Homefront is a first person shooter set in the year 2027, a world which has been attacked and ravaged by a nuclear armed korean republic. if this sounds like the film red dawn then there is a valid reason for that, john milius the writer of the movie also did the game. so you would think that having such a powerful story and setting would guarantee an almost perfect gaming experience – sadly its not.
The game starts with the USA being taken over by the greater korean republic, armed to the teeth and determined to destroy all that oppose them. you play robert jacobs a former marine helicopter pilot and all around hero type. jabobs is on his way to a re-education camp when he is busted out and promptly recruited into the resistance. put simply the resistance plan to take back their country using whatever means is available to them – they of course need jacobs for the plan to succeed.
What struck me first about the game was the gritty realism and often controversial story elements playing out in front of the gamer. war of course is not pretty and the game developers obviously wanted to push the limits of what to show in a game, this won’t appeal to everyone but its realistic and is an integral part of the story.
The game is like i said a third person shooter so a lot of the time it just feels a lot like another call of duty game. not always though, there are missions where you get to control tech like a robot or to fly a helicopter through a hillside valley in pursuit of an armed convoy. the problem with the game is simple, it does get epic and it does pack in the action.. but not enough. for me the game came to a halt once the action really got going, and then it literally was over. sure the action it did feature was fast fun and quite realistic but its unforgivable to not address the games length. its just too short, there are some good missions but they cannot overshadow the fact that once you really feel a part of something special the game punishes you by ending. when i was playing it my boyfriend joked that “oh that’s the end now” i laughed thinking there would be hours of more game play but we were both shocked when the credits rolled. given the hype that surrounded the game i made sure to buy it the morning it was released but i finished it in under 3hrs, i play games fast but not that fast.
The graphics are great in places and the realism can be amazing but there doesn’t seem to be a lot on offer in terms of lifespan. the music fits the game perfectly and is composed with the story in mind, the sound effects and lighting too are top notch. homefront is steeped in an undeniably horrific atmosphere where the vast majority of people have given up hope and you really feel it through the graphics. the campaign can be and for the most part is thrilling, even the AI feels highly polished. its a fast-paced in your face shooter that will deliver for fans of recent shooter games but at the same time you have to accept the short lifespan.
When you do finish the main game, and you will very quickly – there is the multiplayer. a lot of the time the online multiplayer feels a lot like call of duty but it does at times set itself apart from other shooters. as with most shooters you choose a class and build on that class through experience points. battle points are earned by completing set objectives and killing enemy team members but they can only be used in the one match, when the match ends your points are gone. weapons/vehicles and air strikes can be bought and used to a satisfyingly crippling affect on your enemy. there are a few different modes like deathmatch and ground control, most modes are fun and play well.
Story wise and graphically the game scores high, which you would expect from most modern games now but not always from shooters. character designs on screen can sometimes look a little ropey but most of the time its not noticeable. i wanted to like homefront and i was truly excited when i bought it but it just didn’t meet the hype it was getting before its release. perhaps if the game had been longer than 7 missions i would have been more impressed but by expelling the gamer from the action just as its getting really good feels like too much of a rip-off. in looks and atmosphere the game doesn’t feel rushed but in length it certainly feels unfinished and rushed. in past shooters i was used to short campaigns but homefront promised more and just didn’t deliver and so i’m giving it a 7 out of 10 – homefront is fast paced and brutally realistic but too short, i’d recommend it as a rental - and only a purchase if you want if for the multiplayer.
DLC is soon to be released consisting of extra missions both as robert jacobs and an unknown SAS soldier tasked with regaining control of hawaii. a sequel is supposed to be underway with london as a possible location for the next invasion, no doubt there will be hype but whether or not they address the life span of the original game remains to be seen.
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