Forget Burger Town, we’ve got White Castle!
Imagine a near future, where the U.S. security system has been compromised. The enemy comes pouring in with a full scale invasion to topple the nation and establish itself as the sole superpower. No, I’m NOT referring to Modern Warfare 2, I’m referring to the sort of cult-PS3-classic, Homefront. In a world of Call of Duty, Battlefield and Halo, trying to stake your claim in that market took a lot of chutzpah. It would be extremely easy to get lost in the cracks with the plethora of competition. This game didn’t completely slip under the radar, just not enough to meaningfully standout. It basically would be labeled as “ we have Modern Warfare 2 at home.”
Homefront is a near future (currently VERY near) dystopian FPS. North Korea in this world, for some reason, really rakes up its effort and actually surpasses South Korea as the best Korea. North Korea has annexed the south to become the Unified Republic of Korea. Kim Jung Un leads the republic on a campaign of conquest, annexing Japan, Indonesia , Taiwan and the Philippines. Setting his sights even further, he storms the beaches of Hawaii and eventually the mainland USA. North Korea turns the whole nation into a giant nightmarish forced labor camp. Marine veteran Robert Jacobs is recruited into a resistance movement to liberate their city and hopefully the entire nation…and Hooters.
Homefront’s gameplay, while uninspired, is functional, fast-paced, and most importantly of all, fun. The single player campaign is short, even for an FPS. Despite its length, the pacing and set pieces are all top notch. This is a game that is unashamed of being a high energy shooter – grab your weapon and start blasting! There are a few moments of stealth here and there, but they are light, short and sweet. While the game is mostly just a shoot-em-up fest, the narrative is actually very well presented and paced. The atmosphere of the game paints the occupied USA as a totalitarian nightmare. This is a game that shows and tells. During the bus ride of the opening mission you will see the brutal and abusive treatment of civilians. The KPA has a security apparatus that implements mass surveillance, the separation of families and publicly kills dissidents. A regime that would make Orwell go pale in the face. The resistance movement has an HQ which is the only thing giving these people a semblance of a normal life. Here people converse, children play, and they even host community events. Their situation is incredibly bleak but they know their will and human spirit have gotten them this far.
The Multiplayer, for lack of a better word, is a freaking blast. The modes are your basic team-deathmatch, capture the flag and my personal favorite: ground control. Ground control is a territory-based mode where you must contest and control points on the maps. Combined forces of ground troops, helicopters, assault drones and tanks make for a chaotically good time of bullets, blood and mayhem. Sadly, the multiplayer has been offline for over a decade. For all newcomers – you missed out on something awesome.
Homefront is by no means a major hit, but it has a respectable legacy. A surprisingly high quality albeit short narrative, dramatic elements, Orwellian themes and fast-paced action more than warrants a playthrough for anyone curious. I dare say this is one of the most underrated and slept on FPS’s of its time. This game has not been released on modern consoles in any capacity. Anyone who wants to play the short but sweet campaign during an afternoon – dust off your PS3 and go find a copy, they’re dirt cheap. Raise your fist to tyranny, liberate your countrymen, and for the love of the Red, White & Blue DON’T play that God-awful sequel!
You can take our lives but you’ll never take our White Castle!
Fil
Verdict: 8/10