Homefront

[HaiImNate]

Shooting games have been very popular lately. Looking at the commercials, Homefront looked like it would be another great shooting game. I got to the game; started playing and quickly realized it did not live up to my expectations. There were many good points the game had, but way too many cons; it lacked originality and, in the end, left me wanting more.

Console: Xbox 360; Playstation 3; Microsoft Windows
Release Date: 03/15/11 (NA); 03/18/11 (EU); 04/14/11 (JP)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Kaos Studios
Players: 1-4
Online Enabled: Yes
ESRB Rating: M (violence, blood & gore, cursing)


The year is 2027; North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reunited North and South Korea. Now, the nation is stronger than ever and it's slowly taking over America. They are abusing land, taking advantage of resources and worst of all- abusing people! As a result of the conflict, resistances have formed. You play as Robert Jacobs, a former Marine helicopter pilot who is saved from the clutches of the Korean forces and recruited into a resistance group. Your goal is to find and help the US military and, ultimately, stop the Korean forces.

One thing I enjoyed about Homefront were its controls. They were simple to learn and identical to Call of Duty’s. The first mission familiarizes you with the controls and brings you up to speed on the game's backstory, which is fairly easy to follow.

All of the characters are well developed, having a story of their own. Conner, the most hardcore war fighter in the game, has something to prove to the Koreans: that he is a huge force to be reckoned with. Rihanna, a black girl that was your left hand woman, is there to help save America and show that woman can fight as well as men. Throughout the game, I sensed that she had a sorrowful past. Boone, the head of the group, was once part of the Korean forces but realized that it was wrong. He is now the head of the resistance, and wants to stop the Koreans more than anyone else. Hopper is a country boy whose house was burned down by Korean forces. He is in the same boat as you, and he has joined the resistance for revenge. Now you, Robert Jacobs, had almost been captured by the Koreans to either join their forces or be killed. You aren’t just going to watch; you are going to fight!

There are many different guns you can use in Homefront. At first you start out with only a pistol, but after a while there is an array of different guns you could hoist around to take out Korean forces. Different missions require the use of different guns. For example, in one mission you must be an assassin and quietly shoot down a bunch of enemies with a sniper. If you miss your enemies more than one or two times you will have failed the mission, it is intense! You can use almost all of the guns in storymode, online too!

You will also use many vehicles in this game. Towards the end of the game you will be in control of a helicopter helping your squad from above, and in another sequence—my favorite—shooting rapidly from the back of a tank. At one point you will also be stealthily shooting Korean forces from a moving vehicle, which is great fun as well. Suffice it to say, Homefront has plenty of different vehicles in its short story mode.

I enjoyed playing through Homefront, with the clear1080p graphics. The graphics were professional and reminded me of Call of Duty’s graphics. They were polished and reminded me of Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The guns and characters were designed in great detail as well.

The game's settings are very diverse. Throughout story mode you will face enemies from the back of a moving truck, to the middle of a concentration camp. You would be flying over Los Angeles at times and riding a bus in Montrose, Colorado at others. You and the resistance group travel through the United States to find and help the US Military to stop the horrible Korean invaders. The places and items in the game reminded me of things I would see in my life today.

The music and audio in general are great. I loved hearing the sounds of bullets ripping through Korean forces while the choppers flew over head for air support. The sound of explosives in the background and the pain and agony of warfare can make you cringe in fright. The sound effects are very realistic. The music made me feel like I was the main character running through the game. The audio and music brought Homefront to a whole new level.

The voice acting was great too; the voice actors portrayed the personalities of the characters very well. Conner's voice is rough and tough, whereas Rihanna had a nicer more caring voice and personality. Boone had an authoritative voice, being the leader and Hopper had his country, no care in the world voice. The fast Korean and enemy slurs in the background get you on edge and ready for a battle as well. Your character doesn’t talk at all throughout the game.

After you beat Homefront, Guerilla mode is unlocked. This is the hardest difficulty in Homefront. If you're able to beat it you're truly awesome at first-person shooters because it is extremely hard to get through because after the enemy hits you a couple times you are dead. Compare it to Veteran on Call of Duty: Black Ops and you’ll know what I’m talking about. The online multiplayer component of this game is really good. I enjoyed playing Team Deathmatch, and using my Assault Rifle class to help my team out. You can choose and customize six different types of classes: assault, submachine, heavy, sniper, tactical and explosive. Each class has a different purpose; some people will like certain classes more than others. The online mode feels a lot like Call of Duty, and the guns and classes are a lot alike as well. I really enjoyed playing online because of some of my favorite modes: Team Deathmatch, Free-for-all and Ground War. Similar to Call of Duty: Black Ops, you will earn an in-game currency that allows you to purchase weapons, gear and vehicles. You can earn these currencies by winning certain games online, like Team Deathmatch, or completing challenges which you can check out on the home page of the multiplayer screen.

Homefront was short, but was an overall a good game. With only seven missions, the story mode took me about eight hours to beat, which was disappointing. The graphics were great, and the audio was good as well. In terms of longetivity, single palyer is short but the multiplayer is really fun. I would recommend people to rent Homefront instead of buying it because there are many other, better first-person shooters around. If you enjoy games like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, or Resistance then try Homefront.

Homefront gets a 7.5 out of 10. It’s a good game, but is too short, but has good multiplayer qualities.

[Squizzlee]

I liked it, mainly because of the multiplayer. I enjoyed campaign but it was just too short. In multiplayer, if I'm not mistaken, there's a mode called battle commander. You basically had to "become" the best player in a match. Sorta like getting stars in Grand Theft Auto; you had to go on a killing rampage. It was fun.

[Shigeru]

This will probably be a good game.

[Minorin]

I think you mean Kim Jong Un. xD

I was pretty excited for this game, even though the scenario it presented is basically impossible. Still, it's an interesting concept. I heard they were originally going to make China the antagonist, but eventually decided not to, haha.

[tato09]

nice but, wasnt homefront set in 2027?

[OOTWL]

This game is fun i tried it out :O!!!!! in Onlive when you first sign up you can buy it for $1.00

[nick1212]

Homefront is awesomeI only have the demo^^.