Review: Homefront

Follow Connor – sound familiar? That’s right, the influential leader leading the resistance – a downtrodden struggle to overcome murderous oppressors.  Faceless hero goes through thermonuclear detonation to rise up and lead mankind to its destiny? No, this isn’t The Terminator, but rather THQ’s latest FPS.

Never mind the rest of the world, with Homefront it’s all about the mighty USA. Yes, that beacon of democracy and capitalism, the one that majestically shines in the face of global extremism. This time it’s been invaded, (heaven forbid), as the KPA, a united Korean Republic, come a’knocking.

We’re given the basics with a brief but stylised opening cut scene. The world’s economy collapses and with it, America’s power. Once Korea joins hands, it starts to invade Asia before holding the US ransom with a nuclear device on Hawaii. Next comes a strategic detonation above the States to knock out communication and electricity, an invasion and finally, the splitting of the country with the radioactivisation of the Mississippi.

Labour camps, random acts of totalitarian violence, public executions, occupation. The land of liberty becomes the very opposite, an ambitious vision of suburbia destruction. Plane wreckage lies askew, discarded cars litter the streets; refrigerators block any progress through the buildings. Sometimes it’s a pesky door, other times, a strategically placed board of wood.

Sadly Homefront doesn’t want you exploring its carefully created world, rather it keeps you on a narrow path, without any deviation as though its life depended on it. A big Korean pistol is pointed at its head, shouting in its ear to pursue the stagnation of linearity. On occasion it’ll throw set pieces at you to give the illusion that you’re actually enjoying the campaign. They’ll explode with a bang and you’ll experience first-person-being-flung through the air. Cars fly overhead, ledges will be vaulted, mass graves will be laid in.

While it’s all in your face, Homefront actually rarely lets you do anything. Occasionally you’ll be let off the leash to partake in some target practice against the moronic AI. The insta-clones come at you, guns blazing, leaving their heads slightly out of cover for you to take pot-shots at. Rarely do they display any sort of intelligence – they’re happy to stand or crouch while you reload. If they manage to hit you, recharging health means a brief cover-break will replenish your ability to continue firing.

It’s dull, archaic, and ultimately, rubbish. The odd enemy, of which there are two character designs, will take offence to your face and choose to get up close and personal, but your AI companions will dispatch him before you’re able to whip out your melee. In fact, you’re able to sit behind cover and let the game play for itself. Your stereotypical babysitters (hardened woman, token black guy, rough and ready Connor and charisma-lacking sidekick) are capable shots and enjoy the virtual warfare as much as the player.

If the battlezone gets too hot, you have the ability to call in Goliath, a remote control death-dealing ATV. Mind you, you’ll only fire its weapons, (using a targeting device) at what you’re told to. There’s no driving it, rather it’s more of a conveniently camouflaged ‘I-Win’ button.

Later on you’ll take part in some compulsory stealth, sniping and UCAV – sections that are now mandatory in any modern shooter. Again with the stealth you follow Connor moving and shooting what he tells you to – it’s basically an interactive cut scene where you sneak around an enemy farm. The sniping isn’t much better – you’re informed exactly what to aim at and when it’s clear to fire. Finally, the UCAV is just a spam the fire button until you get past the section.

Then all of sudden, just when you least except it, Homefront throws the player into one of the most intense, and frankly breathtaking, scenarios ever seen in any game. You board a helicopter, music blaring like a scene from Apocalypse Now, and assault the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as all hell breaks loose. Jets flyby, helicopters come crashing out the sky, explosions ring in your ears – it’s intense and for a minute you forget everything that has come before. Even the silly AI you’re fighting against  becomes fun as you mow down the KPA.

It’s a shame because there’s a lot of promise in Homefront. It’s got a cracking graphics engine and does a very good job with it to create its vision of the future. The attention to detail is exceptional and provides a sense of authenticity that many other games struggle with. On a 5.1 system, it also sounds fantastic – it all seems a bit real and if it wasn’t for the outdated gameplay and unconvincing enemies, it’d be worthy of a lot more praise.

All would be redeemed if the multiplayer offered something new. Homefront contains your usual assortment of maps, weapons, ranks, challenges and game modes. It has everything you want from a modern day shooter. It does exactly what it says on the tin – but then other major franchises for the past few years have done the same things.

Sure, credit is due – Ground Control is a novel concept, the battlefield shifting as you capture and hold objectives. It’s a case of TDM with the first team reaching two rounds being proclaimed the winner. As you win or lose, the space you fight in adjusts accordingly. It’s there if you want it, but generally there’s other games that do it with more sparkle and have a larger community.

Call of Duty beater? No. New military shooter worth checking out? Only if you’re into your alternative futures. The single player campaign is very short (you can complete it in a weekend) and unless you’re hankering after a new MP FPS that desperately, you’re better off holding onto your money. Wasted promise.

Review: Homefront Results