Crytek: Homefront 2 "can make a big splash" when it launches

Homefront 2, when it arrives, can still make big waves despite critical reception to the first game, Crytek co-founder Avni Yerli has said.

Homefront, which launched in March last year, got 70 on MetaCritic across all three platforms, but had been marketed pretty hard by publisher THQ.

It sold 1 million units and shipped 2.4 million units in its first week.

Speaking to GI International at GDC, Yerli and games GM Nick Button-Brown said that with its own unique touch behind it, it can be a relative success.

"It has a huge mind share, everybody knows the IP," Yerli said.

"The first game has indeed a low Metacritic, but due to really great positioning and great marketing it has reached a good mind share. And I think with Crytek quality attached to it and similar marketing attached to it, it can make a big splash at the time it comes out."

Button-Brown added: "When you look at the world they created in the first game and the world that they were talking about for the second game, the setting they were talking about... obviously we can't talk about it yet, but it's really cool."

THQ core boss Danny Bilson had previously hinted a Mississippi River setting for the sequel. But when asked about a setting elsewhere, Button-Brown added it was up to the team making it at Crytek UK.

"In the end it's the team's choice," he said.

"The team choose and they really, really like it and thought it was a great opportunity and we'll support them on that."

Crytek was announced to be working on the sequel last summer for a release in THQ's FY14, meaning sometime between April 2013 and March 2014.