Great Premise Ruined By Bad Mechanics
posted by jay419 (MEEKER, OK) Mar 16, 2011
Member since Jan 2009
Yes it's influenced by COD but Homefront has a great idea, it just doesn't draw you in very well. The Good: fighting in cool settings. The Bad: Not really fun to play.
The Look
Graphics are fine, not on Infinity Ward's level, but they're good. They've improved on Red Factions looks. The interiors are dark and bland at times. The area views are good, the scope is good and the American setting translates well. It's weird to see a football field turned into an internment camp. It needs polish, but it still looks good.
The Story
I would have enjoyed some narration between stages. Instead you have to find old newspapers that give you back story of events leading to the present. This can get old quick. They are easy to find but it's distracting to stop a gunfight to read text for the story. There isn't really a narrative here just a premise and a play-through.
The Game-Play
This is where Homefront let me down. This game has a major aiming issue. Like Killzone, you'll stand directly in front of an enemy, fire, and hit nothing, firing left or right of the enemy. It's supposed to have aim assist but it didn't help me any. For a shooter to be good, you have to be able to...shoot. Some of the guns are great but you can't use them well.
It's easy to die which you will often. Your teammates don't do much but stand in the way. The "sprint" bounces the gun up and down but doesn't add speed. In fact this whole game has a slow flow to it. You can't hustle when you need. Grenades are very effective both ways. So when one lands near you, you won't have time to get away because you're too slow.
The Verdict
The best part of Homefront is the theatrical aspect of war inside the U.S. The mass graves in a baseball diamond for example are freaky to see. Though underdeveloped, the idea is great. It's different to fight in a grade school rather than a jungle. But it's not enough to save the bad tech issues. Not the great shooter of 2011 like expected.
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