PS3 Review – Warhawk
Imagine running out of ammo while being chased by three enemies. One shoots at you from a tank, causing explosions all around you. Another in a jeep fires a machine gun at you causing the dirt to shoot up all around your feet, and the last guy with a rocket launcher shoots at you, nearly planting a missile into your head. As you’re running, you look up and see a vacant plane. It’s not just any plane, but a Warhawk which comes loaded with missiles, machine guns and the ability to hover and boost out of sight.
You run up, jump in the cockpit and fly off, narrowly escaping with your life. But you’re not interested in escaping the conflict entirely, as you want to return and make them pay; you pick up some more missiles and a cluster bomb. You come swooping in and drop your cluster bomb, killing the guy with the RPG and blowing up the jeep. You loop around and come back in with 2 missiles armed and locked on the tank…you fire; an explosion! The tank is destroyed, you have done it! You have escaped and made your enemies pay! Just as soon as you start to relax *BOOM* you’re dead! Another Warhawk flies away…you forgot there were 16 people on that team.
That is just one of the many crazy situations you will find yourself in while playing Warhawk. Warhawk was developed by Incognito Studios. Yes, this title is from that studio that brought us Twisted Metal and Jet Moto. Like those two games, everything is just mayhem when a round starts. There will be explosions everywhere; you will be getting attacked from all sides (including from the sky) and the action is super fast paced.
Warhawk is an online-only game that puts teams of 16 against each other. The battles are fast-paced and jam-packed full of weapons and vehicles at your disposal.
When you first start the game you will have to choose sides either the Eucadian or Chernovan army. Neither have an advantage over the other; this will just set you up with that particular team when you play a match. You can choose from 5 different match types (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Dogfight and Zones). If you have played any multiplayer games before (particularly something like Unreal Tournament 2004) you should know how most of these play out. The one exception is Dogfight…this will put you in one of the Warhawks and you will not be able to get out. You can play either on teams or have it as a free-for-all. These are, by far, some of the most hectic matches. 32 frantically dodging and twisting Warhawks gets extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.
There are 5 maps to choose from. This may not seem like a lot, but each map has five variations, from huge 16 on 16 battles that very easily will take you 10 minutes to get across, to the smaller and more intimate maps where you are respawning almost on top of each other. Though the maps are extremely different in size, the fast-paced action rarely misses a beat.
When you’ve selected a game type and a map you will spawn with a pistol and a knife, but don’t worry there are 9 additional weapons to pick up and use. All are very well balanced and work very efficiently in the right hands. You’ll also notice that there are 3 different vehicles and 2 different turrets. You can take the quick and lightly-armored jeep with the machine gun mounted on top, the heavily-armored but much slower tank, or the deft and swift Warhawk (the Chernovan equivalent is called a Nemesis). All 3 have their strengths and weaknesses, but by mastering the planes and their 7 different weapon types you will truly become a force to be reckoned with.
The game play pans out like a lot of other multiplayer games. Where Warhawk excels is with the air-to-ground and ground-to-air combat. Getting a team that works well as a cohesive unit is a sight to see and will have you hooting and hollering as the mayhem occurs.
Since Warhawk’s released it has seen quite a few updates and DLC pack releases. There have been 3 new maps, 2 new vehicles, and infantry jetpacks added. This only enhances an already stellar game. The new maps are extraordinarily fun, and the new vehicles as well as jet packs only increase the amount of choices you will have on the battlefield.
It also was one of the first games to receive the illustrious trophy patch and custom soundtracks. This added a new spark and a whole new approach to this wonderful game. Getting a trophy for running someone over in a jeep while rocking out to some AC/DC…I’m not sure much compares to that.
When it come to the negatives of Warhawk there are only a few. Some people may say online-only is a negative, but then again that’s what was promised and it delivered very thoroughly. Others may say the maps are too big, well let me tell you if you’re in a 16 on 16 match you will be glad you have some room to move around! All in all, there are very few things I can honestly complain about when it comes to this game. It would be nice to have a matchmaking system, and it may very well take your whole lifetime to reach the top character rank, but if those are the only possible negatives then I’m honestly not bothered.
Warhawk is what every multiplayer game should be. There are a ton of options when it comes to vehicles and weapons. The maps are wide open and hectic, and after all the updates and DLC, there really is nothing that could make this better. This game should be on everyone’s shelf and should be the new standard on how online action titles should be. This is definitely a purchase.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
The sound is incredible! Frame rate is solid, and draw distance near infinite. Incredibly balanced, strategic multiplayer that rarely disappoints. |
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31 Responses to “PS3 Review – Warhawk”
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February 22nd, 2009 at 11:19 AM
What a coincidence! I just started playing Warhawk again last week, and haven’t been able to stop. It’s the only thing I’ve played all week besides Flower (how the heck do I bloom 10,000 anyway???) Very addictive game, even though I’m having to relearn everything, and I’m getting pwned on the blue servers again. LOL
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:27 AM
it is a great game as well as Flower. I played through each level twice and level 3 4 times to get 10,000 blooms. It takes time.
