Homefront: Not so original?

[Dethpixie]

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There is a reason so few devs have gone the STALKER route. It isn't what sells. Tell me the average Xbox live user would rather play a combo of Battlefield and STALKER over a boom-fest like Halo or CoD? CoD is accessible, easy to play, and provides hours of mindless "entertainment." A game like that is also easy to make and there are plenty of games to copy the design of. A dev may have a great idea for a game, but the publisher wants something that will sell for sure. Thus, we end up with 6,000 CoD/Halo styled games and only five or six STALKER/Battlefield styled games.

On topic, Homefront is definitely not the most original concept for a game, but perhaps the gameplay will make up for it. I sure wouldn't mind playing as a rag-tag American freedom fighter if i actually got to play like a rag-tag freedom fighter (ambushes, booby-traps, hit-and-run tactics). I'm also not in it for the singleplayer. In my experience, the campaigns of most games are terrible compared to their multiplayer (exceptions being Half-Life 2, Frontlines (another KAOS game) and most RTS games). If the multiplayer for Homefront is like BBC2, then it'll be a well spent $50. And it is looking like it will be similar. I even think the buildings/terrain are breakable

On STALKER/Metro. Metro is a good game. It starts out good, gets really dodgy half way through (stealth mechanics are to blame), then finishes marvelously. STALKER Call or Pripyat is a lot of fun, but frustrating. Not in the SoC "get your ass handed to you a lot) way. More of the "You're making me grind tasks and find artifacts that never spawn to pay for travel" way. Later, ammo and guns are free, but only in limited amounts. And you have to pay to travel between zones to win. Makes the game drag less, but if you are like me and must own every unique gun in the game, it gets annoying. But, i'll spoil no more for you.

It's sad that mindless sells, there are great opportunities to make atmospheric or even thought provoking games getting choked out by the need for mass appeal and the pursuit of guaranteed sales.

I would love to play a game from the perspective of a rag-tag freedom fighter, that's kind of what I've been talking about here, ambushes, hit-and-run, that sort of thing. I feel as though Homefront is aiming more for the CoD market though, and that we aren't going to get much in the way of innovation. I would also prefer if it were set somewhere other than America and featured a non-American protagonist. It would be cool if they set something like that in a Central or South American country or somewhere in East Asia for a couple of reasons:
1) These are more colourful settings
2) The idea of guerrilla warfare and rebellion is much more real in these settings
3) I'm just getting tired of playing Americans
4) I'm Canadian and don't have fond memories of watching Red Dawn as a kid

 

[Ironman126]

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It's sad that mindless sells, there are great opportunities to make atmospheric or even thought provoking games getting choked out by the need for mass appeal and the pursuit of guaranteed sales.

I would love to play a game from the perspective of a rag-tag freedom fighter, that's kind of what I've been talking about here, ambushes, hit-and-run, that sort of thing. I feel as though Homefront is aiming more for the CoD market though, and that we aren't going to get much in the way of innovation. I would also prefer if it were set somewhere other than America and featured a non-American protagonist. It would be cool if they set something like that in a Central or South American country or somewhere in East Asia for a couple of reasons:
1) These are more colourful settings
2) The idea of guerrilla warfare and rebellion is much more real in these settings
3) I'm just getting tired of playing Americans
4) I'm Canadian and don't have fond memories of watching Red Dawn as a kid

It IS sad that the mindless are the ones buying the games. But that's the way everything is. For example: CoD4 was good. So what did Infinity Ward do? They said "fuck it" and made another CoD4 after "improving" the gameplay. Guess no one ever told them that making the gameplay worse is not innovation. The Treyarch copied MW2.

Ah. You're not American. That changes things a lot. Personally, i don't mind playing as an apple pie-munching, red-blooded, God-fearing A- Oh, Christ, i can type that with a straight face. I really want a game where i can play as someone who isn't a bar-code representation of my countrymen, too. I had really high hopes for the new Medal of Honor game. I was even going to buy it despite the awful multiplayer just so i could play as the Taliban. Then DICE got soft and changed "Taliban" to "Op-For." Fuckers. At least that would give a different perspective on the game. At least Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Vietnam expansion lets you play as the Vietcong.

But that isn't enough. We need a game where we have a SINGLEPLAYER campaign against the US or a game that doesn't have the US in it at all. Maybe, something like you said in South America. Hell, it could even be rebels vs. dictatorship for all i care. Why? Cuz it isn't dealing with the US. You know what, Brazil never gets any shit. Lets play as a revolutionary in Brazil who helps overthrow the government only to have the new one become a dictatorship! Then you can fight to overthrow the shit government you fought to install! That sure as hell beats another CoD.

