Review: Homefront (PS3/360)

There was a tremendous amount of hype leading up to the release of Homefront (THQ, Kaos Studios).  Since it first was mentioned, many were wondering, possibly even hoping that it could be a Call of Duty killer.  Not since 1984, with the film Red Dawn had there been so much yearning to kick some foreign butts on our home soil.  Surely not by coincidence, John Milius, writer and director of Red Dawn, also worked quite closely on Homefront.  

If you totally missed the media blitz surrounding Homefront, it takes place in the not too distant future, 2027.  Due to quite a few calamitous circumstances, North and South Korea have united and basically invaded and started occupying the United States.  Well that doesn't sit too well, with some of the people, so they form a grass roots kind of rebellious group, called of all things ..... the Resistance.

Beginning in Montrose, Colorade, you play as Jacobs, a former Marine pilot, the strong, silent type,  (who was obviously a former stuntman, given the amount of falling he does) along with your prototypical teammates:

• Connor, the foul-mouthed, agitated, gung-ho, brash, leader wannabe.
• Boone, the African-American representative, who is the brains behind the Resistance in Montrose
• Rianna, the token tough-chick, who knows how to handle a weapon, and
• Hopper, the Korean-American, tech-savvy member.

Now there is really not any backstory for the main characters, which is what I was craving.  Why is Jacobs so sought after he's worth a daring rescue?  What made Connor so angry?  How is Hopper dealing with this invasion, being of Korean lineage?  None of which were really answered through the story gameplay, which is a shame.  Now that the price has dropped $20 (or more), does it deserve a look?

Gameplay

Beginning with a cutscene that looks and feel like actual news footage (some of which is), you're kind of thrown into the action.  No shooting or anything, but you're pulled from your home, and placed on a bus, on your way to a detention center.  The scene, for me, was reminiscent of the beginning of Half-Life 2, which was a good thing.  Eerie, bleak, and caught my attention.  There are a few instances where the developers push the envelope and it earns its M rating.  Instead of shooting your way out, it set the tone, and made the occupation feel more real and the experience a bit more intense.  While the Call of Duty games are very cinematic, the single-player game still feels like it's missing something, like an atmosphere that feels dangerous.  There's lots of running and gunning but I don't feel all that invested in the story (sorry "Soap").  If I die, I know I can always restart.  Homefront gave me a different feeling.

That's not to say that Homefront doesn't feel predictable at times, but there are a variety of missions to undertake.  Jacobs is a pretty well-rounded soldier and is called on to do the obligatory gunning down, but also defends areas, snipes, sneaks, flies copters, and remote controls tanks.  While a few of the protagonists have military training, Homefront gives you the sense that most of the Resistance are made up of regular men and women, possibly picking up guns for the first time.

Once the action starts, it seems like North Korea transported their whole population over here.  Enemies will respawn infinitely until you reach a certain checkpoint.  It was early on in the game, and I was playing at the hardest difficulty level,  and I wanted to pick off all of the troops in order to move safely.  However, after about 15-20 minutes, I figured something was amiss.  I decided to run up ahead a bit, and  the troops stopped coming from the area there were spawning from.  Interesting.  Also, hit detection can be quite capricious at times.  I was sure I was making contact, but to no avail, they kept firing at me.  I also was able to fire through my teammates to hit enemies, at times.  Ammo, at least on Hard mode, was not plentiful, and you really had to conserve, to be prepared for the enemy onslaughts.

The gameplay itself is quite linear.  Invisible walls really put a downer on many missions.  The setting sometimes look expansive, but you can only traverse through a small corridor, or go so far until your teammates catch up.  My team was running through some suburban backyards, and I wanted to run through a swing set, but wasn't allowed.  From a game that wanted to be, and occasionally feels, epic, this was a huge step back.  I wasn't looking for a total sandbox experience, but I wanted to be creative in the setting.  As for collectibles, there are newspapers scattered throughout which broaden the scope of the story.  The trouble was that when in the midst of battle, I didn't really want to stop to read a newspaper, but there is no other way to access them.  Of course I didn't realize this until pretty late in the game.  Seems like a waste, considering a lot of time was put into the articles, they should be available to read in an extras section of the menu.

The campaign is pretty short, and the pacing is off at times, but luckily there is online multiplayer, which can support up to 32 players.  While there are only two modes (the obligatory Team Deathmatch, and Ground Control, basically CoD's Domination), online multiplayer really saves Homefront from being a total disaster, and tries to shake things up a bit in the process.  During matches, you earn Battle Points, which are then to be used in-game, for upgrades and purchases for yourself, or to help out the team.  No more waiting until the match ends, you earned them, use them when you want.  They can be used for some pretty cool things, too.  From controlling ground and air drones which can mark players, to different bomb strikes and driving large vehicles like Humvees, along with tanks and helicopters.  As a side note, I will say that I played for a couple of hours straight, and did not get disconnected from a match once, which is something that is rare for CoD.  The online multiplayer is actually fun, and does not feel just tacked on.

