Homefront

Overall I recommend Homefront with some caveats- the multiplayer could use some balancing (which they've announced with a new patch at the time of this review). The single player was disappointing in that it ended when it did- it was like showing up at a party and not even getting to kick off your shoes before it's over.

Great setting, but it's more or less another Call of Duty clone with some nice ideas. But everything feels like the game just had to be released, so a lot of potential hasn't been realised yet. Maybe that's something for the sequel.

Very short but intense firefight shows not a very cheerful vision of the near future for North America. Game story is excellent but playability loses because of over-scripting. [Issue#203]

I feel bad for Kaos Studios because I think the outcome of Homefront was influenced by possible combination of either a lack of time, budget or talent.

If you're going to buy Homefront, do so for the multiplayer. The campaign is six hours you'll never get back. [Apr 2011, p.52]

If you're contemplating Homefront as an inclusive package, forget it. Consider it to be a better-than-expected multiplayer distraction at best, and wait for E3 in June to see if we get an apology for the campaign and an explanation as to how the sequel will be better.

Homefront's engrossing vision of the future and gratifying competitive multiplayer outweigh its squandered potential and workaday game mechanics.

Homefront is certainly one of the most unique shooters I've ever played, driven by an ingenious and surprisingly well-fleshed out plot and a dark and dreary, realistic setting. But it also controls and feels like a typical shooter, looks like a game that's several years old, and most importantly, has an inexcusably brief campaign.

Incredibly rough around the edges, wasteful of unique opportunities, and light on content, we quite frankly question the longevity of this title. But you know what? There are worse games you could spend your money on.

With its interesting premise, evocative opening sequence, and clever variation on multiplayer, Homefront has a strong foundation. It's a shame that technical limitations and a derivative single-player campaign keep the game from realizing its potential.

Ultimately, Homefront's threadbare campaign is like a beautiful, sweeping piece of music being awkwardly recited by a child on a recorder.

An average shooter with typical gameplay and average graphics.

A damp squib, really. The single player is far too short and the multiplayer only occasionally rises above the average. [May 2011, p.90]

Homefront makes a big splash in the multiplayer field; leaves everything else out to dry.

Homefront is a solid, if uneven, experience that features an excellent multiplayer mode, with a very average single-player campaign attached.

Korea invades America, but nothing in this game will make you care. The actors are bad, the story is stupid and the graphics feels outdated, not to mention an only 4 hour long singleplayer campaign. The multiplayer is clever though and the sole reason to get this game.

It is extremely hard to recommend a game which seems half-baked, has a short single-player campaign and is ugly. Leaders of the genre can remain calm – Korea's invasion of USA isn't a big enough reason to sound an alarm. Who knows, perhaps an announced sequel will become such a reason? For now, I still count on the developers' hard work with patching up their latest product.

It's dreadfully average and far too quickly finished, providing nothing more than the most basic type of fun on the first run-through and little incentive to revisit. Not because it's broken; just because it's boring.