A few titles during E3 always stick in your mind and you hunger for the release date like it was some super tastey pizza. You crave to play the game again and eager for a fix like some hooked addict. It’s that instant when you see the game in action and play it for a few seconds that you know, this is a freakin’ awesome game.

You know the feeling. Remember when you first picked up N64’s Ocarina of Time? Yeah. That blasted Water Temple had you going back for more every time.

This is soooo true with Homefront. Everything about THQ’s upcoming shooter screams polish, it truly does stand out. Homefront is not your average Call Of Duty or like minded military style shooter.

Where other shooters mostly just center on graphics and tight controls, Homefront (using the Unreal 3 engine) works it’s way from a truly novel perspective. It’s story first. A shocker, I know. But there’s a depth to the story that bleeds into gameplay, I just can’t describe it. The story is the gameplay and makes it that much more engaging.

Did I mention the single player’s story is written by screen writer John Milius? Not sure who Mr. Milius is? He wrote classic flics like Red Dawn among others.

The writing genius shines through with dramatic plot twists and turns that you participate in. The story is supremely tuned and little notches of presentation from the dialogue calling the enemy “dog eaters” (inside reference to the Korean delicacy of eating dog meat) just bring it home even more.

The demo we watched had a feel of a rolling epic that I just couldn’t stop watching. There’s a sweet orchestral arrangement that sweeps and tones down depending upon the moment. We watched as our character woke up in a Resistance camp filled with children and little family moments and sure, we got this sad and happy all at once music that just sets the mood perfectly. You felt a little helpless, angry, and even up-beat all at once.

It was worth it to stand in line for 30+ minutes in a steaming line…and I wanted more. Kudos to the THQ guys who actually gave a darn about us in line. They handed out water and thanked everyone individually for lining up to see Homefront. Really? What other publisher gives you love like that???

Strange, I’m throwing praises on a game without even getting into the backstory. Here’s the trailer included in our press pack grabbed from YouTube:

Gameplay doesn’t disappoint. Throughout the single player campaign you’ll experience a story that’s balanced with light hearted moments and dramatic twists and turns. Homefront is one of those games that punches you in the gut, grabs you, then kicks you in the crotch…and you want more of it.

THQ knows they’ve got a winner here and they went all out in the presentation, making the Homefront area of their booth feel like a processing center for detainees. Complete with barbed wire, roaming occupying soldiers and tracking spotlights to boot.

I don’t have a PS3, but I’m gonna get one for Homefront. This is the game that you want to reserve NOW.

Share on Facebook