 

[Daggedawg]

I doubt any game can portray an invasion/occupation of the United States by a foreign military in quite such an awesome way as Freedom Fighters did.

 

[Dethpixie]

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But that isn't enough. We need a game where we have a SINGLEPLAYER campaign against the US or a game that doesn't have the US in it at all. Maybe, something like you said in South America. Hell, it could even be rebels vs. dictatorship for all i care. Why? Cuz it isn't dealing with the US. You know what, Brazil never gets any shit. Lets play as a revolutionary in Brazil who helps overthrow the government only to have the new one become a dictatorship! Then you can fight to overthrow the shit government you fought to install! That sure as hell beats another CoD.

Pretty much this exactly. It touches on themes of power and corruption all without relying on the characters being relateable just because they're "a red-white-and-blue blooded apple pie munching American good old boy", that's the lazy way out. With this a developer has to work to make us care about someone who's in a setting and situation we've never found ourselves in, who may see the world completely differently from ourselves. We also get to experience something that is happening (or has happened) in the world all the time.

"Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel"
That is my favorite Che Guevara quote and I'd love to see a game run with those themes of power, greed, and corruption.

 

[Korten12]

I call it "World In Conflict:FPS Edition".

Oh god, I LOL'd at the Developer Diaries.

"We wanted to use real brands because it's part of the American fabric"

Not about product placement at all hey?

What disappoints me is that they sound like they are trying to develop an amazing narrative through cutscenes.

*sarcastic clap*

Because clearly thats the reason why? God I am sick of these stupid claims, do you work for the developer? No so you can't say they didn't choose it to be like that.

 

[ArcticSquirrel]

My question is how so many people find the idea behind this game SO OVERLY UNORIGINAL. Name me the last time a game had a MASSIVE invasion on America. And don't give me Modern Warfare 2, this "Invasion" was resolved in about 2 to 3 days. It wasn't even truly occupied, there was just a bunch of guys dropping from the sky and a bunch of guys who took over Washington.

Another thing is the people who kept on saying "Oh, if you were just a regular citizen, this game would be fine, BUT NO, you just have to be a guy with a military background."

Heres the point, if you were a regular citizen, you would not know how to fly a helicopter. Anyone can shoot a gun, it takes a man with experience to fly a heli. Let alone a military chopper.

The game taken in an "Unoriginal" place called America because more players can relate to it. Tell me, could you imagine what you would do if you were dropped into the Byzantine empire. If some king from there died, could you feel sorry for him. If the world was burning around you and invading forces came in, swords swinging, would you think for more than 2 seconds about what was going on. Most people would just go fight those men because they know that is the objective. But when a game is done right, the player would think "Holy Crap, my town is being attacked, I need to defend this place to my last breath." There becomes this intense time where you feel submerged into the game.

Problem is, most of us could not relate to the Byzantine empire. We could not imagine the look on the citizens faces, the clothes they wear, the food they eat or even the color of the water they drink. We would know nothing about their way of life, we would feel like we were dropped into another fantasy world. But being dropped into something that we all know of is a whole different idea. We recognize the day to day things we do. It seems natural. Now lets put an invading force into the mix. What do we get? Something that is shocking and scary. Why? Because it is a disruption of something that we find is normal. That, or they take normal things and twist it into something new and weird. Something we can relate to. THAT is why it is taken in America.

I need some water...

 

[Enigma6667]

I've been trying to wonder what the big deal with this game was too. Apparently the big deal seems to be...nothing. I was right all along. My powers of clairvoyance continue to amaze me.

Technically, shouldnt you already know that your clairvoyance is gonna work, so in effect you shouldnt be amazed as you knew it was going to happen...just like you knew i was going to write this.

We think alike, you and I. Now excuse me while my brain implodes.

 

[BreakfastMan]

I have basically thought the same thing when everyone else brought this game up. "Wait, this is supposed to be original? It just looks like another COD knock off from the screen-shots" is what goes through my mind whenever this game gets brought up. Maybe there is just some appeal I am not getting, but it just looks like another bland COD knock-off to me. Needless to say, I will not be picking it up.

 

[Thanatos5150]

EDIT: I just noticed they never mention Canada, and when the EMP goes off it shows it doesn't effect Canada.. anyone want to speculate what they plan to say about that, if anything?

