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Homefront

Amazing campaign that deals with morals as well as the reality of war and the multiplayer just adds to the games greatness, with 32 player online capability inviting a new kind of first-person shooter into the world of gaming.
Homefront Game Cover
63%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
57% User Score Based on 5,831 reviews
Critic Score 73%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3Xbox 360PCXboxWindowsPlayStation
Homefront Game Cover

About

Homefront is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with fantasy, warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Digital Extremes and was released on March 14, 2011. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"Homefront is a warfare shooter game with both single-player and multi-player modes. The story, written by John Milius, takes place in 2027 where a fallen America is occupied by the Greater Korean Republic. The game boasts fantastic visuals and a spectacular soundtrack, but lacks optimization and is full of bugs. The single-player campaign is emotionally gripping and wholesome, but not very replayable."

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57%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,831 reviews
story960 positive mentions
stability150 negative mentions

  • story
    3,148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Homefront* presents a dystopian narrative where North Korea has invaded and occupied the United States, exploring themes of resistance and survival. While the premise is intriguing and offers moments of emotional weight, the execution is often criticized for being shallow, predictable, and overly reliant on clichés, with a campaign that is notably short, typically lasting around 4-5 hours. Many players feel that the story's potential is undermined by its linearity and lack of character development, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction as it ends abruptly without a fulfilling resolution.

    • “To this day, the story still holds up, with the interesting twist being that many of the events of the game coincide with what actually happened in our present timeline.”
    • “Homefront might have flown under the radar for many, but for those who gave it a chance, it delivers an emotionally charged, story-driven shooter that still holds its own years after release.”
    • “The story is very short and boring.”
    • “The story, while not the most complex, is surprisingly engaging and creates a bleak, compelling atmosphere of a civilian resistance.”
    • “The plot is trash, the characters are shit, the guns have no feedback and feel anaemic so you never know if an enemy is dead before you see them on the floor.”
  • gameplay
    1,074 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Homefront" has received mixed reviews, with many players describing it as generic and reminiscent of early Call of Duty titles. While some appreciate the solid shooting mechanics and variety in mission types, others criticize the linear design, clunky controls, and frustrating AI, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game is seen as a short, straightforward shooter that lacks innovation and depth, making it more suitable for fans of the genre looking for a casual experience rather than a groundbreaking title.

    • “The gameplay mechanics are solid and intuitive, making it easy for both newcomers and seasoned players to jump in and enjoy.”
    • “The gameplay keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, whether you're fighting fierce firefights or working with your fellow rebels to outwit the enemy.”
    • “Its gripping narrative, immersive gameplay, and emotional depth make it a standout title that resonates with players on a profound level.”
    • “The gameplay is laggy and buggy.”
    • “Wasted story potential, clunky gameplay, muddy visuals.”
    • “The gameplay is riddled with bugs and ridiculous limitations, the AI works pretty poorly (both friendly and enemy), the damage seems unbalanced, and I'd venture to say that the missions are boring.”
  • graphics
    772 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game, released in 2011, have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they have aged poorly compared to contemporary titles. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and decent performance on lower-end hardware, others criticize the visuals as muddy and outdated, often likening them to games from earlier generations. Overall, the graphics are seen as a weak point, detracting from an otherwise engaging story and gameplay experience.

    • “The graphics and attention to detail in Homefront are nothing short of impressive.”
    • “The game's visuals contribute significantly to the immersive atmosphere, drawing players into a world that feels both haunting and beautiful in its own way.”
    • “For a game released in 2011, the visuals aren't that bad.”
    • “The graphics are hideous!”
    • “The graphics are extremely poor, even by the standards of its release year.”
    • “The graphics are awful even by 2011 standards.”
  • stability
    157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues and frequent freezes. While some users experienced smooth performance without major problems, the overall consensus highlights a significant presence of technical issues that detract from the experience, making it feel outdated and poorly optimized. Players recommend caution, suggesting it may be best to wait for a sale or play it for free due to its unstable nature.

