Homefront (2011 VG)

Homefront is a first-person shooter for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 that is set in the year 2027 following a series of economic calamities that have turned America into a bankrupt former power and allowed an invasion by a new Asian superpower led by North Korea. The story follows a pilot called Jacobs who is broken out of a prisoner transport by the American resistance and becomes involved in a plot to assist the US Army in their planned re-taking of San Francisco.
The original scenario of Homefront was written by John Milius, who co-wrote the films Apocalypse Now and Magnum Force and wrote and directed the original Red Dawn (1984). The game borrows most of its story elements from the latter film. According to ex-Kaos Studios staff, reports that he was the actual writer on the game are not true, however: primary writing was done by a staff member whose name was removed from the credits in the hope of trading on Milius' name.
A reboot of the series, Homefront: The Revolution, was released in 2016.
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= Overview =
Homefront uses a standard two-slot weapon system where the player can carry any two different weapons ("different" in this case including two of the same weapon as long as the two have different upgrades), as well as up to four grenades and four blocks of remote-detonated C4 explosive. The game is unusually (and unrealistically) strict with its ammunition system; none of the five STANAG 5.56mm weapons can exchange ammunition with one another, instead each being treated as totally incompatible; for example, if the player has a SCAR-L they can only gain ammunition for it by picking up another SCAR-L. Even if the player has two of the same weapon with different optics, they are treated as having non-interchangeable ammo reserves; one can be totally empty and the other totally full. Even the Masterkey and Remington 870 Express are unable to share shotgun shells.
The game features an attempt at authentic reloading animations; there are separate animations for mid-magazine reloads where the magazine is swapped out without additional actions, while reloading an empty weapon with a bolt release will show the player operating it instead of the common pointless racking of the charging handle. Like Black, Homefront speeds up reload animations if the player is under fire.
In common with many modern shooters, weapons mounting any kind of optic are shown with their front and often also their rear iron sights removed, even if the weapon mounts folding sights which would normally simply be folded down.
= Pistols =
== Beretta M9 ==
The Beretta M9 is the game's only sidearm, and is used by all factions, though rarely seen in singleplayer; it is given to the player as a starting weapon in some missions, but since the game uses a standard two-weapon system with no dedicated sidearm slot it is unlikely to be kept for very long. It holds 15 rounds in the magazine.
= Submachine Guns =
== TDI Vector ==
The TDI Vector appears in the game, modelled on the Vector prototype and named the "Super V SMG." It is classified as a submachine gun along with the PWS Diablo and uses 30-round magazines (reduced to 26 in multiplayer). It is very infrequent in singleplayer, only really common in the last level when it is seen in the hands of heavily armoured Korean soldiers.
= Assault Rifles =
== M4A1 ==
The M4A1, called "M4 Rifle" in-game, is extremely common in all stages of the game, used equally by the Resistance, US Army, survivalists and the KPA; it is also the weapon of choice for the character Connor Morgan. As in the modern installments of the Call of Duty franchise, mounting optics removes not only the front sight but also the entire gas block, which would turn the weapon into a straight-pull bolt action rifle. In single player it holds only 20 rounds, despite being modeled with a standard 30-round magazine. It has high accuracy, range and relatively fast reload speed, but fairly low damage.
== M16A4 ==
The M16A4 is treated as if it is a designated marksman's rifle, being a powerful and accurate semi-automatic only weapon rather than the assault rifle it actually is. Called simply "M16 Rifle". Again, the weapon is shown with a 30-round magazine but only holds 20 rounds, and the gas block is removed when the weapon mounts optics.
== FN SCAR-L ==
The FN SCAR-L is called "SCAR-L Rifle" in the game, rather redundantly since the "R" in SCAR already stands for "Rifle." It is a relatively uncommon weapon in singleplayer, used more or less exclusively by Korean forces. It fires in incredibly fast three-round bursts instead of full-auto; incorrect, since real FN SCARs don't have burst fire capability. The functionality seems to be based on Left 4 Dead 2's SCAR. There is also a significant delay between bursts, no matter how fast the player is hitting the button to fire.
