Homefront

Homefront hits UK stores on Friday and it's bound to be a bloodbath when thousands of gamers log on to test out the latest multiplayer shooter. In order to give you the upper hand we've put together five tips that should make things a little easier.

Take advantage of Battle Commander

Staying alive is far more worthwhile than chasing the easy kills - especially in the game's Battle Commander modes. You'll be given boosts to your health, damage and running speed if you manage to rack up kills while staying alive, though those added boosts come at the cost of the game alerting enemy players to your location at any given time.

Don't waste Battle Points

Spending Homefront's hard-earned Battle Points on shiny equipment is all well and good, but it's important to save up for an emergency - such as a surprise Apache attack from the enemy. 300BP for a flak jacket (which lasts until you next die) might not sound like much, but seeing as you only get 130BP for a basic kill it's a good idea to watch your resources.

Watch out for snipers

With a myriad of wide-open environments across all eight of the multiplayer maps, Homefront is undoubtedly a sniper's playground. That's great if you're the guy hidden away in a faraway window with a clear shot of the capture point, but if you're the poor chap on the offensive then you're going to have to be careful if you don't want to spend most of the game staring at the respawn screen. Our advice is to use a Parrot drone from time to time to get a feel for where the enemy likes to hide.

Sort out your perfect loadouts

Homefront comes with six prescribed loadouts - Assault, SMG, Heavy, Sniper, Tactical and Explosive - but you're also able to customise and rename these with your own preferred builds. Try making one specifically for taking out aircraft - such as the Rhino drone alongside Drone Be Gone, Thick Skin and My Buddy infantry abilities - and switch to it when you're being harassed by airborne enemies.

Learn the maps

This might be a key tactic for all multiplayer shooters, but it's just as important to learn your surroundings in Homefront as it is everywhere else. Spend time getting a feel for each of the eight maps. Where are the spawn points? Which are the best places to hide when you're capturing points in Ground Control? What's a good place to hide when you're looking to scout around with the Parrot? Once you've got to grips with the maps you'll be able to focus on tactics and shooting.

Homefront Competition Code Part 3: JR9