More Shooters! An hour with “Homefront”
Why is it that every new FPS title released to market is hyped to be a "Call of Duty killer?" If your game has guns in it, you better get the PR people to whip up a press release about how it's going to totally "pwn" Black Ops and reduce it to a community full of "No0bs."
I remember reading up a bit on "Homefront" before it released. Expectedly, there were a number of stories written about how THQ's new shooter would be *the* nail in the coffin for C.O.D. Hindsight being 20/20, that is a hilarious assertion. "Homefront" is nothing like C.O.D. And it's a good thing.
Papa Cheeks and I have spent some time with the multiplayer portion of the game. So consider this a "first impressions" piece. There will be no opinions offered about the single player campaign. We'll probably publish a second article on that a little later.
To get you up to speed on the plot, "Homefront" is about North Koreans invading the United States. That's really all you need to know. The multiplayer maps, therefore, are designed to make you feel like you're fighting in your own backyard. Suburban neighborhoods, farms, and more urban areas provide backdrops for your multiplayer games.
Usual guns aside, "Homefront" is packed with cool secondary weapons and vehicles. Tired of running around the field looking for dudes to shoot? Why not take a load off and deploy a remote controlled flying death bot? Or just jump in a tank and do tanky things...more to the point... blow crap up.
Oh, but you don't just *get* up-armored Humvees and flying robot death machines at the start of the match. You've gots to work for em', baby. The game utilizes an interesting "battle points" system. Every time you do something in game (kill an opponent, provide support, etc...) you get points. You can spend them immediately for a small perk, like extra armor. Or, you can save up and splurge on that tank or helicopter. It's up to you.
Killstreaks are set up differently as well. In most games, killing a number of players simply rewards you with cool stuff. That's true here, but when you find yourself on a hot streak, your oppenents are alerted to it. A "red alert" is issued to the other team, along with a high point "bounty" for your head. It makes killstreaks a rewarding, yet anxiety - riddled experience. The better you do, the more your enemies are gunning for you.
Sound a lot like Black Ops? Hell no. The maps are much bigger and thanks to dedicated servers, THQ's new shooter runs really... really smooth.
After playing some TDM and Ground Control (basically... Domination for you C.O.D. fans) it's clear this game deserves attention. "Homefront" is not frantic like some shooters out there. Taking your time and planning your next move is preferred. And as people start clanning up with friends, the game's strategic value will surely shine.
"Homefront." Lots of customization. Pretty much lag free. Robot flying death machines!!! Plus, the hour or so Papa and I put in felt like ten minutes. Time will tell if "Homefront's" online community will thrive. Personally, I fear it will be swallowed alive by the likes of Battlefield 3. But for now, at least, this is an easy recommendation for FPS fans.




