It’s not often that a game comes along that divides the gaming community in the way Homefront: The Revolution has. Reading or watching early reviews you would be forgiven for thinking that Homefront: The Revolution is possibly the worst game ever made. But after the dust settled and more voices are heard it becomes clear that this is most definitely not the case.
I must admit I approached my review of Homefront: The Revolution with some degree of trepidation. Like most gamers I played the original 2011 title and found that, while not extraordinary, the game was far from bad. It ticked all of the main boxes but did so in such a way that it struggled to stand out from the crowd in the way that Call of Duty, Halo or even Battlefront did. The 2016 sequel, Homefront: The Revolution is, however, another kettle of fish altogether. Simply put this game is a triple A title of the finest order. In almost every way Homefront: The Revolution vies with games such as The Division and Quantum Break for the Game of The Year Award. To say anything less would be, at best, plain stupid and, at worst, dishonest.
I walked into this review expecting to intensely dislike this title and left open jawed and mesmerised. Yes, we’re all familiar with the games troubled past and how long it’s finally taken to hit the shelves. Yes, we heard rumours that the game was ugly. But all of this is blown away once you actually sit down, boot up your console and play Homefront: The Revolution. You’re guaranteed an experience that you will cherish for a very long time. The game itself is set in an alternative future where the US has been invaded by North Korea and tiny pockets of guerrilla resistance are all that stands in the way of the North Korean Army totally subjugating Uncle Sam. If you’ve ever caught an episode of The Colony, you’ll know exactly what to expect.
Homefront: The Revolution casts you in the role of resistance fighter Ethan Brady whose task is to lead the fight against the Korean Peoples Army by recruiting fighters and liberating US cities one by one. Just as in The Division, you have safe houses dotted across the map which allow you to purchase necessary equipment and upgrades. Homefront: The Revolution also offers an insane amount of customisation options for both the main character and your weapons. Honestly, we spent a good twenty minutes playing around with rifle configurations before firing off a single shot. Unlike other FPS title that simply require you to run and gun your way through a level, Homefront: The Revolution demands a degree of tactics and planning that, at first, can be quite a challenge to get used to. You need to train your mind to plan your attacks, use cover, pick off enemy soldiers who won’t be missed and concentrate on avoiding getting shot. Simply running at the enemy with your guns blazing is a sure fire way to meet your make over and over again.
Graphically Homefront: The Revolution has to be one of the best looking games ever to grace the Xbox One console. The much vaunted CryEngine does a fantastic job of creating dynamic shading and lighting (the water effects have to be seen to be believed), the level of environmental detail borders on magic and the characters easily rival anything we’ve seen in Quantum Break. It’s worth noting that on the Xbox One the game runs at a respectable 900 fps rather than the 1080p experienced on the PS4.
This in our eyes is a compromise we can live with when the end result is so damned gorgeous.
Homefront: The Revolution, however, is not a perfect game. Occasional freezing when you’re buying an item or about to embark on a new mission can cause you to raise an eyebrow. And once or twice there were some issues with clipping. But these are minor issues that the developers can iron out without breaking the bank. These minor quibbles aside, Homefront: The Revolution is probably one of the best games to grace the Xbox One in a very long time. If you’re a FPS fan, you’ll love what the game has in store for you. If you’re not a fan of shooters but would like to experience something truly wonderful then look no further than Homefront: The Revolution. Go buy.
9 out of 10