== Magpul Masada (pre-release) ==
The Magpul Masada was shown in pre-release trailers as the "ACR Rifle." It can be identified as a Masada by the charging handle being further back than the final ACR model: it is otherwise configured as an ACR Basic Folder. It was replaced by an actual ACR in the final release.
== Bushmaster ACR ==
The Bushmaster ACR is used by both American and Korean forces in the game. The game calls it the "ACR Rifle," presumably meaning it is the Adaptive Combat Rifle Rifle. It is very similar to the M4, though with higher damage and slightly higher recoil.
== QBZ-03 ==
The Norinco QBZ-03 assault rifle is used exclusively by Korean soldiers and the player. Its in-game name is "T3AK". Oddly, it was referred to by its actual name in the tie-in novel Homefront: The Voice of Freedom, which was co-written by Milius.
== PWS MK107 Diablo ==
The PWS Diablo appears for the first time in Homefront; the game refers to it as "PWS Diablo SMG," and the weapon is depicted as a low-damage, high rate-of-fire submachine gun rather than the compact 5.56mm assault rifle it actually is. It is always fitted with a short vertical front grip, and also features Magpul XTM rail covers in black and beige and an ACE M4 SOCOM Stock. The weapon appears as a result of a promotional deal between PWS and Kaos, and is both very common in game and promoted by in-game advertising billboards; it's also the weapon of choice for the character Rianna.
== FN SCAR-H ==
The FN SCAR-H appears in game in a fictional light machine gun configuration seemingly modeled after the MG36, using a 100-round double-drum magazine (75 in multiplayer) and equipped with a Grippod foregrip/bipod.
== "XM10" ==
The "XM10" is a fictional prototype assault rifle found only in multiplayer. It resembles a bizarre cross between a number of modern rifles, most obviously the Heckler & Koch XM8 and Heckler & Koch G36.
thumb|none|450px|Heckler & Koch XM8 (older model) - 5.56x45mm NATO
= Shotguns =
== Remington 870 Express ==
A Remington 870 Express with RealTree camo and a ShurShot stock is granted to anyone who pre-ordered the game through GameStop. It's also seen occasionally during the singleplayer campaign, both with and without camo. It's fitted with a rail mount above the receiver and a spare shell holder; the former never mounts anything, and the latter is never used. The player character does not operate the pump if they are aiming down the sight (or rather looking along the empty rail mount, as the weapon has no iron sight), and the spent casing is never ejected at the right time; sometimes it comes out before the pump is actually operated, while the rest of the time it ejects only after the entire animation of operating the pump has finished.
== Knight's Armament MasterKey ==
A Knight's Armament Masterkey is available as an attachment for assault rifles. In singleplayer it is extremely rare; since only another Masterkey counts as ammunition for it, this means it is never particularly useful.
= Sniper Rifles =
== SR-25 ==
The Knight's Armament SR-25, called "M110 Sniper" in-game, is the game's main sniper rifle and is used primarily by the player in the campaign. It isn't an actual M110 because it lacks the M110's ambidextrous controls. It is shown with a capacity of 10 rounds despite being modeled with a 20-round magazine, and is correctly shown as a semi-auto. It uses a scope with a Horus-style reticle grid.
== Cheyenne Tactical M-200 Intervention ==
The Cheyenne Tactical M-200 Intervention appears as "M200 Sniper" in Homefront. The weapon has a 5-round capacity, and is only encountered in two levels in singleplayer; throughout the Survivalist Camp level and once at the very end of the Golden Gate Bridge level. In both cases, it's fitted with a variable magnification scope, and in the Survivalist Camp level it appears in it also mounts a device which is a "silencer" in the most literal sense of the term, able to muffle the sound of the massive .408 cal rifle to the sound of a mouse coughing. Regardless of modifications, the weapon is always shown with the carrying handle under the barrel removed.
