"Homeworld" was highly regarded by critics upon release, and is listed by review aggregator Metacritic as the highest rated computer game of 1999, and the fourth-highest on any platform for the year. The graphics were highly praised; Michael Ryan of GameSpot claimed it had "some of the most impressive graphics ever", while Jason Levine of "Computer Games Magazine" said that "no game—ever—has made space itself look like this". Eurogamer's review praised the "big, brash and colourful" backgrounds, which was echoed by Levine and John Keefer of GameSpy. Multiple reviewers, such as Vincent Lopez of IGN, also praised the detail and variety of the spaceships, and Jason Samuel of "GamePro" noted that Relic was able to use their graphics engine to create the game's intricate cutscenes rather than relying on prerecorded videos. Greg Fortune of "Computer Gaming World" added that the rotatable camera was one of the "real joys of the game", allowing the player to view the action from any angle or ship's viewpoint and "creating an impressively sweeping cinematic feel". The sound and music were also lauded; Levine claimed the sound was "on par with the graphics", praising how it changed when the player zoomed into or away from a battle, while Eurogamer and Lopez applauded the "atmospheric" soundtrack for creating the mood of the game.