User Review : Homefront

Homefront Sucks and Rocks

There is a good reason Homefront has received a wide range of scores from critics. The campaign sucks plain and simple. Interestingly though, the multiplayer is one of the funnest experiences I've had since Bad Company 2 was released. Rating this game as a whole is unfair since it's obvious Kaos games spent a majority of their time working on the multiplayer. Instead I'm going to give the overall rating to the multiplayer aspect of this game and in case you're curious I'm giving the campaign a 3/10.

The campaign starts off promising. The notion of North Koreans invading the US in twenty years is made less laughable with a short intro video. The "horrors of war" atmosphere the developers were going for is excellent...up until you grab your first weapon. After that it seems everything slides back into a mindless arcade shooter. Events that are supposed to invoke feelings of despair and tragedy fall flat most of the time due to the fact that the missions feel so rushed and forced that you don't really have time to develop a connection with the world or the characters around you. There are also some trigger delays that left me waiting almost 15 seconds before a friendly would greet me or express relief that I wasn't dead. Talk about awkward silences. The enemies at least offer some difficulty, but you'll be able to take them down rather quickly since they are the dumbest things on two legs. For example, in the game's stealth mission you and three other characters "sneak" past multiple enemies by sprinting either right behind or right next to them. I guess we lose peripheral vision and hearing in the future. By the games end I literally let out a "wow" and slowly lowered my face into the palm of my hand. It's sad that the campaign is what it is. You can see a glimpse of the potential the campaign could have had during the first three or four minutes and that's the real tragedy here.

The online experience is the real driving point for Homefront. After lulling through the campaign I dreaded trying out the multiplayer. This initial thought was reinforced when I spent almost a half hour searching for an open game. As soon as I was placed in a game though, my disappointment vanished. Homefront online is extremely similar to Call of Duty with regards to the class load out and menu system, but the similarities really end there. The battle point system is ingenious and really only has a three game learning curve. Sniping is fairly balanced so that it is easy to snipe enemies, but also easy for them to find and kill you. The 32 player battles fill up quickly and are hectic, but fun. Driving an LAV over a hill and shooting down a group of ten enemies crossing a field is enough to put a smile an any hardcore gamers face. There are some initial server issues though, so partying up with friends is pointless at the moment.

Graphics are acceptable. Don't expect any jaw dropping or satisfying moments. Texture pop-ins are noticeable the very second you start the campaign and make for some ugly, blocky explosions. The voice acting is a hit or miss thing, but the sound effects are generally good. My only problem was that getting hit with bullets sounds like someone slapping you for being stupid enough to play the campaign. In short, expect the game to look and sound like the bastard child of Fallout 3 and Black Ops.

If you were expecting a great narrative campaign from this game you will be disappointed. Actually, you will be disappointed by the campaign regardless. If you plan on buying Homefront, make sure you're willing to pay for the online experience only since you can beat the campaign in a day. Otherwise don't even bother renting the game. If you're wanting some commies-invading the US action check out the 80's movie Red Dawn or wait for MGM to release the remake.