Posted on June 16, 2010, Ron Whitaker Impressions of THQ's E3 2010 Homefront Demo
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if the United States was occupied by a foreign power? Kaos Studios has, and now they’re going to show you how they think that might play out.
Homefront presents a very uncertain future. According to the back story, North and South Korea unified in 2012 under the leadership of Kim Jong-Il’s son, who took power when his father died. Before long, the new unified Korea has conquered Japan and a few other countries, and they launch an attack on the US. When the demo we saw began, the player was waking up from an incident that wasn’t really detailed.
Now you’re part of a resistance group that is trying to preserve the American way of life. The hidden enclave where your group resides is hidden from the Koreans by burned-out buildings and camouflage netting. You head out of here to undertake a dangerous mission: attacking the Korean army at an old lumber store they have fortified.
After sneaking into a good position, a white phosphorus rocket starts the attack. As you provide sniper cover, a team of your allies move in to assault the position. Everything goes well until a misfire drops a rocket on your position, knocking you from your perch.
The fight continues as you gain control of the Goliath, a six wheeled attack vehicle that you direct using a pair of binoculars. Once you lock onto a target with the binoculars, the Goliath directs fire on it until it is destroyed. With the assistance of the Goliath, you rout the remaining Koreans, who retreat as you claim lumber superiority.
The story of Homefront was written by John Milius, who also wrote Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed Red Dawn. The parallels with Red Dawn are evident, with the Koreans taking the place of the Soviet Army. The contrast between the idyllic haven that your group has carved out inside the walls and the war-torn areas outside is striking, and gives the game an almost post-apocalyptic feel.
While we haven’t seen a ton of information outside this demo, and we didn’t get a chance to get our hands on it at E3, I am really optimistic about Homefront. The game looks nice, and the concept is interesting. If you’re into shooters, and you like the idea of defending your homeland against occupying invaders, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on THQ’s Homefront. Stay tuned to FileFront for all the news that we can find on it.