= Machine Guns =
== M249-E2 SAW ==
The M249-E2 SAW, called "M249 LMG" in-game, acts as the standard light machine gun for all factions, and is used by the character Boone. It feeds from the smaller 100-round cloth ammo drums, and has relatively heavy recoil when fired in sustained bursts. As is often the case in games, the developers clearly did not know the correct way to open the feed cover; the player character simply flips it open by gripping it near the front, never operating the latches at the rear of the cover.
= Mounted weapons =
== Browning M2 ==
The Browning M2 can be seen mounted on US MBTs and some "Humvee" light trucks.
==M240C Machine Gun==
The Army's M1A3 tanks mount a single RWS with a Browning M2 rather than the modern version's commander's M2 and loader's M240; however, their coaxial M240C machine gun is still visible mounted next to the main M256 120mm smoothbore cannon.
== GAU-19A ==
The General Dynamics GAU-19/A is the standard heavy mounted weapon in the game; they are seen mounted on Korean and American "Humvee" light trucks, as well as on the "AH-700" scout helicopters (actually MH-6 "Little Birds") used by the Resistance and the US Army.
thumb|none|300px|GAU-19A - .50 BMG
== Mounted M249-E2 SAW ==
The game's multiplayer-only "Wolverine" tracked drones mount a heavily modified M249-E2 SAW in a remote-operated installation.
== QJG-02 Heavy Machine Gun ==
The drone vehicle "Goliath," based on the US MULE and CRUSHER UGCV prototypes, is armed with a pop-up weapon station fitted with a reloadable quad missile tube and what appears to be a Chinese QJG-02 heavy machine gun.
 
= Launchers =
== M203 Grenade Launcher==
The M203 grenade launcher is the only such device in the game, despite that Homefront takes place long after the weapon is due to be retired in favour of the Heckler & Koch M320. The launcher mounts a laser module for use with the game's fictional airburst grenades, and can also fire EMP rounds; in singleplayer, however, it is restricted to standard HE only. It is incorrectly shown with a zero arming distance (real M203 grenades arm only after traveling a certain distance), and has no usable sight, instead just changing the HUD's usual crosshair to a grenade launcher ranging sight. The way the launcher is mounted to the QBZ-03 would make it extremely difficult to use, since the trigger is nowhere near the magazine and would have to be pulled without any kind of grip.
== Armbrust ATW (pre-release) ==
In very early pre-release versions of Homefront the Armbrust ATW appears to have been the game's rocket launcher. It is replaced by the Panzerfaust 3 in the final version.
== Panzerfaust 3 ==
Used by all sides in game, the Panzerfaust 3 can fire HEAT or multiplayer-only proximity detonated warheads; the proximity version features a different scope, along with a tube that extends further in front of the handguard and is colored similarly to a Mk 153 Mod 0 SMAW, though it retains the Panzerfaust 3's grips. During the stage set in the survivalist farm, enemies are seen using Panzerfaust 3s with guided anti-aircraft projectiles, but these are never available to the player; neither are the EMP warheads used by Korean forces during the second level. It is referred to simply as the "RPG Launcher." The game's multiplayer menu incorrectly describes it as a disposable launcher; the Panzerfaust 3 is a reusable launcher.
== FGM-148 Javelin ==
An FGM-148 Javelin, called the "AAWS-M launcher" ("awesome launcher," though this is not their pun: rather, it is the name of the initial Army request for the weapon, an acronym of Advanced Anti-tank Weapon System - Medium), is used at the very end of the campaign to shoot down an enemy helicopter. This appears to be the only time it can be used. The launcher is shown firing directly at targets; this is incorrect, since while the Javelin does have a direct fire mode, even this mode's flight path starts with a rapid climb.
