Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Creative, violent story but massively flawed shooter.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Homefront: The Revolution
What's It About?
HOMEFRONT: THE REVOLUTION is an open-world first-person shooter, set in the year 2029. You play as Ethan Brady, a leader of a resistance movement against the superior military of North Korea. In trying to inspire a rebellion and liberate oppressed civilians, you'll engage in guerrilla warfare, using a number of modernized weapons -- such as pistols, machine guns, grenades, and bombs -- in tactical urban missions. Along with the single-player campaign, this game also supports online cooperative (co-op) play, where friends can form a resistance cell. Despite it being part of the Homefront series, it's not related to the previous game.
Is It Any Good?
While this offers some intense combat scenarios and a variety of missions, it ultimately fails to impress. For one, the story and setting might be interesting, but the enemy -- the fictional Korean People's Army -- are like cardboard cutouts: They never talk, and you don't ever face off against a leader, such as Kim Jong-un. Without proper motivation to kill these people -- despite some despicable acts played out in cut scenes -- it takes away from the game's important emotional element. Second, the first-person combat can be quite engaging, but the tactical and stealthy gameplay is marred by the lack of smart artificial intelligence (AI). For example, enemies don't look for you when you're out of sight, or they'll stupidly stand up from hiding behind an object for no reason at all. Another issue is lots of technical problems that result in frozen games, slowdown during play, and graphical glitches. Finally, online co-op adds to the game's overall value, sure, but there's very little meat to these short and limited gameplay sessions. Overall, while the story and setting of Homefront: The Revolution is interesting, the execution isn't quite there. Maybe with some updates for the technical and AI issues, it'll be worth the investment for military shooter fans, but as it stands now, you can leave this one on the store shelf.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and blood in this game. Is the violence necessary or gratuitous? Would it take away from the gameplay if it were less graphic?
Discuss the time and setting in this game. While it's fictional, the tension between the U.S. and North Korea is real, so could the future see a situation like this?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Deep Silver
- Release date : May 19, 2016
- Genre : First-Person Shooter
- Topics : Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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