America, the home of the weak and enslaved, the wounded and fallen. This is the premise of Homefront -from THQ and Kaos Studios, a near-future first-person shooter revolving around a tale of an America overrun by the now unified Korean nations. North Korea begins a fierce campaign to take over Asia, forcing America’s economy into a tumultuous downfall. Last month we spent some hands-on time with the first single-player level up at a newly opened THQ development studio in Monteral, Canada. Even though Homefront still has a decent amount of polish left to go it is already shaping up to be one of the stronger releases in early 2011. With America in a state of weakness, Korea carries out an attack via an EMP bringing America to its knees only then to invade and begin their hostile takeover of the once proud nation. Set in the year 2027 2 years after the EMP blast, you play as an ex-pilot Robert Jacobs.
In the preview software at the event we witnessed Jacobs’ capture at the hands of the invading troops, and shuffled from his home in Montrose, Colorado onto a prisoner transport bus. As the bus filled with other detainees begins its departure, you begin to see the toll Korea has brought upon even the smallest of towns. Houses are desecrated, bodies litter the streets, and families are killed in front of one another. Not even the slightest glimmer of hope shines upon Jacobs, at least until a semi knocks the bus onto its side. This isn’t some unlucky happenstance as the semi is driven by a member of the American resistance. Jacobs is swiftly recaptured by his own side and lends his hand to the resistance as they attempt to fight their way out of the ruins of a suburb. While a few of the lead characters that free Jacobs are already hardened to battle, the rest of the resistance are no more than civilians who’ve laid down their normal pursuits, for a weapon. Kaos Studios went to great lengths to make the resistance convey a “homegrown-everyman” vibe, as they were torn from the American Dream and catapulted into a waking nightmare. Kaos also nabbed John Milius of “Apocalypse Now” fame to pen the story of the downtrodden country. While Homefront plays like any recent, exciting FPS, the world that Jacobs exists in is dark and disheartening.
You aren’t taking the shores of Normandy or fighting the Koreans on their turf, Homefront takes place right outside your front door. The premise and attention to detail, while terrifying, is executed brilliantly touching on the possible horror of an invasion within our borders. Ammo and weapons are scarcely available and the enemy seems to be everywhere. While set in the future, weapons, vehicles and the rest are all what you are accustomed to in a shooter set in our day. The action is fierce, with Jacobs, his new found heroes, Connor and Rihanna, and the rest of the resistance fighting through grocery stores, homes and deserted streets that seem all too familiar. While the Koreans assault you from alleys and houses, you’ll have an array of weaponry such as assault rifles, sub-machine guns and the other well known weapons. Near the end of our demo, Jacobs gained control of a remotely operated tank known as the Goliath. Using the control device, Jacobs can target troops and APCs, and command the Goliath to rain a flurry of missiles onto said oppressors. The entirety of the demo brought about a strong emotion of fear and despair, as well as an immediate sense of urgency. The Americans are the weakened in this scenario and with the Greater Korean Republic or GKR at every street corner, taking things at a slow pace will ensure of the fall of this small, yet determined resistance.
There is no hope of victory, no light at the end of the tunnel in Robert Jacobs’ pursuit of a twice-liberated America, but what good is there in a life of captivity and the ever-present fear of an imminent death? This backdrop is the piece that could set Homefront apart from your typical FPS if Kaos can continue to portray this dark imagery without falter through the single-player campaign. The opening act of Homefront was promising, with scenes that fully capture an enslaved America filled with families who have yet to feel the weight of a trigger on their fingers, ruthlessly slaughtered without the slightest ounce of remorse. The unabashed scenes that are woven throughout the opening act, specifically a child that witnesses the merciless death of his parents, is haunting and quickly conveys the world Kaos has intended to create. Frightening as the premise is, Kaos has created a horrifying “what if” scenario that looks to deliver a first-person shooter apocalypse worth fighting through come early 2011, when it hits retail shelves on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage of Homefront right here at PlanetXbox360.com.
