Preview: Homefront: The Revolution

Homefront: The Revolution is just around the corner, and I would like to shed some light on the upcoming game - what we know so far, the release date, and more. So yes, a bit of a preview, if you will.

Let's begin with the base facts of Homefront: The Revolution. First of all, the game is an upcoming open world first-person shooter that is developed by Crytek and will be published by Deep Silver. The current release window is 2015 for the Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One platforms.


Even the scars don't look appealing in this game. That's a good sign.

What’s the Setting of the Sequel to Homefront?

Well, from what we know, the game will take place in Philadelphia four years after the Greater Korean Republic's invasion of the United States, but two years after the original Homefront (2029, in other words). The game's protagonist will be Ethan Brady, a non-trained fighter who builds a resistance against the reunified Korea.


This setting just seems pretty bleak.

What's the Plot?

After the first game, the United States regained control of some western states, but unfortunately, it was only for a little while, as San Francisco was re-occupied after a counter-offensive. During this, the Greater Korean Republic began to invade the east, and successfully captured most of the Eastern United States.

Philadelphia, which was also where the American Revolution was born, became the Greater Korean Republic's headquarters for the region. Residents of Philadelphia now live in fear, but Ethan Brady stands tall, and plots a rebellion to overturn the Korean forces...


The gameplay video has officially sold me.

What's the Gameplay?

Well, unlike the basic, linear first-person shooter aspects of the original, Homefront: The Revolution will be completely open-world, with many districts for the player to explore. Players will have to take advantage of the exploration system in order to create/modify weapons using parts scavenged from buildings and other areas.

Ideally, the game will focus on completing a single mission objective, then fleeing from the overpowering forces. So there will be an emphasis on the fact that the player is definitely not a one-man army. In fact, Fasahat Salim has stated specifically, "If you're gonna go in all guns blazing, you're going to get hit with a lot of firepower in return. They've got a lot of guns, they've got a lot of drones, they've got a lot of superior tech that you don't have. All of these things may come together based on how you approach the situation. If you can get in and get out before they have a chance to respond with all of their firepower, you've done well."

Beyond the core missions, there will be different side missions to stir the gameplay up, like assassinating a KPA general or stealing supplies. Players will be able to accomplish all missions however they see fit (without going Rambo-style on everything). If you want to be careful and shoot people with a sniper rifle during a mission, you can do so. Homefront: The Revolution is more about the freedom, after all.  The open world will also be plenty alive and players can even take part in the events surrounding them (similar to the Grand Theft Auto series, when you think about it). For example, you see soldiers beating up someone for no reason in the middle of the street and no one else is doing anything to stop the soldiers. You can simply ignore the event, or you can shoot the soldiers and save the victim. But there will be a possibly brutal aftermath, so be ready to run for your life. What you do will also influence others to take charge and cause a problem for occupying forces. This sounds similar to Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Or maybe others, but I've only fully played Black Flag and Liberation.


How dystopian!

To put it simply, the game's world is influenced by you. Life in the streets appear depressing, and people represent suffering. There is a certain gloom in the air, and the player is able to hear, see, and feel it. Soldiers crowd the streets, bully the citizens. When watching the trailer, I couldn't help but sense that the American Revolution and 1984 are inspirational factors for this game.

Regarding weapons, the Korean People's Army's weapons will all be fingerprint-locked, making them inaccessible to the resistance. Another feature that has also been added is the enhanced ability to modify weapons. Players can easily add attachments in the middle of a firefight or convert weapons into more powerful weapons.

The weapons and equipment that appear to be included in the game will be the M4, M9, Panzerfaust-3, R700, Mossberg 500, Molotov Cocktail, IED, M16A4, bolt cutters, remote-controlled cars (whee!), and a smart phone with a camera. Judging from videos, there are also some pretty cool vehicles, such as the Goliath, a helicopter, and airship, a scanner drone, and the typical Humvee vehicle.

Finally, the game will feature multiplayer, though there is nothing major revealed on it yet. The sounds will be robust, and there will be dynamic weather, which will give the game that much more of and dim ambience.



Overall, though I haven't played the first Homefront, Homefront: The Revolution piques my interest. Though the first game has received mixed reviews and much criticism from review sites and from players, it appears that Crytek, despite their poor financial situation, will give the game everything they got. They promise that Homefront: The Revolution will be a lot more polished and a lot more open-ended than the previous game. In other words, diverse and unique. After all, Crytek is the same developer who created the beloved Crysis games, so I believe that Homefront: The Revolution is in good hands.

Will this game be better than its predecessor? The same? Or worse? I guess we will just have to find out when Homefront: The Revolution releases sometime later this year.

Oh, did I mention the game won’t have loading screens?