Joined: Jan 18, 2011
Posts: 12
Location: West Yorkshire, UK
Homefront Review
Introduction
Homefront is a game developed by KAOS and Digital Extremes and published by THQ. It was released on the 15th March 2011 in the US and 18th March 2011 in the UK. The game revolves around the struggle for control of the US after a Korean invasion in the near future.
Plot/Singleplayer
The plot of the game is the most intriguing aspect, written by John Milius of Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now fame, it has a lot to live up to. Sadly, it doesn't come even close.
A moderate length introduction movie sets the scene, describing the events that lead up to the invasion, these events are very similar to what's described in the introduction to KAOS' previous game, Frontlines. So there's a definite sense of deja-vu while watching it if you've played the last game by this studio.
Once in-game you're playing a pilot named Jacobs who's rescued by the resistance movement and asked to fight for your country. It's a pretty basic plot to start with but the execution of it is amateurish and generally uninteresting.
There's very little to no background given on any of the characters and a lot is left to the players imagination/assumptions and it's very very easy to not care at all about the characters you're fighting alongside and protecting.
There's pretty much four major characters, the state-trooper who I can't even remember his name (that unmemorable), Connor who's a militant nutjob, Rianna who somehow finds the time to look like she's heading for a Nuts magazine photoshoot at all times and finally there's Hopper, the American-Korean who no one even gives a damn about and is so badly exposed that I was just hard pressed to even remember his name while writing that.
Without giving away any spoilers, you'll feel like the plot is half-assed and definitely unfinished by the time you finish the game. Characters come and go and feel completely fake and superfluous while the locations you go to will mean absolutely nothing to you, not due to unfamiliarity or not being recognisable to non-Americans but because they're bland, samey and so linear that they make DOOM look like a sandbox game.
Ontop of all this the singleplayer campaign is only about 3 hours long on the normal difficulty setting. You may get more or less mileage out of it depending on your skill level or the difficulty setting but ultimately it's completely unsatisfying from start to finish and the shameless CoD4 Chernobyl mission ripoff is massively off-putting but thankfully followed by an excellent section that's rather lengthy and plays out like a Hollywood action movie.
Gameplay
The game feels very similar to Call Of Duty in the way the weapons and movement work. All the different weapons feel suitably different but they're very slight differences that might even not be noticed the first or even second time you use a weapon. Like CoD the sights are entirely superfluous because the ironsights are so good on every gun except the M4 which is a little bit too pointy and hard to aim with.
You've got your standard set of barebones movements, walking, sprinting, crouching and going prone. There's no lean function which is strange as it would have given you the option to not have to step out of cover fully and get shot in the face in a lot of sections (both singleplayer and multiplayer).
Because of this going prone and watching your positioning and being aware of your surroundings is key to surviving in multiplayer where people can come at you from all sides. Hiding, knowing where the exits are and how best to get to them is crucial in the complex environments of the MP maps.
Vehicles are also very responsive and aircraft have varying degrees of mobility depending on how much you turn off the assistance (rookie is the basic, then ace, then veteran, each with less assistance like maintaining altitude or stopping you rolling your heli). The ground drones are capable of strafing while some vehicles are multi-seat like the Humvee and the Apache.
Drones add a new element to gameplay because you never know when some mini-Hunter-Killer is going to storm through a doorway or up/down some stairs and mince you with its mounted MG or whether you've been spotted by a silent little Dragonfly drone hovering somewhere nearby marking you with a big red diamond for the entire enemy team to see. They're a great way to rack up a large amount of BP (more on that later) without putting yourself in any danger.
Multiplayer
Homefront's Multiplayer component is composed of two modes and a third addition to the mix called the Battle Commander. The two modes are Team Death Match and Ground Control, these play out on all the same maps and can either have or not have the Battle Commander present. The Battle Commander acts just like the one in Battlefield 2, it gives out missions and objectives and puts bounties on enemies that're doing really well. Unlike Battlefield 2's commander however it is an AI.
Team Death Match is your basic, whole-map frag-fest like every shooter since the dawn of gaming. There's nothing particularly special about this mode but that's not to say that it isn't a great, but fast-paced experience.
Ground Control plays like a mix of Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 2. When the match starts there will be two or three (depending on map) control points to capture and hold by way of standing in their cap radius until they belong to your team. Any enemies in the cap radius will stop you capping the point until either you or them have died and then capping resumes for the victor. Holding the control points, be it just one or all three, then it gives your team victory points. When one team gets their quota of victory points then the control points and losing team's spawns will be pushed back further into their side of the map. Two victories by meeting the quota of victory points equals an overall victory for that team and the map ends.
Maps
There's quite a few maps and despite me spending a lot of time with the game I've not had chance to play them all yet or even fully explore the ones I have. There are an impressive amount of buildings to go in, places to hide and lots of elevation on almost all of them that makes not only sniping fun but suppressive fire and ambushing vehicles.