    • “The game runs great for me in 4K with no glitches, except when you start the game up; you need to get the proper resolution.”
    • “The shooting mechanics work well and the game is relatively bug free.”
    • “That being said, the animations are not buggy and are actually really smooth and consistent.”
    • “The gameplay is laggy and buggy.”
    • “I encountered multiple glitches as well, everything from seeing AI glitch out to falling through the map and dying, making me reset a whole section.”
    • “This game is completely f**ked up; it freezes constantly and has major glitches that prevent progress.”
  • emotional
    123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Homefront" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its gripping narrative and impactful opening scenes that evoke strong feelings about the horrors of war and occupation. However, many critics argue that the game fails to maintain emotional depth due to shallow character development and abrupt pacing, leading to moments that feel forced rather than genuinely moving. While the soundtrack and certain scenes attempt to enhance the emotional experience, the overall execution often leaves players feeling disconnected from the story and its characters.

    • “Homefront, developed by Kaos Studios and published by THQ, is a gripping and emotionally charged first-person shooter that presents a compelling vision of an occupied America. Set in an alternate future where North Korea has invaded and occupied the United States, the game immerses players in a thrilling tale of resistance, sacrifice, and the fight for freedom.”
    • “The game's emotionally charged opening sequence sets the tone, leaving a lasting impact on players as they join the resistance to fight back against overwhelming odds.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the narrative perfectly, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and adding to the overall cinematic feel of the game.”
    • “Linear and extremely short, boring story, forgettable characters and the gunplay is also bad.”
    • “Bad controls, unbelievably boring story, textbook characters about as deep as a puddle.”
    • “The singleplayer campaign has a predictable and boring storyline.”
  • music
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and cinematic quality, while others find it forgettable or overly generic. Many players note that the soundtrack enhances key moments but lacks variety, often repeating the same themes throughout the game. Overall, while some appreciate the orchestral compositions and their fittingness to the narrative, others criticize the music for being uninspired and not memorable.

    • “The soundtrack complements the narrative perfectly, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and adding to the overall cinematic feel of the game.”
    • “The game's sound design further enhances the emotional impact, featuring a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that captures the despair and hope of the resistance.”
    • “Despite not having household names for it, the team manages to produce a heart-pumping soundtrack with an excellent combination of rock, epic orchestra, and ambient sounds.”
    • “I don't even remember hearing music in the game, which says a lot about how forgettable (or outright bad) it was.”
    • “The sound design is mediocre, with forgettable music and lackluster sound effects.”
    • “The music isn't there unless you pay attention, and in the intro mission, get set to listen to a lot of children/babies crying.”
  • humor
    89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely described as unintentional, with players finding amusement in its absurdity, clunky mechanics, and over-the-top scenarios. Many reviews highlight the ridiculousness of the plot and character interactions, often leading to laughter at moments that were likely meant to be serious. While the game suffers from various technical issues and poor design, these flaws contribute to its charm, making it a source of comedic entertainment for players who appreciate its "so bad it's funny" quality.

    • “Also kinda hilarious but the threshold for fall damage is so low, you might have seen people joke about it how Geralt from The Witcher 3 could not take fall damage but here if you fall more than two inches you receive fall damage. There's a level where you can jump down from a church and you can actually almost kill yourself when jumping down.”
    • “The game tries to convince you of a world where North Korea is a worldwide threat, stamping out Japan and taking control of America. I'm sorry, but honestly I spent the entire intro laughing at how ridiculous the concept was.”
    • “The story is ridiculous and the game tries so hard to be serious that sometimes it comes off as funny, and because of that, there's a certain charm to it.”
  • atmosphere
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Homefront" is widely praised for its engaging and immersive qualities, effectively capturing a bleak, war-torn setting in a dystopian America. Players appreciate the game's realistic graphics, somber soundtrack, and emotional storytelling, which together create a compelling backdrop for the action. However, some reviews note that the atmosphere can falter during more generic gameplay moments, particularly towards the end, detracting from the initial intensity and immersion.

    • “The soundtrack complements this atmosphere with a somber, cinematic score that occasionally swells during emotional moments, though it’s used sparingly.”
    • “The world building and atmosphere in this game are unbelievably good.”
    • “Emotionally charged and visually stunning, this gritty and hard-hitting shooter is unique in that it focuses on the story and atmosphere more than groundbreaking gameplay.”
    • “I think if they were to ignore the multiplayer aspect and put more effort into singleplayer that this franchise could have really taken off. The atmosphere is akin to the Metro games where you walk around and soak in the daily lives of allies and enemies alike, and I found it to be rather immersive except for those few 'high-octane railroad Call of Duty moments' that they could have done without.”
    • “The atmosphere of a war-torn, degraded but not apocalyptic U.S. is very unique, and the art style really vibes well with the setting.”
    • “Again, that is an issue with moving from combat to combat without any rest periods to see the world, which leads to players feeling just separated from the game rather than engrossed by the story or atmosphere.”
  • optimization
    76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting poor frame rates, stuttering, and crashes across various platforms. While some users noted that it runs smoothly on modern hardware, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, with significant performance issues that detract from the gameplay experience. Many reviews highlight that even on recommended systems, players encounter frequent drops in performance and other technical glitches.

