Homefront: The Revolution Review – For Better or For Worse

Game Reviewed: Homefront: The Revolution

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Developer: Dambuster Studios

Publisher: Deep Silver

Platform: [Reviewed:PlayStation 4], Xbox One and PC

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Rated: M for Mature

It was 2011 when we last had the opportunity to play Homefront which honestly didn’t receive the greatest feedback due to multiple inconsistencies. No longer in the hands of Kaos Studios and THQ, Dambuster Studios step in hopes to make the turnaround the title so much desires.

Homefront: The Revolution goes more in-depth in attempt to explain why the country is the way it is now. North Korea was always the number one go to for APEX technology, including weapons to assist the US in war. All was well until the United States could no longer hold its ground and even currency became as invaluable as the paper it’s printed on.

Independence Day 2025 Korea and the KPA made their presence known by disabling everything they’ve ever sold the US and took control of the country by force. Anyone against Korea on US soil is considered a terrorist and treated like so. And similar to the fight in San Francisco, the original Homefront, the revolution has begun in Philadelphia with Benjamin Walker leading the resistance.

Benjamin Walker is considered the biggest threat in Philadelphia to the KPA, yet the last thread of hope for the resistance. Caught in a tight spot Walker saves you and depend on your help, ultimately overcoming the KPA and leading all to rise against the hostile force.

Visually Homefront definitely gives off a sense of depression for a city in ruins; a city where there’s almost nothing to live for. Times are extremely at its worst and Dambuster did a remarkable job delivering the presentation for this era.

There are plenty of weapons to find and purchase by earning money and cores throughout gameplay. Bullets are a bit more tedious to come by as you have to scavenge them off of enemies.

Throughout the city there are transmitters you able hack to unlock maps, items and objectives in each zone. You can engage with the resistance as often as you please in hopes of winning over civilians, but Homefront does offer alternate routes to and from objectives.

The overall experience just never hits as hard as needed to drive high likability. After a while of navigating through each zone, and the majority of the roughly 20-hour campaign, I began to feel like I was walking in circles and most of the game became quite repetitive.

While focusing on a few of the issues there were several times where the voiceovers were a little off  the moment away you from conversations; feedback sounds like it’s down a long hallway rather than next to you. I also noticed multiple times A.I. glitching and clipping into walls, even hitting barriers causing their bodies to lock in place.

Multiplayer is also available but it’s a surprise that this installment lacks PvP. Instead, it’s all co-op based as you team up as the Resistance. Create your player and background which allows genuine perks, more in-depth than The Division. For example if your character was a personal trainer, they can move faster when in critical health; A baseball player can throw further than others and a videogame developer can unlock all tiers a bit cheaper.

There are only two available maps but to be fair, with a handful of missions such as infiltration, a las barricadas (defend the objective), breach and clear and more. As you’re taken down in multiplayer other members have the opportunity to revive you up to three times in addition to your syringe granting health.

At the end of each session you earn cash based on your contribution which allow purchases for various crates. It’s not as hard to earn cash in the co-op missions and the gear, weapons and cosmetic items are worth it as you rank up.