Robert Jacobs is the main protagonist in Homefront. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot who was recruited by the Resistance to fight against the Korean People's Army.
History
Pre-war
Prior to 2024, Jacobs had been serving in the United States Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot until the government began cutting its military budget which forced him to retire early. Although Jacobs was not bothered by his layoff, in which he had found his job to be dull, given that the military had been mostly inactive due to the economic recession, and he had planned to retire earlier.[1] Since then, Jacobs had worked for several odd jobs in his home city of Montrose, Colorado.[2]
On January 15, 2025, the day before the Korean EMP attack, Jacobs traveled to Los Angeles for a job posting at the Greater Korean Republic's consulate office he saw advertised, even though he disliked the Koreans.[1] There, he was curious to see a faux faith healer show at the L.A. Arena but was persuaded not to by a journalist, Ben Walker.[2] Jacobs was on his way home when the EMP attack occurred.
Joining the Resistance
In 2027, Jacobs was arrested from his make-shift home in Montrose by the Korean People's Army for failing to answer the draft from the Korean Occupation forces and was taken on a prison bus to be sent to a re-education camp in Alaska. After witnessing several horrendous acts committed by the KPA, his bus was ambushed by Resistance members Connor Morgan and Rianna by ramming the bus with a big rig truck and causing it to flipped over. Jacobs was then taken to safety by Connor and Rianna, and, without any choice, was forced to join the Resistance after killing Korean Military Policemen, and was given the task of helping the Resistance as their helicopter pilot so that they can obtain and protect jet fuel stolen from the Koreans that will then be delivered to U.S. military forces in their counterattack on San Francisco.
After the KPA failed to recapture him, Jacobs was taken to the Resistance's hideout, the Oasis, where he was properly introduced to Resistance leader Boone Karlson. Jacobs then went deep behind enemy lines with Connor and Hopper Lee to retrieve tracking beacons that they later plant on a fuel truck, allowing them to trace it to a convoy that is to be captured. After the mission, the Resistance returned to the Oasis and were shocked to find that the Koreans had discovered their hideout and had it burned down and murdered everyone, including Boone. Following an intense fight against the Koreans, they witnessed the Koreans bombing and burning houses in Montrose as retribution for the Resistance's actions on the night before. Jacobs and the Resistance decided to continue their mission to San Francisco and broke through the Korean-built border wall surrounding Montrose, but had no other choice but to destroy their own Goliath packed with C4 explosives as a way to break the wall, before setting out to find the fuel trucks.
Jacobs and the Resistance traveled to a survivalist compound in Utah where the inhabitants possessed a helicopter. Boone had previously arranged a deal with the survivalists for the helicopter. However, the survivalists refused to honor Boone's arrangement due to Boone's untimely demise, and instead demanded the Resistance to give Rianna and Hopper to them. The Resistance refused their offer, thus forcing Jacobs and the others to fight through and steal the survivalists' helicopter to get to the convoy. After catching up with the fuel trucks, Jacobs provided air support for the others as they hijack and drive the trucks to San Francisco.
San Francisco
Jacobs took part in the battle at the Golden Gate Bridge alongside the Resistance and the U.S. military. Unable to land on the bridge via air, Jacobs and along with Connor fought their way up through one of the bridge's towers. While on the bridge, Jacobs was thrown off the bridge by a missile, but manages to catch himself from falling, and scrambled safely onto the underpass. While his comrades assumed he was dead, Jacobs fought his way through the underpass to the other side. On the bridge, two sentry guns pinned down the Americans, and they were unable to advance until Jacobs, unbeknownst to them, resurfaced from behind the sentries, which he successfully destroys them, much to the surprise and relief of his allies.
The U.S. military then attacked the anti-aircraft guns that had been eliminating their air support. After capturing the AA guns on the bridge, the Resistance drove a Humvee to the opposite side where they were attacked by an enemy Goliath. Jacobs was able to destroy it by shooting an oil truck next to it, but this caused their vehicle to crash just as Korean reinforcements were advancing upon them. Connor sacrificed his life in saving Jacobs and the others by signaling an air strike on his position near to the Koreans. Jacobs survived the explosion and the Americans proceeded with their assault on San Francisco.
Trivia
- Throughout Homefront, as a sort of running gag, Robert was risked in several life-and-death situations that are effectively impossible to survive. Hopper even took note of Jacobs' survival after he almost fall off the Golden Gate Bridge and quipping, "That's like, the fifth thing you've fallen off of and lived!"
- Jacobs never says a word and his face is never seen throughout Homefront. However, his face, although covered by a bandanna with the Korean star, appears on the cover art of Homefront and the novel Homefront: The Voice of Freedom.
- Despite being the main playable character, much of the game focuses on the other resistance members. This makes Jacobs somewhat of a decoy protagonist.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Homefront: The Voice of Freedom, p. 25
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Homefront: The Voice of Freedom, p. 26
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