Graphics:  The graphics in Homefront are not exceptional, but get the job done nicely.  The  environments are especially well done, as you get the sense that since the invasion, things have really gone to hell.  The NPCs have this strange quality, where it looks as if they were cut out and placed in the locales, as they have a kind of outline around them which was distracting at times.  There are also instances where your teammates will get stuck in doorways or once I witnessed a Korean soldier doing the "Running Man" on a rooftop.  There is quite a bit of product placement in Homefront, which I actually didn't mind, as I thought it gave more of a realistic feel to the setting, even though some of the choices were interesting.

Replay Value:  After the campaign is completed, there really isn't much reason to revisit it, unless you're a trophy or achievement hunter.  The online multiplayer while fun (there are a couple of DLC packs), with only two game modes, does not have the diversity that today's players crave, although I could still play with full teams.  

Score: 7.25

There are memorable, as well as shocking moments in Homefront, but the brevity of the campaign is a big distraction.  Even if they had only doubled the length of the campaign, I wouldn't have been as critical.  Just when you start getting into it, the campaign ends.  This makes Homefront feel rushed and incomplete.  I definitely would have felt ripped off, when this game was $60.  While it will probably spawn a sequel, without fixing some of it's downfalls, it will have a difficult time competing with the Modern Warfare or Battlefield games coming out shortly.

Homefront is currently available for MSRP of $39.99.

Review: Bulletstorm (PS3/360)

First Person Shooters tend to take themselves very seriously these days.  It's getting more and more difficult to tell every Battlefield Ghost: Fall of the Modern Rainbow Company from the others, and they're getting so precise.  I'll admit I had basically zero interest in playing Bulletstorm (from EA, Epic Games and People Can Fly studios) after reading and seeing previews for it.  It seemed crass and vulgar, just for shock value.  I expected a slim story with just lots of blood and guts.  Basically, all for show with little substance.  Video games are still getting a bad rap from mainstream media anyway, and I felt Bulletstorm was just adding fuel to their fire.  But something happens to me when a game falls below that $40 price point.  My standards relax a little and I'm willing to give a chance to something I'd previously written off.

During Bulletstorm, you play as Gray(son), a self-imposed leader of a band of mercenaries working for an elite, top-secret group, Dead Echo, which was in charge of protecting the Confederation of Planets (which has a symbol curiously similar to Halo's energy sword).  Gray is basically Marcus Fenix's baby brother with Han Solo's thirst for adventure (and wisecracking) and Duke Nukem's sensibilities.  A mission goes horribly wrong and the team is exiled and become the hunted, due to a large bounty on their heads.  Gray then becomes paired with Ishi, a fellow team member, who has undergone a bit of a transformation, which makes the pairing more unconventional than you might think.  The two set out, each with their own reasons, but willing to work together.  Gray is out for revenge, but also redemption.

Gray and Ishi crash-land on the planet Stygia, which looks like a cross between Pandora (from Avatar) and Coruscant.  There are warring factions and mutants galore, which obviously leads to a fair share of combat.  The thing that separates Bulletstorm from other FPS, is the skillshot.  Anybody these days can just gun down countless enemies, one after the other, but skillshots take imagination and ..... skill.  Each skillshot warrants a point value (skill points), depending on difficulty and ingenuity, which can then be used to upgrade your weapons.  Simple kills, the old-fashioned way, only garner 10 points.  Traversing through the game that way would leave your weapons and ammo at a minimum.  

There are 131 different skillshots to master in Bulletstorm, and more than half of the fun is figuring them out.  Sure some are basic like kicking an enemy into an electrical source (Shocker), cactus (Pricked), or sharp metal object (Voodoo Doll), but the enjoyment comes from some of the more complex ones: Attaching an explosive to an enemy then kicking him towards a group before exploding (Homie Missile), killing an enemy with a shot to the throat (Gag Reflex), or snipe an enemy with a shot to his crotch (Nutcracker) or behind (Rear Entry).  I can just imagine the round table discussions that were being held coming up with the names alone, and pretty much every time I discovered a new one, I ended up smiling and the name.

Gray also inherits another potent weapon, an Energy Leash, early on in the game.  The Leash is basically an electrified whip that can pull enemies that are far, closer to Gray.  When they get leashed, the enemies also slow down for more precise skillshot action.  The weapon selection in Bulletstorm gives just enough variety and spin-off from typical FPS, that it felt fresh and new.  When first playing, I felt uncomfortable not having any grenades to throw, but eventually got used to it.