= Explosives =
==M67 Hand Grenade==
All grenades in Homefront are M67 hand grenades, though the player's HUD icon shows an egg-shaped M26 hand grenade; they are used by all factions, including the survivalists who apparently stockpiled an enormous number of grenades somehow. The throw animation shows Jacobs miming pulling the pin but not actually doing so, then throwing the grenade with the pin still in it; it apparently explodes out of pity. The animation frequently glitches and shows Jacobs' hand empty throughout, meaning the grenade simply appears in front of him.
== C4 ==
C4 explosives are the game's second thrown weapon, and are shown as a roughly cube-shaped object made of six bright red blocks held together with a black band with the detonator placed on top. Blocks are thrown like grenades, all currently placed blocks being detonated when the fire button is pressed next; the explosions are hugely powerful, even able to deal substantial damage to vehicles. They are only needed once in singleplayer, to destroy a Korean LAV-25 IFV during the first level, and rarely seen in usable form after that. However, C4 explosives are mentioned several more times by other characters and set on various objects to destroy them, most notably a large section of a bridge during the mission "Overwatch."
=Unusable=
==M16A1==
Soldiers advance past a 105mm M101A1 howitzer with M16A1 rifles during the game's intro. This footage is taken from the straight-to-video film The Hunt for Eagle One, and the extras are actual members of the Philippine Army and Marine Corps.
== GE M61 Vulcan ==
The GE M61 Vulcan is seen mounted on the excavator-like arms of Korean sentry gun towers. These are about the most "gamey" weapon in Homefront, with an ammo box that would be good for about ten seconds of continuous fire and shown as dealing about as much damage as assault rifles; they're also incapable of penetrating the fearsome armour of a derelict RV.
== Norinco QJC-88 ==
A Norinco QJC-88 can be seen mounted on the Korean faction's Chinese-designed Type 99 main battle tanks.
== M242 Bushmaster Chain Gun ==
Korean and US LAV-25 IFVs are seen equipped with a bizarre repeating missile launcher and their standard M242 Bushmaster chaingun.
== M230 Chain Gun ==
At the start of the final level several AH-64 Apache attack helicopters can be seen parked, armed with M230 Chain Guns.
== M197 Vulcan ==
Stock footage in the game's introduction shows an AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter equipped with an M197 Vulcan firing rockets, depicting this as part of the Korean assault on America.
== Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B ==
Further stock footage in the introduction shows two Russian Mi-24 "Hind" gunships armed with chin mounted Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B four-barrel rotary guns.
== Type 90 Anti-Aircraft Gun ==
Two Type 90 anti-aircraft guns, Chinese licensed copies of the Oerlikon GDF-002 35mm twin AA gun, are seen in the game's final level mounted on heavy 8x8 trucks on a raised platform in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge.
== M30 Mortar ==
At the resistance base "Oasis," a schematic of an M30 mortar is seen on a board in a back room. This is odd, considering the mortar the resistance actually take delivery of is not an M30, nor is such a weapon ever seen during the campaign.
== M120 Mortar ==
Boone's resistance cell takes delivery of an M120 mortar during the game's second level, as part of a deal with another cell; Connor apparently "sweetened the deal" and the weapon is supplied with white phosphorous rounds. Hopper Lee fires this weapon twice from outside the playable area at Korean forces in the parking lot of the third level's supermarket; the second round apparently misfires and hits mostly American forces near the player's location.
== M65 Atomic Cannon & W9 Nuclear Artillery Shell ==
During the introduction, a doctored version of Operation Upshot-Knothole's nuclear test "Grable" is shown as a Korean nuclear test. The W9 round both is a gun and was fired from one; much like the "Little Boy" device dropped on Hiroshima, the W9 nuclear round was built from a modified antiaircraft gun that fired one subcritical mass at the other.
Category:Video Game
Category:War
Category:First-Person Shooter
Category:John Milius