Speaking of vehicles, the maps are open enough and large enough to make vehicles extremely useful but sometimes the helicopters (of which there are two) seem a little bit restricted within the airspace due to the low level you'll find yourself flying at for the most part.
Loadouts and Levelling
Similar to Battlefield and Call Of Duty there is a persistent levelling system in place that unlocks new equipment to put into your loadouts as you gain levels. These unlocks range between guns, grenades, equipment, perks and even vehicle parts.
Levelling is fair and goes along at a fair clip in the post-match scoreboard making you feel suitably rewarded for your time in game without spoiling you rotten like CoD does.
Your loadouts consist of several basic parts; your weapon, a single attachment, a special grenade type, a set of infantry perks (with values between one and three points, you get 4 to spend) and two purchasable items. These purchasable items can be a simple flak jacket or rocket launcher can can be something as advanced as a UAV flyby or a semi-futuristic little remote control drone. These have limited lifespans but are incredibly useful when used properly. One drone is capable of spotting the enemy and highlighting them with big red diamonds to everyone on your team, earning you points for every one you spot. There's also a miniature helicopter that can fire missiles at your command and also a ground attack drone mounted with a light machine gun that's capable of strafing and suppressing enemies when used properly.
Your two purchasable items can be bought at any time in the match so long as you can afford them and appear instantly in your hands when you press the button.
You also have the option of respawning in a vehicle when you die providing you've earned enough of the in-game currency called Battle Points. Vehicles range between a simple, cheap Hummvee, a LAV, scout helicopter, Apache and a full-on tank. Vehicles are suitably meaty and powerful for their costs and can be customised but are also easily disposed of by an organised team toting freshly bought rocket launchers.
Verdict
The single player component of the game is completely unfulfilling and acts more like a brief afternoon's diversion from everything else while the multiplayer component has plenty to go at and has familiar gameplay and features from other games while still managing to feel unique in its own way. This makes for a surprisingly fun mix that's just as enjoyable as the sum of its parts but does generate mixed feelings across players – some people love the familiarity and others are disappointed by the lack of originality.
Personal opinion; it's a great game and an excellent alternative to playing Call Of Duty or Bad Company 2.
Amateur Score
7/10 – Sub-par singleplayer loses it so many points but it's redeemed by the multiplayer to a degree where I'm still happy I spent my money.
Last edited by WskOsc on Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
Introduction
Homefront is a game developed by KAOS and Digital Extremes and published by THQ. It was released on the 15th March 2011 in the US and 18th March 2011 in the UK. The game revolves around the struggle for control of the US after a Korean invasion in the near future.
Plot/Singleplayer
The plot of the game is the most intriguing aspect, written by John Milius of Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now fame, it has a lot to live up to. Sadly, it doesn't come even close.
A moderate length introduction movie sets the scene, describing the events that lead up to the invasion, these events are very similar to what's described in the introduction to KAOS' previous game, Frontlines. So there's a definite sense of deja-vu while watching it if you've played the last game by this studio.
Once in-game you're playing a pilot named Jacobs who's rescued by the resistance movement and asked to fight for your country. It's a pretty basic plot to start with but the execution of it is amateurish and generally uninteresting.
There's very little to no background given on any of the characters and a lot is left to the players imagination/assumptions and it's very very easy to not care at all about the characters you're fighting alongside and protecting.
There's pretty much four major characters, the state-trooper who I can't even remember his name (that unmemorable), Connor who's a militant nutjob, Rianna who somehow finds the time to look like she's heading for a Nuts magazine photoshoot at all times and finally there's Hopper, the American-Korean who no one even gives a damn about and is so badly exposed that I was just hard pressed to even remember his name while writing that.
Without giving away any spoilers, you'll feel like the plot is half-assed and definitely unfinished by the time you finish the game. Characters come and go and feel completely fake and superfluous while the locations you go to will mean absolutely nothing to you, not due to unfamiliarity or not being recognisable to non-Americans but because they're bland, samey and so linear that they make DOOM look like a sandbox game.
Ontop of all this the singleplayer campaign is only about 3 hours long on the normal difficulty setting. You may get more or less mileage out of it depending on your skill level or the difficulty setting but ultimately it's completely unsatisfying from start to finish and the shameless CoD4 Chernobyl mission ripoff is massively off-putting but thankfully followed by an excellent section that's rather lengthy and plays out like a Hollywood action movie.
Gameplay
The game feels very similar to Call Of Duty in the way the weapons and movement work. All the different weapons feel suitably different but they're very slight differences that might even not be noticed the first or even second time you use a weapon. Like CoD the sights are entirely superfluous because the ironsights are so good on every gun except the M4 which is a little bit too pointy and hard to aim with.