Gameplay

Bulletstorm plays extremely cinematically.  As you would expect, loads of action and everything seems larger than life with explosions, blood, colors, sweeping cameras, etc. galore.  The story mode is divided into 7 acts, with 2-3 chapters into each act.  The pacing is excellent and most sections don't seem too long or too short.  I played the game on 'Very Hard' mode and it seemed like another FPS 'Normal' level.  That's the point of the game, it's supposed to be fun, not necessarily complicated or grueling.  

The first two-thirds of this game are really excellently done.  The eight available weapons (introduced slowly over the course of the game), especially The Leash, feel different enough from little tweaks here and there, and the variety of enemies (some fast, some charge, some stay back, etc.) really hooked me in using the full assortment of firepower available.  Pulling a pilot out of a helicopter instead of just shooting it down feels more bad-ass.  Guiding a sniper rifle bullet into an enemy's head is always enjoyable.  Kicking enemies into solid objects, with stuff splattering everywhere is always gratifying.  Adding to Gray's swashbuckling bravado, there are bottles of alcohol hidden, and if he takes a swig, the screen turns to double (or triple)-vision and the walking controls don't work as expected.  Being inebriated and dispatching of bad guys adds even more skill points.  

The gameplay is broken up once or twice an Act, with more scripted sequences such as rail-shooting, or eliminating waves of enemies, but is the action is unfortunately quite linear.  The pathways are all marked by invisible walls, so there is not much exploring, and if you're hunting collectibles, new checkpoints usually close previous areas.  My favorite part of the game was when I got to control a Godzilla-type creature, causing havoc with each step and shooting fire out of it's mouth at helpless thugs.

The slight problem I had with Bulletstorm is that about two-thirds through I had pretty much discovered all of the skillshots I was going to discover (I think I ended up in the low 90's out of 131).  I began to rely mostly on the same few weapons (as you can really only equip two, as the basic machine gun always has to be equipped) and the same handful of skillshots.  Towards the end, I also didn't really use The Leash all that much in combat.  The enemies grew a bit stale as after a certain point, there was not much novelty.  I also thought that an online co-op mode was greatly missing, as my CPU controlled partners were never that much help.  

In addition to the story mode, there are a couple of extra experiences to be had.  First, are the Echoes, which are bite-sized pieces of the single player campaign in which the goal is to score as many points as possible using different skillshots.  The Echoes are timed, which factor into the score, but are a great way to try out different techniques with different weapons.  They are graded from zero to three stars depending on your score.

As for online multiplayer, there is what's called Anarchy mode, which up to four players competing together to eliminate up to 20 waves of baddies, some with bosses and mini-bosses, culminating in the Blood Symphony skillshot, if you're lucky.  Initially, I was saddened by the lack of online competitive multiplayer, but the more I thought about it, I really would not want to be humiliated by some of the skillshots, via human opponents.  There have also been 2 DLC packs since launch, which bring more multiplayer maps, Echoes, and Leash colors.

Graphics

The graphics in Bulletstorm are definitely a selling point.  Bright colors mixed with the decayed steel of the city landscape really gave it a look of it's own.  The field of vision when Gray is running or sliding really puts you in the action and make the game more engaging.  The enemies are detailed, and amply filled with blood, guts, puss, etc. to make their demise a sight to behold.

Sound

Bulletstorm proudly uses just about every curse word in the English language, but only occasionally does it feel like too much.  Sometimes a couple of curse words are put together in ways I had not heard before.  The soundtrack is appropriate ranging from heavy metal guitar riffs when you die to sweeping orchestral melodies that set the stage for the upcoming action.  The voice acting is top-notch as well, as the actors must have been cracking up at some of the lines they had to say.

Replay Value

For under $40, you get quite a bit with Bulletstorm.  The campaign should last 10-12 hours on the hardest mode then throw in the Echoes and co-op multiplayer, and you have yourself something worthy of your gaming dollar.  You probably won't go back and play the campaign again, but trying to get three stars on all of the Echoes is quite challenging.

Don't go into Bulletstorm hoping for a Mass Effect story or even a Call of Duty shooter, as you'll be disappointed.  I went in with an open mind and got something that had been done before, yet fresh and exciting at the same time.  Skillshots are extremely humorous and simultaneously gratifying, and a twisted, adult sense of humor kept me amused throughout.  The game is crass, vulgar, graphically violent, and way over the top, but I smiled or laughed quite a bit and enjoyed it immensely.

Score: 8.8

Bulletstorm is currently available for $29.99 from Amazon, and $39.99 from Gamestop.

