Homefront

About Homefront

Homefront dropped on March 15, 2011 from developer Digital Extremes. It is a shooter set in an alternate 2027 where North Korea has invaded a crumbling United States following a decade of energy crisis. The game lets you fight as infantry or drive vehicles across familiar American settings like malls and suburbs. You can play the single player campaign or jump into multiplayer matches. It launched on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The premise relies on a story by John Milius known for Apocalypse Now. This setup creates a gritty conflict where civilians resist occupation rather than just soldiers fighting in foreign fields.

Gameplay

Sessions start with you moving through urban environments while engaging enemy troops or commandeering tanks and helicopters. The campaign shifts between on-foot combat and vehicle sections without much transition time. You handle standard firearms for infantry work before switching to heavy machinery for specific objectives. Multiplayer offers various match types that test your aim and map knowledge. Controls feel standard for the genre with a cover system and weapon swapping mechanics. A typical run involves pushing through scripted set pieces that force you to defend positions or clear rooms. The pacing speeds up when vehicle sections kick in, changing how you approach movement and targets compared to walking around.

What Players Think

Critics gave this game mixed reviews sitting at 70 on Metacritic and 71.5 on IGDB based on 205 ratings. PlayPile users find it a decent time sink with an average playtime of just under 11 hours for the main story. The community mood leans toward casual enjoyment rather than intense competition. Completion rates hover around 42% across the player base. Only 15.9% of players have unlocked achievements on average, showing most people stop after the campaign. The rarest achievement "Expert Of War" sits at a mere 3.10% unlock rate. Most users do not chase these challenges as the multiplayer population has thinned significantly since launch.

PlayPile's Take

Homefront is worth playing if you want a short, story-driven shooter with vehicle sections. The current price of $1.99 on the Humble Store makes it an easy buy for completionists or fans of the genre. You will struggle to find 47 achievements unless you grind, as the average unlock rate proves how few players finish everything. This title fits people who like a linear narrative without needing complex multiplayer ecosystems. It does not demand hours of grinding to enjoy the core loop. Just know that the online community is mostly inactive now so expect solo play only.

Storyline

The year is 2027. The world has suffered a decade-long energy crisis, and economies have crumbled. Reduced to a mere shadow of the super power it once was, the United States became the target of a North Korean takeover. American malls, suburbs and city streets are now battlegrounds as the civilian resistance fights for freedom.