Cause canada is filled with igloos and polar bears o.o they dont got none of those fancy technical thingamajiggers

Correct! I myself am currently operating this computer with a generator hooked up to a treadmill, powered in turn by my polar bear... Steve.

More likely, Americans cease being concerned with Canada after they're conquered. It's a perfectly legitimate reason.

Too true, however just because the Americans in the game cease being concerned with Canada, doesn't mean they just disappear. You know what I mean? It's just irritating that (and of course I'm just speculating because the game isn't out yet) the second largest country in the world is just not in the picture, considering they talk about how this is a global event.

Ah. Well, according to the backstory trailer I watched, it IS a worldwide event, launching with the annexation of South Korea and eventually Japan, Taiwan, Papa New Guinea, New Zealand, and Australia, although those are only the countries I was able to quickly identify as they turned red, complete with the US dollar dipping into nigh-worthless territory and the US Naval forces actually pulling out of Japan. There's no indication why the Korean Empire didn't go after, say, China, instead of plodding across the world's largest ocean to blow up America.

While Canada may be the second largest country in the world - I ask, is that statistic landmass or population? Landmass doesn't really mean that much, especially when, as I understand it (and I may be very wrong here), the great majority of Canadian Landmass is pretty useless, being frozen tundra and winterized wasteland. At least Australia has the world's largest naturally occurring caches of plutonium.
Seems viable to me. For all we know, Korea immediately swept north to annex Canada as well. Such a large empire would have likely steamrolled right over Canada's comparatively minuscule (Though, as I understand, absurdly well-trained) forces.

My question is how so many people find the idea behind this game SO OVERLY UNORIGINAL. Name me the last time a game had a MASSIVE invasion on America. And don't give me Modern Warfare 2, this "Invasion" was resolved in about 2 to 3 days. It wasn't even truly occupied, there was just a bunch of guys dropping from the sky and a bunch of guys who took over Washington.

Another thing is the people who kept on saying "Oh, if you were just a regular citizen, this game would be fine, BUT NO, you just have to be a guy with a military background."

Heres the point, if you were a regular citizen, you would not know how to fly a helicopter. Anyone can shoot a gun, it takes a man with experience to fly a heli. Let alone a military chopper.

The game taken in an "Unoriginal" place called America because more players can relate to it. Tell me, could you imagine what you would do if you were dropped into the Byzantine empire. If some king from there died, could you feel sorry for him. If the world was burning around you and invading forces came in, swords swinging, would you think for more than 2 seconds about what was going on. Most people would just go fight those men because they know that is the objective. But when a game is done right, the player would think "Holy Crap, my town is being attacked, I need to defend this place to my last breath." There becomes this intense time where you feel submerged into the game.

Problem is, most of us could not relate to the Byzantine empire. We could not imagine the look on the citizens faces, the clothes they wear, the food they eat or even the color of the water they drink. We would know nothing about their way of life, we would feel like we were dropped into another fantasy world. But being dropped into something that we all know of is a whole different idea. We recognize the day to day things we do. It seems natural. Now lets put an invading force into the mix. What do we get? Something that is shocking and scary. Why? Because it is a disruption of something that we find is normal. That, or they take normal things and twist it into something new and weird. Something we can relate to. THAT is why it is taken in America.

I need some water...

I caught "chopper pilot", but I never caught "Military". Civilians fly helicopters, too, y'know. I may have just missed the mention of "military", but the major NPCs has one ex-Mil guy in it, and that seems to be a pretty important label? Maybe the PC is Joe McGee, Newscenter Five Chopper pilot? That's certainly what I assumed. (Having potentially missed the word "Military" thrown in the PC's description.

 

[WelshDanny]

I think Homefront genuinely looks very interesting, and I hope its a FPS that has some actual good ol' fashion character interaction in it rather than just being a run and gun affair. (I'm looking at YOU Call of Duty)

This has been said of Homefront: ?The plot comes in snatched moments of dialogue, recalling the revolutionary story-telling methods of Half-Life, where cinematic sequences were jettisoned in favour of immersive continual storytelling? [Source: http://bit.ly/gRf6qn ]

If it's going back to the Half Life style of FPS story telling then I for one will welcome Homefront.

 

[Vitor Goncalves]

Actually its very unoriginal. World in Conflict had a much better setting for it and it was done much much better because there was an actual reason to invade (the USSR said help us to Western Europe, they said no, so they invaded in order to avoid a collapse, and they invaded the U.S. to stop the flow of troops and armor to Europe)
That and there`s no patriotism to see for miles

OT: I think we need a game where you play as a resistance fighter who is in a country invaded by the US. THAT would be an interesting story if done right.

