Homefront: Good but short

Yes, it is short.

Just putting that out there, people aren't exaggerating, in terms of actual time, and in terms of how long it feels while you're playing it, its very very short. But does that detract from its fun? Only slightly. The problem is that it seems to rush itself, its not that they haven't padded it out with pointless length like some games, but that it feels like its literally from A to B to C, there needs to be more substance, its missing the detail and richness that other FPS's have, for example, the dialogue, again feels like only what needs to be said is said, which leaves the characters just kind of being there, rather than any deep interaction or emotional investment.

Having said that, the story itself creates a certain level of attachment, it does a good job of making you empathise with both the people and the situation. The plot is very well written, and very enjoyable to absorb. Does it stand up to other FPS's? Well, yes and no, if I compare it to MW2, which has a fairly similar story in terms of America being invaded, it just feels like a woolly attempt at an action driven FPS, the thing that dawned on me is that it feels like its been purposely made easy, and with an age tag of 15 instead of 18 like so many FPS's, it feels very much like its been made for a younger audience. Feeling like a kiddy FPS, the movement is sluggish, you're walked through everything all the time, you're pretty much always following people, you aren't let off the reigns, to explore, and man up, even though at the same time your ego is being inflated by everyone telling you how awesome you are and that you're gonna save the day, does this make 15 year olds feel good?

Another criticism is that the achievements don't feel very rewarding. 10G for completing a chapter? When there are only 7 chapters? Come on now, that's harsh, although this is supported by 25G for not dying or restarting on each chapter, along with the odd 10G for accomplishing certain things, or in certain times. I'm not saying I'm an achievement whore, with a very modest 24755G in three years, but getting a bleep bloop pop up for only 10G at the end of a chapter is disappointing. And there isn't even one for completing the story on normal, so if you want to actually feel good for having completed a 7th of the game, play on the hardest difficulty to get 60G per chapter, a big improvement.

Something I find very annoying in games, that is mostly being done away with now, is infinite spawning enemies. Not only is it extremely unrealistic, it adds to the frustration of playing this game. You think to your self, hmm, I'm in a nice spot, and I can take them all out without them noticing (The church), but no, all those bullets are wasted unless you push past their spawn point. Why would a game developer decide to do this? I just cant see the logic, I'm all for being pushed into battle and getting right in there, but if you have a sniper rifle and a lovely vantage point, why force the player to run straight in there?

If you've read to this point you might be starting to think that I hate this game, that's not true though, its a very good game, potentially. They just missed some key things that made it more frustrating than it should be. Lets add a positive though, the gun set is nice, I like the range of weapons that are both given to you at strategic points, and that you can find dotted around or on bodies. I like the sniper rifles particularly, and they come in very useful, I like how they've modded guns slightly to reflect that its set in the future, but haven't gone crazy with Spartan lasers and controllable sniper bullets.

And then we come to the end, of the game, but not quite the review. The end of the last chapter is very anticlimactic, the action is just starting, the revolution is just starting, it's starting to look and feel like a much better game, then you remember, and are abruptly shown, that this is the last chapter. Where's the end? Where's a conclusion of any sort? I'm all for games and films alike having open endings, which have the potential for a sequel, but a game shouldn't need it, actually need it, in order to tell the story. So is this game worth buying? Not for the campaign alone, if that's what you're interested in, rent it, you'll have plenty of time spare to start on the multiplayer, which is fun and interesting. It feels like a cross between COD and Battlefield, a comparison that no game could shrug off. I'll again state that I really enjoyed this game, and I really like it, I like the feel, and I like the story, while other aspects aren't quite on par, but then this is the first Homefront game, and I certainly hope there's a sequel, so I and others are able to see the rest of the vision behind this game, it's a good first attempt, so keep at it, but a bit more polish next time.

Adopting the IGN rating scale

Presentation: Plot and setting put it right at the top, but characters for me, along with delivery of everything you expect lead me to give it an: 8.5

Graphics: They aren't terrible, but they aren't great, you wouldn't expect them to be bidding for the next COD game, gonna have to give it a: 6

Sound: Mediocre, some really good times, but more where its like, ok, whatever, the gun and explosion sounds are good though: 7

Gameplay: Fun, it's fun to play, but sluggish and too guided, a babies version of COD: 6

Lasting Appeal: Do I ever want to play through the campaign again? Not really, but the multiplayer is good, so this ones tough.: 5

Which gives it an overall 6.5 'OKAY', which I feel is reflective of what they've done with this game, its not bad, pretty good, but, they fall short in different ways.

Written by Daniel Smith