You've got your standard set of barebones movements, walking, sprinting, crouching and going prone. There's no lean function which is strange as it would have given you the option to not have to step out of cover fully and get shot in the face in a lot of sections (both singleplayer and multiplayer).
Because of this going prone and watching your positioning and being aware of your surroundings is key to surviving in multiplayer where people can come at you from all sides. Hiding, knowing where the exits are and how best to get to them is crucial in the complex environments of the MP maps.
Vehicles are also very responsive and aircraft have varying degrees of mobility depending on how much you turn off the assistance (rookie is the basic, then ace, then veteran, each with less assistance like maintaining altitude or stopping you rolling your heli). The ground drones are capable of strafing while some vehicles are multi-seat like the Humvee and the Apache.
Drones add a new element to gameplay because you never know when some mini-Hunter-Killer is going to storm through a doorway or up/down some stairs and mince you with its mounted MG or whether you've been spotted by a silent little Dragonfly drone hovering somewhere nearby marking you with a big red diamond for the entire enemy team to see. They're a great way to rack up a large amount of BP (more on that later) without putting yourself in any danger.
Multiplayer
Homefront's Multiplayer component is composed of two modes and a third addition to the mix called the Battle Commander. The two modes are Team Death Match and Ground Control, these play out on all the same maps and can either have or not have the Battle Commander present. The Battle Commander acts just like the one in Battlefield 2, it gives out missions and objectives and puts bounties on enemies that're doing really well. Unlike Battlefield 2's commander however it is an AI.
Team Death Match is your basic, whole-map frag-fest like every shooter since the dawn of gaming. There's nothing particularly special about this mode but that's not to say that it isn't a great, but fast-paced experience.
Ground Control plays like a mix of Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 2. When the match starts there will be two or three (depending on map) control points to capture and hold by way of standing in their cap radius until they belong to your team. Any enemies in the cap radius will stop you capping the point until either you or them have died and then capping resumes for the victor. Holding the control points, be it just one or all three, then it gives your team victory points. When one team gets their quota of victory points then the control points and losing team's spawns will be pushed back further into their side of the map. Two victories by meeting the quota of victory points equals an overall victory for that team and the map ends.
Maps
There's quite a few maps and despite me spending a lot of time with the game I've not had chance to play them all yet or even fully explore the ones I have. There are an impressive amount of buildings to go in, places to hide and lots of elevation on almost all of them that makes not only sniping fun but suppressive fire and ambushing vehicles.
Speaking of vehicles, the maps are open enough and large enough to make vehicles extremely useful but sometimes the helicopters (of which there are two) seem a little bit restricted within the airspace due to the low level you'll find yourself flying at for the most part.
Loadouts and Levelling
Similar to Battlefield and Call Of Duty there is a persistent levelling system in place that unlocks new equipment to put into your loadouts as you gain levels. These unlocks range between guns, grenades, equipment, perks and even vehicle parts.
Levelling is fair and goes along at a fair clip in the post-match scoreboard making you feel suitably rewarded for your time in game without spoiling you rotten like CoD does.
Your loadouts consist of several basic parts; your weapon, a single attachment, a special grenade type, a set of infantry perks (with values between one and three points, you get 4 to spend) and two purchasable items. These purchasable items can be a simple flak jacket or rocket launcher can can be something as advanced as a UAV flyby or a semi-futuristic little remote control drone. These have limited lifespans but are incredibly useful when used properly. One drone is capable of spotting the enemy and highlighting them with big red diamonds to everyone on your team, earning you points for every one you spot. There's also a miniature helicopter that can fire missiles at your command and also a ground attack drone mounted with a light machine gun that's capable of strafing and suppressing enemies when used properly.
Your two purchasable items can be bought at any time in the match so long as you can afford them and appear instantly in your hands when you press the button.
You also have the option of respawning in a vehicle when you die providing you've earned enough of the in-game currency called Battle Points. Vehicles range between a simple, cheap Hummvee, a LAV, scout helicopter, Apache and a full-on tank. Vehicles are suitably meaty and powerful for their costs and can be customised but are also easily disposed of by an organised team toting freshly bought rocket launchers.
Verdict
The single player component of the game is completely unfulfilling and acts more like a brief afternoon's diversion from everything else while the multiplayer component has plenty to go at and has familiar gameplay and features from other games while still managing to feel unique in its own way. This makes for a surprisingly fun mix that's just as enjoyable as the sum of its parts but does generate mixed feelings across players – some people love the familiarity and others are disappointed by the lack of originality.
Personal opinion; it's a great game and an excellent alternative to playing Call Of Duty or Bad Company 2.
Amateur Score
7/10 – Sub-par singleplayer loses it so many points but it's redeemed by the multiplayer to a degree where I'm still happy I spent my money.
Last edited by WskOsc on Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