Me too but I am pretty sure that would ruffle some feathers in Washington.

 

[squid5580]

How so is it an insult to Valve?

Well the writer of the story for the game, did write Red Dawn.

wow, he was topical 35 years ago?! really ? he knows about how to write political intrigue against the back drop of the cold war? wow, that is so topical and realistic.

the reason red dawn was so significant was that Americans really did believe that the soviets were on the brink of invasion, and they legitimately had the nukes and infantry to fight the Americans.

it was a genuinely scary idea. its not any more.
this will be another 7/10 shooter game, fun to play, at least a few unique twists in the engine, fun multiplayer but nothing that would pull people away from killzone, cod black ops or halo reach, fun but nothing amazing.

No the reason Red Dawn was significant was it held the record for the most fake blood used in a movie.

 

[Korten12]

Ugh... I think we have reached to the point that we don't care if games are good just as long as they're original...

Honestly, I think I will pick up the game sometime later in the future. Gamers on here just make me angry sometimes.

 

[GreyKnight3445]

actually i think i`ll give the game a chance

 

[Ironman126]

Pretty much this exactly. It touches on themes of power and corruption all without relying on the characters being relateable just because they're "a red-white-and-blue blooded apple pie munching American good old boy", that's the lazy way out. With this a developer has to work to make us care about someone who's in a setting and situation we've never found ourselves in, who may see the world completely differently from ourselves. We also get to experience something that is happening (or has happened) in the world all the time.

"Cruel leaders are replaced only to have new leaders turn cruel"
That is my favorite Che Guevara quote and I'd love to see a game run with those themes of power, greed, and corruption.

Exactly. Now, I will say this in Homefront's defense: Kaos Studios is an American developer so they are entitled to a little nationalism. That said, it'd be easy enough to take Homefront's plot and adapted it to just about any country you want. But when most of your fan base is based in the US, it's easier to sell a game where you play as an American to a publisher.

However, THQ is the publisher and they published STALKER, Red Faction: Guerrilla, and Metro 2033. And in none of those games is the word "America" mentioned once. Even in Metro, oddly enough. Presumably, it was a nuclear war with the US that destroyed Moscow.

Homefront does look as though it has that edginess (not the exact themes, though) and guerrilla warfare that you want, just not the setting. Then again, i could be totally wrong and it might just be a MW2 knock-off.

 

[Dethpixie]

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Exactly. Now, I will say this in Homefront's defense: Kaos Studios is an American developer so they are entitled to a little nationalism. That said, it'd be easy enough to take Homefront's plot and adapted it to just about any country you want. But when most of your fan base is based in the US, it's easier to sell a game where you play as an American to a publisher.

However, THQ is the publisher and they published STALKER, Red Faction: Guerrilla, and Metro 2033. And in none of those games is the word "America" mentioned once. Even in Metro, oddly enough. Presumably, it was a nuclear war with the US that destroyed Moscow.

Homefront does look as though it has that edginess (not the exact themes, though) and guerrilla warfare that you want, just not the setting. Then again, i could be totally wrong and it might just be a MW2 knock-off.

If it does manage to catch that edginess then it would be worth a look, at least for the multiplayer if nothing else. Alas, the previews I've seen so far seem to have quite a bit of CoD-envy. Someday my game will be made, but I doubt this is it.

I sound really pessimistic about this, I'm actually very open to being pleasantly surprised.

And I totally get their decision from a business perspective, I'm just hoping someday soon someone will be willing to take the risk and make a realistic shooter that isn't dripping with nationalism.

 

[mighty_wambat]

How so is it an insult to Valve?

Well the writer of the story for the game, did write Red Dawn.

wow, he was topical 35 years ago?! really ? he knows about how to write political intrigue against the back drop of the cold war? wow, that is so topical and realistic.

the reason red dawn was so significant was that Americans really did believe that the soviets were on the brink of invasion, and they legitimately had the nukes and infantry to fight the Americans.

it was a genuinely scary idea. its not any more.
this will be another 7/10 shooter game, fun to play, at least a few unique twists in the engine, fun multiplayer but nothing that would pull people away from killzone, cod black ops or halo reach, fun but nothing amazing.

No the reason Red Dawn was significant was it held the record for the most fake blood used in a movie.

umm... i hope your kidding. but i don't get it...