    • “The game runs smoothly overall.”
    • “This game is optimized much better for PC than I thought it would be.”
    • “The performance was fantastic, but given the age of the game and the visuals, I would expect this.”
    • “Poor frame-rate, capped at 60fps with constant stuttering making it almost nauseating to play.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized, and the game mechanics are something that can easily make you cry.”
    • “Horrible, awful, the optimization is garbage, the game is not smooth.”
  • replayability
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many reviewers noting the short campaign length (typically around 3-10 hours) and a lack of engaging content to encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players may find limited replay value in collecting achievements or collectibles, the consensus is that the game offers little incentive for replay, especially at its full price.

    • “This game, while slightly short, covers almost all the bases for what I would expect of a game its age, and it's very replayable with a collectibles system if you're into that.”
    • “Though it does have some replay value for someone like me that likes to play games on easy, beat the game, and then advance to the harder difficulties.”
    • “There are a fair few campaign-related achievements too, if you care, that could offer more replayability.”
    • “At its normal price of $20, it's a complete ripoff. I beat the game in about 3 hours and don't see much replay value that will make me go back to play it.”
    • “The campaign is pretty short, only 4-10 hours long with little to no replay value, unless you want to get all the collectibles, and the gameplay is really generic, as it's a typical linear first-person shooter.”
    • “After one playthrough, there is no replay value.”
  • monetization
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, primarily due to its pervasive in-game advertising and lack of options to disable ads, which detracts from the overall experience. Many reviewers describe the game as a "cash grab," highlighting the intrusive product placements and the feeling that the game was rushed for profit rather than quality. While there are no microtransactions or pay-to-win elements, the overwhelming presence of real-world ads and the clunky gameplay have left players disappointed.

    • “Pay to win: no (no loot boxes, no microtransactions).”
    • “As for the microtransactions, since this is an older game, it doesn't drain your wallet.”
    • “A lot of the game is sponsored ads.”
    • “The whole game feels rushed and thrown together for a quick cash grab on a unique idea.”
    • “Almost everything about this game screams 'rushed cash grab.' Don't bother with it.”
  • character development
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is widely criticized for being shallow and rushed, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters and their stories. Many reviews highlight that only one character, Connor, stands out, while the others lack depth and are quickly sidelined. Overall, the short campaign fails to provide meaningful character arcs or emotional investment, undermining the potential of the game's narrative.

    • “In the story dialogues, their roles and mutual relations are quickly confirmed, though there are few moments when they appear to go through mental changes and some minor character development. However, due to the story being very short, we can’t really get to see how far those changes would extend in terms of storytelling.”
    • “Short but satisfying shooter with a good backstory, interesting character development, and lots of action.”
    • “It's a shame because the theme of this 2011 game is almost a prophetic depiction of an alternative future that's not too far from ours, but, like I mentioned, it got overshadowed by its generic game design and bland character development.”
    • “The lack of depth in character development and design left me feeling disconnected from the gameplay experience.”
    • “The character development is lacking, with only one character, Connor, leaving a lasting impression.”
    • “There's barely any character depth in the campaign; it lacks character development.”
  • grinding
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest excessive hours to achieve goals, particularly in multiplayer settings. Many players express frustration with the repetitive nature of gameplay and the need for assistance from others to complete achievements, indicating that the grind detracts from overall enjoyment. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from poor pacing and a lack of engaging content, making the grinding experience feel burdensome.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The gameplay is as tedious as it gets.”
    • “The story line is really its only plus; the gameplay itself is boring, tedious, and full of bugs and glitches that just annoy you too much.”
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
4h Main story
9h Completionist
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 72 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Homefront is a shooter game with fantasy, warfare and historical themes.

Homefront is available on PC, Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 4 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 9 hours to finish. On average players spend around 4 hours playing Homefront.

Homefront was released on March 14, 2011.

Homefront was developed by Digital Extremes.

Homefront has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Homefront is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Medal Of Honor, Enemy Front, Homefront: The Revolution, Medal of Honor: Tier 1 Edition, Legendary and others.