Homefront

Homefront is a shooter where America is occupied by North Koreans. Developed by Kaos Studios and produced by THQ this semi-modern shooter shows a darker side of the American dream. This game however does little to really make it stand out in a crowd. Though with the licenses they acquired gives this game a much more realistic sense that the war is on our doorstep.

The game starts out by giving you a little background on why there is a war in our backyard. With the death of Kim Jung Il and his son taking power, this is one of the major catalysts to the war. After Kim Jung Un takes control he starts moving out and taking control of land and unifies North and South Korea to make the Unified Korea Nation. The clip goes on to show how they take over Japan and move through the middle east. Then it cuts to outer space where it shows a satellite which then launches an EMP that takes out all of North America. This is when the invasion begins. You start out in a room where you can look out the window to see a see of shanty suburban area. Some Koreans come and take you out of the house where they put you on this bus to take you  to a labor camp. This is really where the game starts to take off where you can see all the destruction and death of what the occupation has done. You will see people lining up to work in labor camps, you see a couple get executed in front of there child. This really starts to make you feel the atmosphere that things might be hopeless. Next thing you know is the bus gets hit by a car and flips over where then you are picked up by some of the resistance fighters. You grab a pistol and start giving out some payback.

The game play is just the same as any other shooter it does not really stick out in terms of actual game play. One thing that does add to the tension is the constant need for ammo. I am always running out and need to just grab a new gun. There is also just feels like wave and wave of enemies kind of like a shooting gallery with a couple stealth parts included. Though it more feels like the AI is extremely bad more then I am actually sneaking. There are a couple parts though that are really fun and memorable, one is where you are getting talked through a mission as you are sniping people so that your friends can get passed without alerting the guards. This was really fun for me because I enjoy sniping and there are several times in the game where you are at a vantage point and you start sniping to give your friends cover. One thing that makes this game stand out in a sea of shooters these days is the multi player.

The multi-player in this game is really where the game shines. It has several new mechanics and ideas that work really well and make it a much more fun experience. For example instead of earning kill streaks you get points for killing and you can buy a air strike or a RPG. This makes it more fun and accessible for someone who can not get a three kill streak to save there life. This point system is also used during the load out screen. After you die if you have enough points you can spawn inside a helicopter or a tank. This rewards players for being good and saving there points because they are a lot more expensive then a flak jacket. There are also several multi-player modes including some favorites from Battlefield. There is the control point where you just need to capture and hold a position long enough then you move further up the warzone. However if you lose the points you have to retreat back and not let them take the points again and it is best of three without the game ever pausing or stopping or switching sides. This makes for a much better flow of the battlefield and gives it a feel that you are making progress. There is the standard team death match and there is also the Comander  mode. This is where you have a leader who gives orders and you do your best to follow them. If you do well your star level will go up. This gives you access to better stuff and equipment. 

I would say this game is for anyone who wants a change of pace and is tired of just same old Call of Duty. This game has a great multi-player and the story really does a good job of making you feel uncomfortable and that no where is safe. I would not really recommend this to someone who is looking for a game that really distinguishes itself. This game is not that unique but it does have a great story but as for how the game plays out it is just another brick in the wall.

In conclusion some of my opinion of this game is that I personally was not that impressed with the game play at first but as I got more and more into the game it really pulled me in and I had some fun with it. I was really disturbed by a lot of the stuff that you see in the game that makes you feel really bad and upset. It was good at appealing to the emotional side and making me really dislike what the occupation was doing to America. So this game is available for PS3, Xbox, and the PC it has its $59.99 price point but I do see it dropping pretty quickly so if you can wait a month I would recommend that but if your itching to get a new and improved multi-player experience then I would recommend pick this game up.