Inspired by Homeworld, Era One blends base building with real-time space battles

The only thing better than piloting a space ship is being able to build it from the ground up. Luckily, this is exactly what Era One, a brand new adventure set amongst the stars, offers. Something of a spiritual successor to Homeworld, Era One blends base building with resource management and tactical space battles. That's not all, it's coming from the team behind the popular Homeworld 2 mod, The Complex, and it's taking off into early access today.

Who knows if we'll ever get a Homeworld 4, but if we don't, Team Complex is here to fill the gap with Era One. The best space games always have a host of features to delve into, from base building to epic dogfights between space ships - and it looks like Era One is set to offer all of the above and even more.

It might sound a little complicated at first, simultaneously balancing the maintenance of a colossal space base with fleet management and tactical battling, but the premise pretty much boils down to this: you build a really big ship and keep it runing amidst RTS warfare with other really big ships.

Where Era One gets really interesting is the transition between base building and all-out space ship warfare. There's plenty of customization options in this game with a variety of modules that click together to make up your colony ship; players can build their base from scratch, choosing the layout and modules that suit their playstyle and create unique and distinctive designs.

Speaking of structures though, there are plenty of offensive and defensive builds to help you survive the heat of battle, including turrets and traps. There's also resource management to consider, as gathering raw materials, energy sources, and workers from across the galaxy can help you ensure your ship's survival.

It looks like there's plenty of lore to delve into as well, if you're looking for your next space epic. The Steam page reads: "From the ashes of a shattered universe, a young woman's quest for salvation sparks a journey of intrigue, danger, and discovery." This sets the stage for a narrative that focuses on "humanity's struggle, the rise and fall of an empire, and the hope for a fresh beginning beyond the Solar System." Consider me intrigued.

Era One launches into early access on Steam today, August 6. If you're ready for take off, you can check out its Steam page.

Otherwise, if you want to test out your current strategy skills, you can read about the best strategy games in our expert guide. Or you can check out some of the best RTS games currently available.

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