Homefront (computer game)
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| Studio |
 Kaos Studios
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| Publisher |
THQ
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| Erstveröffent- lichung |
 March 15, 2011 March 18, 2011 April 29, 2011  |
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| platform |
Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 |
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| genre | Ego shooter | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
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| Age rating |
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| information | USK version unabridged, Japanese version modified | ||
Homefront ( German home front ) is a first-person shooter - computer game , which of Kaos Studios was developed and THQ as Publisher was launched.
action
content
Homefront takes place in the United States in the year 2027, in a speculative-fictional world after Peak Oil , with some elements of the post-apocalypse . A Korea united under the leadership of the communist north at that time, which has been expanding for some time and is rising to hegemony over East Asia, attacks the economically ailing and declining USA. The story arc not only covers the development of the North Korean armed forces, but also deals with the economic decline of the United States and the unrest that weakened the nation prior to the invasion. As the plot progresses, the plot focuses on the collapse of the United States and the resulting oppression by the Great Korean Republic. The interactive game action begins in Montrose, Colorado , one of the most important locations in the game. The player will be asked to join the American Resistance as the game progresses . During the whole game you are accompanied by the freedom fighters Connor and Rianna.
Fictional timeline
- 2011: North Korea's rearmament advances tremendously and provokes UN sanctions
- 2012: Dictator Kim Jong-il dies. He is succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un
- 2013: Kim Jong-un unites North Korea and South Korea under North Korean leadership
- 2015: US gasoline prices rise to $ 20 a gallon, destabilizing the country
- 2017: the US dollar collapses and the US military begins to reduce its overseas presence
- 2018: Japan surrenders to the Greater Korean Republic and becomes a kind of vassal
- 2022: The US economy is completely ruined
- 2024: Korea annexes numerous nations in East Asia
- 2025: Greater Korean Republic attacks the USA
- 2025: an EMP installed in a satellite is used to paralyze the infrastructure of the USA
- 2025: Korean forces capture Hawaii and take control of San Francisco
- 2026: the US military is scattered and dispersed
Gameplay
The game features both a single player and a multiplayer - mode . In the course of the game the player is asked to use guerrilla tactics against the occupiers . It also uses a wide variety of vehicles, from tanks to drones to helicopters , and makes use of advanced drone technology. The game world also features fictional physics. For example, EMP bombs can temporarily deactivate almost any infrastructure and certain objects are magnetically attracted to the player.
In the multiplayer mode up to 32 players compete against each other on small to large maps in two factions. In the Ground Control game mode , two player factions fight for different control points on a dynamically adapting map. Homefront dispenses with a classic class system as in other team-based first-person shooters, but rather uses an equipment menu that allows the player to mix different equipment classes . For their activities, the players receive a kind of game currency, so-called Battlepoints, which the player can use for strategic decisions.
development
The story for the game was provided by John Milius , who co-wrote Apocalypse Now and directed The Red Flood . Some CIA advisors who deal with possible attacks on the United States were also included in the backstory to make the story seem credible. Together with Raymond Benson , John Milius also wrote The Voice of Freedom , the companion novel to the game (Original title: The Voice of Freedom , ISBN 978-0345527158 ).
According to producer Dex Smither, due to its low budget , the game relied much more on atmosphere, emotions and plot than on overloaded action. He said to Gamestar: “That's why we're not going the Jerry-Bruckheimer- Weg with even more ka-boom and senseless exploding helicopters, but relying on emotions, story and atmosphere. To be honest, we were very inspired by the first Half-Life , especially in the quiet scenes. "
reception
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Even before the release, Homefront drew attention to itself through PR campaigns in which, among other things, a fictional newspaper from 2026 called Freie Deutsche Demokratie was sent to bloggers. The newspaper reports on the occupation of the USA by Korean troops from a German perspective. The action was criticized primarily because of the magazine's unlucky title, which is reminiscent of the NPD party sheet German Voice .
In German game magazines, Homefront received mostly good ratings. The intense atmosphere, the interesting scenario and the multiplayer mode were praised. The strong similarities with the Call of Duty series, the slightly outdated graphics and the short playing time of only five to six hours were criticized .
In the US media, however, the game received rather average reviews, causing THQ's share price to drop 26%. THQ then released premature sales, which showed that the game was selling well despite average reviews.
continuation
The publisher and developer THQ announced a sequel for 2013. The game was to be developed by the studio Crytek , known from games like Far Cry and Crysis , and was to be released for both PC and consoles. After THQ went bankrupt and the brands were auctioned, Crytek secured the brand rights to Homefront in January 2013 . In June 2014, Crytek announced the sequel Homefront: The Revolution , which is being developed by Crytek's UK studio in Nottingham. The first person shooter with an open world is based on the CryEngine . After Crytek ran into financial difficulties and many employees left the studio in Nottingham, Crytek sold the rights to the Homefront brand to Koch Media , the parent company of Deep Silver, in July 2014 . In addition, Crytek dissolved the English studio, the remaining employees switched to Dambuster Studios, which Deep Silver opened in Nottingham at the same time. There the development of Homefront: The Revolution continued. Homefront: The Revolution was released on May 20, 2016 for Windows , Xbox One and PlayStation 4 . Support for the PlayStation 4 Pro followed in March 2017.
Novel about the game
- Homefront: Voice of Freedom by John Milius and Raymond Benson , Panini Verlag , July 2011, ISBN 978-3-8332-2321-1
Web links
- Homefront at MobyGames (English)
- Preview of Strategy Informer (English)
- GameStar Preview (German)
Individual evidence
- ^ Video game set to take place in Montrose
- ↑ Interview with Tae Kim on Homefront
- ↑ Gamestar - Homefront Preview
- ↑ a b c 4players rating for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3
- ↑ a b c Gameswelt rating for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3
- ↑ IGN rating for PS3
- ↑ IGN rating for Windows
- ↑ IGN rating for Xbox 360
- ↑ PC Games rating for PC
- ↑ a b c Gamereactor rating for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3
- ↑ Zockwork Orange - Article on the Homefront PR campaign
- ↑ THQ reassures investors with sales figures for Homefront ( memento from January 25, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) at gulli.com, accessed on August 18, 2011
- ↑ PC Games : Homefront 2 with CryEngine 3: Crytek is developing the next THQ shooter - release from 2013
- ↑ THQ at the end of pcgames.de
- ↑ Homefront: The Revolution - Officially announced, trailer and screenshots on GameStar , accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Crytek UK will be closed and staff at Crytek Austin will be cut to 4Players , accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Homefront: The Revolution - PS4 Pro Patch coming in March. Retrieved February 16, 2017 .