Homefront review

Final Judgment

As gripping as its story might be, Homefront’s campaign is a disappointment. The gameplay is reasonably fun, but dull and generic compared to what else is out there, and its overly scripted nature and insistence on hand-holding are annoying. If single-player is your only concern here, paying full price for such a short, so-so adventure might leave you feeling cheated.

If, on the other hand, you’re buying Homefront for the multiplayer, then you’re in for a treat. It’s not a particularly good-looking treat, but it’s an enjoyable one, and it’s got enough depth and room for advancement to keep players hooked for a while. If there’s a good reason to pick up Homefront, it’s the multiplayer.

Is it better than%26hellip;?

? No. Black Ops’ campaign might not have the same emotional impact Homefront’s does, but it’s a hell of a lot better looking and more fun to play through. Its multiplayer, meanwhile, isn’t quite as varied or as big, but it’s faster, sillier and more fun – and when you factor in Five Zombies, there’s just more of it.

? No if we’re talking about single-player – but if we’re talking multiplayer, then it’s a competition. Despite Medal of Honor’s considerably higher level of polish and faster, more chaotic pace, Homefront’s multiplayer is more immediately fun, and its larger maps (and drones) give newcomers room to work out strategies and get a feel for the flow of the game before being shot to pieces.

Frontlines: Fuel of War? Yes. While a lot of you probably haven't played Frontlines, it’s developer Kaos’s previous effort, set in a similarly dystopian future in which a desperate America’s been pushed to the brink of oil dependence. While the presence of freely drivable vehicles alone is enough to make Frontlines’ campaign just a little more interesting, the action feels dumber and less personal than Homefront’s. And although there are some similarities in the multiplayer, Homefront’s version is more streamlined and fun (not to mention more populated), with more stuff to unlock and play with.

Just for you, MetaCritic!

Homefront’s campaign tells a good story, but that’s about the only thing it does exceptionally well. The action isfun,but nothing special, and it sometimesfeels so rigidly scripted that it’s almost stifling. Meanwhile,the radically different multiplayer stands out as a much bettergame, with chaotic, drone-and-vehicle-filled action that’s just fun an involving enough to make Homefront worth picking up.

Mar 15, 2011