With the release date for Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak set for January 20 and no gameplay footage in sight many were starting to become rather skeptical of the game's quality.

And now that actual unedited gameplay footage has been released through IGN it makes me wonder why Gearbox didn't promote Homeworld: DOK sooner because it looks quite stellar. Take a look for yourself though crank the volume up a bit as its set far too low:

After seeing these videos I can definitely say I am looking forward to Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak and a return to the old school slow & tactical strategy games which don't require you to devote ungodly amounts of time in order to become even semi-competent at them.

The "old man" ranting aside its rather interesting how despite being set in a completely different environment Deserts of Kharak manages to evoke its predecessor in so many ways. The classic Homeworld style is still there but has received some significant upgrades so despite Deserts of Kharak being set mostly on and around sand it still manages to sport a pretty impressive visage.

Perhaps my favorite thing showcased in both videos is the amount of detail you can see on the vehicles and their interactions with the enviroment when you zoom all the way in. The bombers & fighter aircraft launching and landing on the carrier's long runway are a great example of how small side-details can make units feel a lot cooler to use.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak will be coming this January 20th and while I'm not the guy that usually recommends pre-orders the one Steam offers right now is rather interesting. If you pre-order Deserts of Kharak you will get the Homeworld Remastered Collection which contains upgraded versions of the two classic Homeworld games that were released somewhat recently and still hold a high price themselves.

So if you're interested in the full Homeworld series you could get it in a single purchase at a large discount and if you already own the Homeworld Remastered Collection there is a 20% loyalty discount on Deserts of Kharak as well. Not a bad deal all things considered if you're in to these sort of games.