The studio claims it is the most ambitious project they have ever attempted. Homefront: The Revolution has been five years in the making, and comes with a turbulent past to say the least.
Here begins the history lesson. THQ closed down in 2012 shortly after the first Homefront game was released. Crytek then picked up the license rights, before also going bankrupt in 2014. The developer then changed its name to Dambuster Studio, and the rights were picked up by Koch Media, owners of the Deep Silver label. Confused yet? It’s sure been a rocky road, but the end of the next chapter in the Homefront saga is finally in sight.
When they started the project, Dambuster knew the original Homefront had a very popular multiplayer component. It was arguably the most enjoyable part of the game. This was expected as the first game was developed by Kaos Studios, who had previously been responsible for Frontlines: Field of War, another title that prided itself in its multiplayer gameplay.
It’s fair to say the multiplayer FPS market is quite saturated, so to make Homefront: The Revolution stand out, the focus was to be on co-op teamwork and complete freedom to tackle missions as the player sees fit. Players are encouraged to work together, to assess the situation and choose how they want to go ahead. If you have ever played the Left4Dead series, you will be on familiar ground here.
Invited to London to try out first-hand the co-op mode, the first thing that struck me was just how bloody hard it was. It is fair to say Homefront: The Revolution is not intended to be an easy, simple game. Indeed, as I found out, dying is very much part of the experience. Luckily when I took too much damage and inevitably crumbled, a fellow team member would come rushing over to help revive me.
The upside to all this dying is that it helps you gain more experience, and with more experience comes money and points to spend on weapons, apparel and skills. This enables you to tailor your character to be just how you want them to be, and create the resistance fighter you are comfortable with.
We played three co-op story missions on the day itself, but upon release we are promised there will be at least twelve multiplayer missions to get stuck into. After the release date, more missions will continue to be released, eventually doubling the number available to the player.
Players will also have access to new items and weapons over time and there will be plenty of community events to get stuck into, along with upgrade packs to purchase. To be fair, all the items in the upgrade packs can be unlocked in the game itself, so this really is only an option if you don’t have the time to invest playing it (or are particularly lazy).
Whilst appreciating the game is still only in beta mode, the co-op element of Homefront: The Revolution ticked all the right boxes, and bodes well for the games eventual release in May this year. Admittedly, I spent half the time dying and getting shot at, but the emphasis on team work was there. Unlike many games where you just rush in and shoot, the missions encourage tactical planning, and are all the better for it.
With regular updates promised, along with single player and multiplayer modes, the next edition of Homefront could cause a revolution in more ways than one when it is released…
Most Anticipated Feature: The vast character customization skill tree. Yes, you too can create a female medical expert who also just happens to be an American football player!
