Developer: Dreamcatcher Interactive
Release Date: Out Now In The US
Avg. Price: $37.99
 

Let me start off by saying that this is one of the best looking games I have ever played. The atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous and won't be paralled by any other game for some time to come.

Mars is now a heavily populated planet with a whooping population of more than 700 million people. They have their own army of troopers and huge flotillas in space with defensive military installations. Which have become superior to that of Earth's. Unfortunately tensions have grown between the two parties for various reasons and Mars has found support from another 150 million colonists scattered around the Solar System. To prevent the volatile situation from exploding into a lethal situation, the leaders of both parties began negotiations. The moon has been selected for the place of the conference. En route to the moon the Martian diplomatic convoy is destroyed by an unknown force (The game's intro movie shows this scene). Following this Mars demands an immediate investigation and blames Earth for the incident. But after an obvious careless attitude on behalf of the "World Government" and after the deadline for this investigation had been reached, the Organization of Colonists declared their independence from Earth, dismissing all treaties and only agreeing to adhere to them following new discussions. The World Government in turn gave the colonists a two week ultimatum, the Organization of Colonists had two weeks to discuss the matter internally. Following the expiration of this ultimatum war was officially declared between the two parties and this essentially is where the gameplay begins.

The gameplay in Hegemonia is very similar to that of Homeworld but definitely excels in quality. You'll be responsible for building up your infantry, researching, protecting certain ships, attacking certain ships, etc. As I said it is very Homeworldish but definitely excels over it. The mood of the gameplay is intense. Many times you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat because the gameplay just sets the mood that anything could happen and you'll have to be quick enough to respond or face devastation. Throughout most of the game you'll be briefed either by Captain Nilea Cortilliari or Captain Jack Garner, depending on if you choose the Martian or Terrain side. They'll provide you with up-to-date information as the game progresses along and will keep you aware of your current duties. The gameplay as I mentioned is very upbeat, not so much on the intense action side, but it keeps you on the edge till the last second indeed. You will always be kept busy no matter what throughout the game's progression and that is something that will appeal to most enthusiasts. The gameplay as well never seems to stagnate, something new and exciting always comes pounding at your door through the progression of the game. All in all I'm more than satisfied with the gameplay, it progress well with in-game briefings, keeps you on the edge and definitely draws you into the moody atmosphere and dark storyline.

Graphically this game looks better then I could have ever hoped for. When I first viewed the trailer of this game and the screenshots I was blown away. For those of you who haven't played this game yet, your in for a big treat. The game universe is huge and extremely detailed. The ship details are incredible. The stars and environment are perfectly done and are definitely believable. The graphics were definitely a well kept secret on the part of Dreamcatcher and I'm glad they've let us in on their secret. Like I opened with this review, I don't think this game will be paralled graphically by any other game for quite some time. Playing this on my Athlon 800 MHZ  with a Radeon 8500 and  384 Megs of Ram, I never once experienced a slow down or hiccup.

On the music and sound side, all

I have to say is.....wow. Dreamcatcher did a tremendous job with the music and sound in this game. Hats off to the person or persons responsible for making the music in this game. After getting through the intro movie and selecting my campaign I was placed in the game and was introduced to the music soundtrack. The music is one of the key things that gives you the on-the-edge feeling when playing the game. The soundtrack is ominous but subtle and is very atmospheric and moody. The music switches to a more upbeat, faster pace when action is taking place or when your put in a situation where you have to protect a particular ship. It perfectly tops off the games environment and overall mood. Sound wise I won't go into too much detail. The sound effects are distinct and rich.

Overall I was extremely impressed with Hegemonia. The storyline is definitely interesting and is portrayed in a believable manner. The graphics are absolutely incredible as is the music, which could not be done any better. The game play is very similar to that of Homeworld but with a lot of added goodies. I'd recommend this game to everyone, it's a must have! Whether your a fan of this type of game or new to this type, Hegemonia is definitely the game for you. With the holidays coming up, be sure to have Hegemonia on your list or if you have it already it makes for a great gift.