Homefront: The Revolution Game Review. When Kaos Studios and THQ teamed up with legendary Hollywood screenwriter John Milius for Homefront in 2011, the game impressed with its intriguing story detailing a Korean invasion of the United States. All of the narrative promise was
ultimately wasted on a derivative singleplayer campaign that locked players in uninspired, linear environments. For the sequel, new franchise stewards Deep Silver enlisted Crytek (Far Cry, Crysis) to shore up this glaring weakness. The result is a sequel that extends the revolution into an open world.
Using its considerable experience building large, open environments, Crytek is transposing the Homeland theme onto an open-world sandbox. Taking place four years after the original Korean invasion, players join a resistance movement based in Philadelphia that uses guerrilla tactics to slowly chip away at the occupiers.
Taking a tour through the streets of Philadelphia, it hardly resembles the birthplace of independence. Korean checkpoints are set up all over the city, drones conduct surveillance passes, and Americans are routinely beaten for any act of defiance. This discontent has funneled into an underground resistance movement that challenges the invaders through any means necessary. To weaken the Korean People's Army, you must employ hit and fade tactics, including assassination attempts. As you successfully undermine the police state, more citizens will rally to your cause.
Powered by the CryEngine, Homefront: The Revolution features day/night cycles, dynamic weather, and a reactive A.I. that responds to your tactics with brute force. Don't expect to last long in a direct firefight against the overwhelming odds, especially when the heavy armor arrives. The KPA has superior weapons and much more ammunition than your small resistance forces.
Pulling off successful ambushes takes preparation. In the demo we saw, protagonist Ethan Brady stealthily explored abandoned buildings, scavenging supplies that would aid in attacking a police headquarters. Found objects like remote-controlled cars can be used to create improvised explosive devices that you can navigate into a vulnerable position. Brady uses this contraption to kick off the gunfight at the police station.
Gunplay looks to have the satisfying pop of previous Crytek games, and weapon customization is similar to the Crysis system that allows you to tweak underbarrel attachments, scopes, and silencers.
Given the promise of Homefront's original premise, we hope Crytek's pedigree can be put to good use in The Revolution. Liberating the franchise from THQ was just the first step; now it's time to enact meaningful change.
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux
Style: 1-Player Shooter (2-Player Online)
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Crytek
Release: 2015