Gamefly - 1 month Free:
http://gamefly.tellapal.com/a/clk/10F5BD

*Backlog Buster* Review: God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)

Kratos returns, but this time, in a prequel to his adventures which first were released on the PS2 and later re-released as part of the HD God of War Collection on the PS3, and the acclaimed God of War III.  Sony added Ready at Dawn Studios (Daxter) to help, which after playing for a while, seems like the right decision.  Originally released in 2008, this game still looks and plays great today.  Being that I have owned a PS2 and PS3 since launch, and never played a God of War title (shame, shame), and this was chronologically the first adventure, it seemed like the proper place to begin.  Does it live up to it's console predecessors?  Can a portable version of classic series make the grade?

The game opens on the shores of Attica, and Kratos is serving the Gods of Olympus, by defending the city from the attacking Persians.  Armed with his trusty Blades of Chaos attached to his arms, Kratos is thrust immediately into action, battling a combination of men, ships, and a huge basilisk.  While the battle is no easy feat, after the Persians are defeated, Kratos' adventure really begins.

Kratos happens to see the sun falling from the sky, and does what any self-respecting hero would do: investigates and signs on to retrieve it.  Following the bit of light he can see takes him to the city of Marathon, where it seems Morpheus (God of Dreams) has put the land under some dark spell.  Kratos must now, not only ward off dark beings, but must grab Helios' Sun Chariot to ride to the Underworld to end the madness and return the sun to it's proper place.

In the Underworld, the game really shines and the plot becomes more than just a fetch quest.  The subtle differences in the locales and enemies kept me plugging through when the game had gotten a bit repetitive above the surface.

Gameplay

The combat is action packed, with a variety of enemies, from small Harplings, to various medium sized Satyrs, to much bigger Death Knights.  That's not even including the bosses, who are quite cool, in their own right.  Kratos' Blades of Chaos really feel responsive and can do a couple of different attacks, based on the buttons pressed.  There is also a magical-type attack that Kratos uses, and all of his acquired weapons can be upgraded to more powerful versions.  The deaths of enemies are actually quite gratifying, whether with weapons or fists.

What would a God of War be without blood, and there is plenty to speak of here.  The game really earns its M rating (but probably more for a particular mini-game).  Some of the bigger enemies can be finished off with a Quick Time Event (QTE), which involves pressing the correct buttons within a certain time frame, while others can be grabbed and disposed of quickly.  I enjoyed the close-up fatality views (who doesn't love stabbing a cyclops in the eye) and thought they were well done,  but any that involved moving the analog nub in a certain direction, usually took a few tries to master correctly.  That was a big drawback for me.  I dreaded seeing the arrow, instead of a button to press, as I knew that it would most likely take me some time to do correctly, and the loss of precious health.

I also at first enjoyed the vagueness of some of the puzzles, as I tried to decipher them, but on a couple of occasions was completely stumped on what to do or where to go next.  Luckily, save points were strategically placed and if I did die exploring or mis-jumping, I didn't have to repeat much.  The prevalent use of "invisible walls" around cliff and in areas, usually led me to the right spot (but I still wish I could have thrown enemies off of cliffs).  Though, I sometimes tended to forget that Kratos could destroy pillars or walls to open up new areas.

The Underworld was my favorite section of the game, and especially thought that the representation of the Titans and Charon's boat was magnificent.  Additionally, the enemies not only become more difficult as the game progresses, but also a tad smarter.  If you do not time your jumps just right, the archers' aim follows you.  If you do not break shields, enemies use them wisely.  Random button mashing typically won't yield the results you're looking for.

The final battles were just what I'd hoped for.  The weapons I'd procured throughout the game were not useless, but necessary, and the Bosses were legendary, not just some overgrown guard or creature.  The plot also get a bit poignant at the end, which was a bit of a welcome surprise for me.

Graphics

Amazing for the PSP.  I almost went out and bought the PSP component AV cable, just to see this game bigger.  Both gameplay and cutscenes are engaging and you don't feel like you're combatting a bunch of pixels, there is quite a lot of detail for the tiny PSP screen.  Load times are virtually non-existent and the whole experience was very smooth and seamless.

Sound

Being that this is my first foray into God of War, I must say that Kratos' voice kind of bugged me.  I realize the guy is intense and extremely angry, but every word out of his mouth was way too dramatic for me.  I found it kind of cartoonish, instead of passionate.  The other character voices were much better and not so much over the top.  The background music blends well with each situation and adds to each scene instead of overpowering it.  

Replay Value

The game is somewhat short, I finished in just over 8 hours on Hero (Normal) mode, but surprisingly didn't feel too short.  I probably wouldn't go back and play the game in one of the harder modes, but there are different costumes to unlock, as well as some Challenges of Hades levels to unlock more Treasures.  I'm definitely ready to move onto the God of War collection on my PS3.

Rating

8.5

I completed God of War: Chains of Olympus on Hero (Normal) difficulty in just over 8 hours.  The game was purchased for $19.99.