leave a lasting impression. Deserts of Kharak is one of them for me. I'm way too young to have known the frenzy that followed the original Homeworld release, but I got to playing them growing up.
Sure, DoK may be janky at times, the campaign *may* be a bit short but the void I felt after finishing it for the first time is something I'll always remember.
The burning sands of Kharak are overtaking the world that our specy, the so-called Kushan (Or so they think) have, seemingly, always known. The world and Kushan race as a whole are dying. Far away in the desert lies what could be the answer to their origin and potentially, a way to save the world...
DoK tells the tale of the idealists of the Coalition, several Kiithids (Clans) of Northern Kharak uniting their forces and pooling resources to fight the desert and save their specy by going into space, pitted against the enigmatic Gaalsians, religious zealots hidden deep in the sands, who only seek to respect the Truth of their God, who they think created the Kushan and put them on Kharak, Sajuuk. As such, the Expedition undertaken by the Coalition to the desert to retrieve the "Primary Anomaly" that could save the specy is nowhere near acceptable for the Gaalsians.
They seem to believe reaching for the stars will result in Sajuuk punishing the Kushan and destroying what's left of their race.
There's little time left for the Kushan, considering the sands are overtaking their cities. Gotta move to save what's left of Kharak and our specy. I played the campaign, being super invested in the near-religious quest that saw me at the helm of the Kapisi, one of the Coalition's desert carriers. The overall sentiment of vastness, of how big the desert was when compared to our already gigantic vehicles, accompanied by the music and ambience, reminding of Middle-Eastern, Assyrian themes is just... something else.
The game's excellent story, carried by stunning graphics and effects, as well as one of the best voice acting of any RTS is just of another world. You *feel* how small you are in the Homeworld universe.
And while you may play optimistically, being willing to save your specy, you keep wondering anxiously if the religious zealots that you fight, may not in fact be right...
DoK is a game that has left a striking impression on me, and I hope i'll keep returning to it throughout my life.

The best "grounded" RTS in years.
Recommended
Taking a legendary space-opera franchise and putting it on the ground was a huge risk, but Deserts of Kharak sticks the landing. It manages to feel like Homeworld despite the lack of a Z-axis, largely thanks to its incredible atmosphere and "Carrier-as-Mothership" gameplay.
What makes it shine:
The Atmosphere: The scale of the desert, the wind-swept dunes, and the haunting soundtrack capture that signature Homeworld loneliness perfectly.
The Radio Chatter: The ambient unit chatter is still some of the best in the genre. It makes your faceless vehicles feel like they’re manned by actual professionals.
Tactical Depth: Using sand dunes for line-of-sight and height advantages adds a layer of strategy that feels fresh, even for RTS veterans.
The Kapisi: Managing your command carrier—moving it between resource patches and balancing its power systems—is deeply satisfying.
It’s a bit short, and the AI can be a pushover once you learn the mechanics, but as a piece of sci-fi storytelling and tactical gameplay, it’s essential for any strategy fan.

I recommend because I enjoyed the gameplay.
Like many I am bothered by the online requirement and the Epic Store install.
Game is on the shorter side so buy on sale.
I liked the story and the units.
Reminded me of Ground Control (late 90s).
Didn't try multiplayer.

The concept of massive LAND based carriers on tracks.... Idk man, that ♥♥♥♥ kinda gets me a little HARD