Enemy Front
A WWII FPS with open-ended levels and multiple play styles.
Enemy Front is a first-person shooter set during World War II, developed and published by the Polish studio CI Games. It was released in June 2014 for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, following its initial announcement in 2011.
The player controls Robert Hawkins, an American war correspondent who becomes involved with resistance groups across Europe. His allies include a Norwegian commando, a German SOE agent, a French Resistance femme fatale, and the Polish Home Army. The story unfolds through Hawkins’ flashbacks and incorporates real historical events, including Nazi atrocities. The game covers theaters of war in German-occupied Poland and Norway—settings rarely explored in mainstream Western World War II shooters—and devotes nearly half its levels to the Warsaw Uprising.
CI Games marketed Enemy Front as the first truly modern World War II FPS, emphasizing open-ended levels and a combat system that allows players to choose their approach—intense combat, sniping, stealth, or sabotage—rather than following a highly linear, scripted path.
Multiplayer includes three modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Radio Transmission. Earlier in development, creative director Stuart Black focused the team on a single mode called "Conquest," a team-based mode where players capture points in corridor-like levels.
Development spanned several years. Originally slated for late 2012, the game was delayed multiple times—to early 2013, then late 2013, then spring 2014—before its June 2014 release. Many features were added and cut during this period. Notable cuts included a large level based on the Dunkirk evacuation, a customizable health system that let players choose between regenerating health or medical packs, and the Lanchester submachine gun, which had been promoted as a signature weapon in trailers. Stuart Black served as original producer and creative director; Steve Hart later became executive producer.
Reception was mixed to negative. On Metacritic, critics gave low scores: GameSpot rated it 5/10, IGN 4.7/10, and Eurogamer 2/10. Reviewers praised the graphics, multiplayer, and sniper sections but criticized poor AI and stealth mechanics, with Eurogamer noting too many flaws to overlook.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Enemy Front
- Developer
- CI Games
- Composer
- Cris Velasco / Sean Hathaway
- Engine
- CryEngine 3
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
- Released
- NA · June 10, 2014 · AU · June 12, 2014 · EU · June 13, 2014
- Genre
- First-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game follows Robert Hawkins, an American war correspondent caught up with various Resistance groups across Europe during the Second World War. He finds help from a Norwegian commando, a German SOE agent, a femme fatale French Resistance fighter, and the Polish Home Army. The story is told through his flashbacks and includes real historical events, highlighting Nazi atrocities. It visits theatres of war such as German-occupied Poland and Norway, with almost half of the levels featuring the Warsaw Uprising.
Enemy Front had a long development cycle, first announced in 2011. It was originally set for late 2012, then delayed to early 2013, then late 2013, then spring 2014, before releasing on June 10 in the United States, June 12 in Australia, and June 13 in Europe. Many features were added and cut during development, including a large level based on the evacuation at Dunkirk, a customizable health system allowing choice between regenerating health or medical packs, and the Lanchester submachine gun, which was touted as a signature weapon in trailers.
The game features three multiplayer modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Radio Transmission. Originally, creative director Stuart Black focused the team on a single multiplayer mode called Conquest, a team-based mode where two teams capture points in a corridor-like level.
Reader's Guide
Enemy Front received mixed to negative reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it scored 5/10 from GameSpot and 4.7/10 from IGN, both criticizing the poor AI and stealth but praising the graphics, multiplayer, and sniper sections. Eurogamer gave it a 2/10, citing too many flaws to overlook. The game's significance lies in its attempt to offer a non-linear, open-ended WWII shooter with multiple viable approaches—intense combat, sniping, stealth, and sabotage—in contrast to the highly linear scripted FPS experiences common at the time. Its focus on lesser-covered theatres like German-occupied Poland and Norway, and the Warsaw Uprising, set it apart from other WWII shooters. However, its troubled development, multiple delays, and mixed reception limited its legacy, making it a notable but flawed entry in the 2010s FPS landscape.
Did You Know?
- Almost half of the game's levels feature the Warsaw Uprising.
- The game was originally set to release in late 2012 but was delayed multiple times until June 2014.
- A level based on the evacuation at Dunkirk was cut during development.
- The Lanchester submachine gun, touted as a signature weapon in trailers, was removed from the final game.
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