Warhawk

by Darren Arquette - 2008/01/25 3:03pm

With the first unveiling in at the E3 show in June of 2007, Sony originally showcased a single player flight simulator with the intention to expand into the PSN network with the added growth of online play. 6 months after their initial unveiling, Sony and Incognito have given us one of the best multiplayer experience on the Playstation 3 so far.

As soon as the game is unwrapped, you can expect to find that the disc comes packaged with a headset, which turns out is an ordinary bluetooth device which you can use with your mobile phone if that was your intention.

Just a brief mention for this, it feels comfortable on your ear and sometimes you would forget it's there. However using it to chat in Warhawk is slightly awkward, you'll need to push L3 to speak and release to stop.

(The headset can be used with other games such as Resistance, in R:FOM's case you don't need to push the button)

The graphics, although at first glance take on a rather animated style, brings a fresh and vibrant look to a multiplayer game that squeezes in tight with the Playstation 3's capabilities. Warhawk's visuals and map designs ae impressive, there's just such variety and scope in the draw distance; huge amounts of detail going into every last pixellated pleasantry.

This is made true even more by the recent add-on for Warhawk, Operation: Omega Dawn, which comes with a new vehicle to boost around in and a brand new map. The map is named Omega Factory, the design is insane, the colour scheme used for it has got to be the best I've ever seen with a variety of pastel shades for the skyline fleshing out an already masterful aesthetical spendour.



However I suggest you don't look to the sky, as you'll get lost in the sea of stars and the beautiful moon, it's like watching the Music visual recently added to the PS3 following the updates, which allow you to see the earth as you listen to your own tracks.

The new vehicles also implemented through expansion themes, as well as the vehicles in the main game variate from level to level, adding new battle strategies to the complex maps and structures of the cities below. The design of the crafts reminds me of the Marines drop ship from Aliens, with the heavyweight metallic impression of the turbosized engines and roaring power surges. There is always plenty of variety in the title, and as well as the inclusion of the obvious Warhawks, you also get reinforced Tanks and Jeeps.

The controls in Warhawk, although vast, are very easy to adapt too and feel very natural when flying and using the Sixaxis remote functionality. On Default the game has Motion control switched off however you can easily turn it on in game if you forget to and can have it on for all vehicles or just the flying vehicles if you so choose.

Warhawk also comes bundled with several network options, primarily Online and Lan. Now at anytime, even when online (except for ranked games), a friend of yours can join your game from your PS3. Although all you have to do is turn on a controller and press start the game will then split itself and your friend will soon begin alongside you in the field. This can be done to accomodate three more friends over network play.

Theirs the usual Ranked Death Match, Ranked Team Death Match, Death Match, Team Death Match, Capture The Flag and Zones included in the package, and with future updates to the online quality being planned by Sony, the amount of longevity is certainly a positive platform for Warhawk to grow into



Warhawk is a fun title no matter how much time you spend with it and the level system does make you want to come back and replay it with every new feature you discover. There are negatives however with this title, and one main concern is the lack of any real narrative or structure to the story. With a huge focus on the multiplayer events, Warhawk can sometimes feel very ropey in places, and leaving you stranded on an online battlefield can become frustrating. Get past these slight niggles though and you will find a highly enjoyable game, well worth a look.