My initial impression is, this is what a sequel should be like. The story line is intact, the soundtrack is improved, the graphics are sweet, sweet, sweet, the cut scenes are fantastic as per usual and the combat sequences are immense.

Many of the reviews complained that H2 was too hard, that they needed to go back and rethink the previous mission in order to beat the current mission. While they may find this frustrating I think it really adds to the game. For instance, I read that Mission 4 was just ridiculously hard, so when I began getting whooped on Mission 4 I was hardly surprised. I restarted the mission twice and then much like the reviewer I was cursing and banging my head against the wall. So I turned off my computer and wandered away cursing Relic...but then about 3 hours later while I was out at dinner, I got an idea...I would need to go back and redo Mission 3 better so I would have an awesome fleet for Mission 4. So I went home and with much anticipation I replayed through Mission 3 and rebuilt a bigger fleet complete with 8 Flak Frigates and 4 extra Pulsar Corvettes. This time around on Mission 4 I pwned the AI so bad I was laughing at how easy Mission 4 was. But the most satisfying thing about that, was that I had deemed the Mission unpassable, and yet through some good strategy, I was able to lay waste the enemy and be victorious...tres COOL!

I only have a couple of complaints about H2. The first complaint being (which other reviewers have been equally vocal about) is that H2 is TOO much like Homeworld. There is an apparent lack of innovation. There is nothing that I can sit here and tell you is a good reason (read innovating) to buy the game. I can list several reasons that all add up to a good reason to buy the game. To illustrate the point lets look for innovations within the Homeworld franchise. Cataclysm...introduced the huge honkin big bertha gun on the side of the mothership. That was SWEET, albeit a bit incongruent, still though in conversations with people I would be like "DUDE YOU GOT TO BUY IT JUST FOR THAT!". And the Juggernaut in Cataclysm was sweet, you just couldn't wait to build one and blast the hell out of people. Of course the original Homeworld introduced the first real time strategy, full 3D space game ever. Homeworld redefined the genre...Homeworld 2 does not.

The other complaint I have is the sound bytes for the ships. They are too repetitive, that I actually find myself thinking "those ships sound stupid, like little robots...they have no character" is something unnerving.

All in all Homeworld 2 is a very enjoyable game and I would recommend anyone buy because it is an all around good game. For those who have never played it is a MUST for sure.

I will be adding the Multiplayer aspects to this review when we get some H2 in at out next LAN.