Between then and now THQ has done a great job keeping a tight lid on details, but no more. Finally ready to reveal their invested single player mode to the world, the publisher invited PALGN down to go hands-on with the very first level of this action packed campaign, and boy was it a treat.
Somebody's gotta clean up the place.
The development team claims to be influenced by the atmosphere of guerrilla warfare in games like Half-Life 2, and while this was certainly evident throughout our hands-on, it was the level’s opening scenario that seemed to channel the original Half-Life’s famous tram ride into Black Mesa. Like something straight out of the film Children of Men, the protagonist has his home invaded by KPA forces and his sorry behind dragged onto a nearby prisoner bus. Taking place all from first person perspective with the freedom to look around out of the bus windows as it drives you to an unknown destination, this heavily scripted segment gives players a chance to observe the peachy condition of the KPA occupied United States, as well as the lives of civilians.
While we don’t want to spoil any specifics of what you’ll see, as they really need to be seen for yourself. Some of the content is extremely confronting, and really sets the tone of the game. While other major war shooter franchises like Call of Duty put greater emphasis on a cheesy popcorn movie style of presentation, the events witnessed throughout the worst bus ride of your life are very gritty and disturbing. Just as there is a robust fictional history built to back the game’s story, the gameplay presentation itself seems to put great emphasis on realism and authenticity, making the game world all the more convincing.
Our bus ride from hell didn’t last forever though, as we soon found ourselves being rescued from the hands of KPA soldiers by freedom fighting resistance members. You see, it turns out that we’re an ex-military pilot and soldier, and the resistance is quite interested in getting our combat experience onto their side.
Only sexy people are allowed into the resistance.
Almost immediately after being broken free we found ourselves snapping up a firearm or two and running the streets with a couple of resistance fighters. Engaging in some minor KPA patrols, here we got to experience the gunplay, which functions like most other stop-and-pop shooters, with a focus on taking cover, peeking out, and nailing headshots. A classic primary/secondary weapon management system handles the firearms, and a regenerative health system will be immediately familiar to anybody who’s immersed themselves in modern shooters.
The KPA were clearly none too impressed that we got away, putting the pressure on us at every available opportunity. It didn’t take long before realised we were corned by an armoured personal carrier, putting the heat on us with its heavy weaponry. With our companions pinned down by heavy gunfire, and no clear shot at the driver, it was up to us to take it this larger threat via alternative means, and naturally the only way to do this was to blow it up.
Sneaking through an American backyard, we worked our way up into the ruined second floor of a suburban home where a now deceased KPA soldier had bunkered up. Amongst his many shiny goodies were sticky C4 explosives, which we promptly picked up. Throwing and detonating C4 was mapped to separate buttons from the standard weapon firing, making switching between the two practical and intuitive. Explosives in hand, it wasn’t hard to make short work of the APC, with a couple of well placed sticky explosives blowing it to bits. Oh, and for those who are wondering; yes, you can stick C4 to enemy troops.
Home is where the heart is.
The homely American setting, particularly that of recognisable landmarks and living conditions of the Western world, was very impressive, particuarly in how the visuals were cohesively integrated into level layout and design. Running through the suburban streets, we quickly found ourselves sneaking through a backyard, on alert for nearby KPA patrols. It can be hard to spot enemies at ground level when you’re surrounded by white picket fences, hedges, and homes, so we took advantage of a nearby abandoned tree house built into a tree to get a better look at our surroundings. These little familiar details go a long way in portraying a really convincing and organic game world, one that doesn’t feel like it is made up of artificially constructed corridors and obvious level chokepoints.
In one of the more climatic battles of the demo, we found ourselves defending a boarded up store, driving back advancing KPA forces in order to give a mother and her infant enough time to make an escape. Taking cover behind shelves, popping out to take critical shots against well protected enemies, with the deafening snap of gunfire and booming rumble of explosions was more than enough to have us on the edge of our seat, but it was all this accompanied by the mother’s crying child and her pleads for help that really sold the experience. This is not a game not about big Michael Bay explosions, but one more about the people. Their lives, their plight, and their fight for freedom.
The KPA are not particuarly friendly.
As fun as gunning down waves of enemy troops is, it’s important to mix up the variety, and Homefront plans to break up standard running-and-gunning by throwing a number of near-future vehicles and tools around the campaign for players to interact with. It was towards the end of our session, during a climactic battle against the KPA forces and their support vehicles, that were got to play with one of the resistance’s cool new toys; the Goliath.
An aggressive three wheeled battlement of pain, the Goliath is driven by an on-board artificial intelligence, with the player given full control of its arsenal of heat seeking rocket bombardments. Unlike many ‘vehicle’ sections in other games which operate much like a rail shooter, here player is given the freedom to continue moving around on foot, exploring the battlefield and switching to standard firearms where necessary, while taking control of the Goliath’s armament via a wireless control screen. Flipping up the screen lets you lock-on the armoured beast’s weapons to enemy troops and vehicles, and with the press of a button launch its payload into what will soon be a pile of smouldering rubble.
We only got to spend a short time with the Goliath, but having the freedom to play at our own pace rather than be tethered to vehicle was a welcome change from the norm, and watching ragdolls spin across the map and vehicles explode from quick on-the-fly targeting was very entertaining. Having the Goliath by your side is akin to having a faithful dog follow you around. A faithful ten ton bullet proof rocket equipped dog. We can see this one becoming quite popular.
Man's best friend.
Once we were done with the campaign level we asked about the multiplayer. Unfortunately there was no multiplayer build available to play, but we were given some insight into the direction and ambition. Developed by Kaos Studios, who are made up of many staff responsible for the popular Battlefield 1942 modification Desert Combat, a similar push/resist struggle gameplay will serve at its core. Large thirty-two player maps will let players fight across a variety of familiar locations, and an in-game economy will allow players to earn points to purchase new vehicles and weapons to strengthen both themselves and their team. In an effort to curb one-man-army style of play, and punish players who seek to hog all the vehicle fun for themselves, players who work together will be rewarded with more points than those who go solo. Working for your team, completing objectives, and helping each other out will go towards not only strengthening your personal arsenal, but also greatly increases your team’s chances of a solid victory.
And if there were any concerns that the multiplayer may not receive the kind of backing and support it deserves, THQ has given direct confirmation that Australian gamers will be getting local dedicated servers for both the console releases as well as PC, giving us the best lag-free network performance possible.
Oh I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the awesome explosions.
There’s still so much to learn about Homefront, such as where else the story will take us, how the multiplayer feels, and what other interesting toys we’ll get to play with by the campaign’s end, but it’s shaping up to be something highly enjoyable. The huge production values certainly do their part in selling the ‘big budget’ scope of the game, but the gritty and realistic tone and focus on the personal lives of the civilians, and the fight against a seemingly invincible oppressor, is really what sets this game apart from other titles on the market. THQ and Kaos Studios certainly seem like they’re pouring a lot of resources and effort into this title, and we walked out of our hands-on session eager to play more.
Homefront is slated for a launch early next year across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Be sure check back with PALGN as we have more on Homefront for more impressions, media, and news as it becomes available.
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