As a result of THQ's fire sale at the beginning of 2013, several IPs were ushered off to new homes, just waiting for someone to advance their stories while being published under a new banner. One such example is Homefront, which was met with a relatively poor reception upon release in 2011. Now, Crytek has scooped up the rights and plans to reinvent the property with a sequel.
Homefront: The Revolution sees a continuation of the world that Homefront introduced us to, but from a different angle. It's now four years after the initial invasion by North Korean forces, and the United States is completely occupied. The North Koreans have opted to establish their base in Philadelphia, which is the setting for the game.
Because the American citizens are at a serious disadvantage in this scenario, any hope of regaining their freedom must be done through guerrilla tactics. This aims to be Homefront: The Revolution's calling card. Rather than engage in constant over-the-top first-person shooting sequences, Crytek wants to push the battle to asymmetric warfare. One such example is equipping a remote-controlled car with explosive devices, driving it under a moving North Korean vehicle for cover, and then detonating it at a gate to both gain access and cause panicked mayhem.
This is only a single example of the many possibilities for igniting an uprising. To keep things from becoming too scripted, Crytek's creating an open-world game that puts the players in charge of the revolution. As different areas of town are hit by the revolution, everything evolves accordingly. When actions like taking out guards and smashing security cameras are performed, uprising points are awarded, presumably bringing that particular section that much closer to liberation. It also means that the North Koreans will be on their toes, and more wary of your presence. No one will have to fend for themselves though, as resistance cells can be formed in online cooperative play.
While the resistance may be sort of a ragtag lot, they're still equipped in their own special way to deal with opposing forces. The world is replete with resources that can be scavenged to create improvised weaponry. However, it may be cellular technology that proves the most useful. The phone seems as if it'll be a central device to Homefront: The Revolution, as it not only serves as a map, but also as a gadget for identifying and marking enemies.
Crytek seems as if it has the right take on Homefront -- after all, do we really need another linear first-person shooter? But, it's the implementation of the studio's engine that strives to pull everything together. CryEngine 3 (which is already known for creating some of the most stunning visuals in videogames) is in use, and looks to add a sense of believability to the open-world through day/night cycles and changing weather effects.
Whether that believability is achieved remains to be seen. Crytek has an ambitious project on its hands. One that could easily change the legacy of the Homefront name, or one that could just as easily succumb to overextending itself. When it hits PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, and Linux in 2015, we'll know if this is a revolution worth fighting for.
Source:
