- Developer: Dambuster Studios
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- Genre: Shooter
- Release Date: 20/05/2016
- Platforms: Xbox One, Playstation 4
- Game Supplied by: Xbox
Homefront 2 The Revolution is set four years after military occupation of America which has turned the once great nation to a country in ruin, which monitors its citizens with surveillance drones and armoured patrols to keep the population in check, the people live in daily fear as they live within a police state.
The game follows the rise of the resistance who are outmatched with a superior military force, you take the role of a new recruit who has joined the fight, when it all goes wrong as you are awaiting to meet up with the leader of the resistance the building is stormed and you are captured. Not is all lost, just when you think you are about to bite a bullet, the leader of the Resistance bursts in and inevitably saves your ass, from this point you must rise up and take the fight to your oppressors.
Homefront The Revolution is a first person shooter set in the open world ruins of Philadelphia, designated the Badlands the red zone has plenty of cover with derelict buildings and underground subway passages which allow you to move around patrols undetected, but it’s the attention to detail that makes Homefront 2 stand out as you really get the feel of the levels of destruction from years of bombing, with parts of buildings which have crumbled into piles of rubble, but it’s the lighting effects that really show off the beauty of the game with the change of lighting when you go from a darkly lit building to the outside you get a haze effect which is sublime. There is also a night and day cycle within the game which changes the game dynamics during nightfall and daytime, for example if you use a flashlight during the night the light will attract nearby enemy patrols so you have to be careful when you use it.
There is a distinct difference between the resistance and the KPA an invading military force with superior weaponry and unlimited resources while the resistance safe houses consist of run down rooms with antique radios blaring out the resistance transmissions.
Homefront 2 allows for varying degrees of gameplay, you can go all out run and gunning but you will find this more challenging as any gunfire or dead bodies will attract more enemy patrols and drones. The ideal way to play is use guerrilla warfare tactics by using your surroundings to ambush, sabotage, infiltration and deception to achieve your goals. In the game you can recruit other resistance fighters to join your missions which can be helpful but don’t count on them lasting long if you encounter heavy resistance.
Homefront The Revolution is primarily a single player game with coop missions where you can join with up to three other players to reach an objective while under fire. Even though Homefront 2 has its main story, there are side quests such as strike zones and jobs add a nice distraction from main game.
As with any first person, the weaponry you have at your disposal can make or break a game and Homefront the Revolution has plenty on offer especially when it comes to customisation. Rather than go into a menu the customisation is done during gameplay where your weapon can be customised from the barrel, undermount or even the conversion of a weapon from a pistol to an SMG is all done on the wire. There are plenty of upgrades and gear to collect throughout the game, providing plenty of customisation options for you to tweak your weapons and upgrade your gear.
For me it’s the gadgets that you acquire throughout the game, from your trusty phone companion which shows the map, camera to take images or notifications from fellow resistance fighters, but none more than the Remote Control car which is outstanding as you zoom into a bonnet cam which is ultra realistic with lines of interference which changes if you hit a curb or bits of rubble, this can be used to sneak up on groups of enemies or armoured vehicles which can be taken out from a distance. On top of this you can use your own vehicles to escape hot zones such as caches with bikes which does help from time to time but there are moments where the movement is a little awkward at times.
The in game controls and movement is decent with a smooth rate, though there are moments where the jumping just doesn’t seem to work as well as other games such as Halo, Call of Duty but at least it has its own unique feel to it.
Even though I went over a lot of good points that Homefront 2 has to offer there is a one niggling fault that I found with the game, this was when you access the weapons storage, there is a substantial delay before you can resume the game when you exit which became rather frustrating after a while.
SUMMARY
Homefront The Revolution, is a vast improvement over its predecessor, and even though it is primarily a single player game, the game is absolutely stunning with plenty of customisation at your disposal as well as a decent choice of gear and gadgets to use.
Homefront may not offer much in the way of multiplayer but it is a vast improvement from its predecessor, i found the game very challenging with plenty of diversity.
Even if you haven’t played the first game this is worth joining the revolution and take the fight to your oppressors.
Paul Babbage
22nd June 2016 at 8:58 amThis game should be great but just never seemed to get any following
R0ckM0nster
22nd June 2016 at 9:17 amI think there’s too many games for the casual gamer and others are just better. Just seen the Just Cause Mech video… now I REALLY want to play that game!