I still go back to Warhawk from time to time even though I get destroyed by the Warhak enthusiast still one of the best online experiences around.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I haven’t played in ages.
I managed to clock up about 180 hours last time I checked. Bought it as soon as it came out, and have all three DLC packs.
Used to be really quite good at it too, but then I started getting pulled in by other games. Have been considering going back to it soon now that I have a mic.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:17 PM
ya but then Killzone 2 is coming and you’ll get pulled away again
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Warhawk has great dynamic battle system, I can’t just hop in a tank and roll around shooting everything. I have to constantly switch between foot, tank, and warhawk depending on whos attacking me. and that adds a lot of depth to combat
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 PM
agreed there are very few games that use air, foot and vehicle combat as well as Warhawk does.
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:33 PM
i havent played warhawk in a while, but i have been for over a year and it is probably the most fun game ive ever played. all problems have been fixed with patches ad i agree 100% with this review, but i do prefer a 10 pt ranking system
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 PM
OH wow, there are so many errors in this review.
Sorry, i have to point these out, i am a die hard warhawk player with only three ranks left till general. Colonel, brigadier general, and general.
Ok i’ll just point these out as i see em in order of appearance.
1.You can’t lock onto tanks with missles.
2.You don’t choose sides, you only choose which side you want to be on in a deathmatch.
3. The nemesis is faster so one team has the advantage
4. You cannot compare UT3 with warhawk, no similarities.
5.There are no 32 player dogfights currently. So unless you wrote this at time of launch, then you are mistaken.
6. There are 8 maps not 5, three are dlc.
7. There are seven layouts
8. It doesn’t take 10 minutes to get across at all unless you walk perhaps.
9.You respawn with a pistol, knife and two grenades
10. There are eight weapons you can pick up, rifle, flamethrower, sniper, rocket launcher, mines, bfg, wrench, and
11. There are three turrets, flak, fixed mg, and missile launcher.
12. There are six warhawk weapons, eight pickups. Stealth and chaff aren’t weapons. Unless you are counting the mg. Then nvm.
13. There is no trophy for running someone over.
14. The long rank up is for replayability value so there is no reason to complain unless you don’t have patience.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 PM
For 10, i forgot to finish. It said rifle, flamethrower, sniper, rocket launcher, mines, bfg, wrench, and, the last one is binocs.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 PM
Here’s a tip for you rookies. Actually, a few.
Tip one: STAY OUT OF HIGH RANKED SERVERS!! You’ll be dead a whole lot and get bitter at the game. Pay attention to what servers you’re going into and make sure that high ranking players can’t get in. You know what we call players that are Sgt or below? Target practice.
Tip two: STAY OUT OF THE SKY! Sorry, but the skies don’t belong to you, at least not yet. Use the Warhawks as a quick way of transportation only at first. Don’t plan on having dogfights – in the right hands, the Warhawk is lethal, but in the hands of a rookie, it’s a flying deathtrap. Practice flying on your own private server before attempting serious arial combat. That brings me to my next tip.
Tip three: LEARN PRO FLIGHT CONTROLS. Don’t even THINK about using the default setup when it’s time to fly. Practice these controls until you become efficient, then take your skills against the world to improve them. Yes, you’ll die a lot, but you’ll learn. This is crucial to missile dodging, which you’d damn well better learn too.
Past that, have a great time, remember communication is key, and I’ll see you on the battlefield . . . or in my crosshairs.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:25 PM
Honestly, I started playing warhawk a month or 2 ago and I absolutely hated it on the first day. Now i like it but not enough to enjoy for long periods of time. The ground combat doesn’t have enough skill involved in it . Also the warhawks, despite what everyone says, took me about 20 min. to learn how to use. And I was having dog fights in the high ranked servers. Communication doesn’t really matter, teamwork does. If you go into a fight, make sure to have atleast one other guy with you, that way even the most skilled player can get killed. And never NEVER fight with the pistol. Thats like committing suicide.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 PM
This is the best online game ever period!
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 PM
I can agree with everyone in here by saying that it was the best online game(at the time). IMO, since the patch for trophies was released and allowed u to get most of them on unranked servers Warhawk has slipped.
Allowing players to put really no effort into achieving the trophies killed the fun and the challenge for me and most of my clan PSN. I to have jumped back into battle just to see how my skills held up to the ones who never moved on to bigger and better games (MGO IMO). Also I agree with the score that was giving, but why do a review so long from when it was released? That question is at the top of my list to ask, I don’t really need an answer. Anyways, Warhawk was and still is the only game that my wife can even play and have fun playing. I took it way to serious and had my stats erased twice for stat patting, but my new stats are all real with no cheating/glitching. Thats all besides the point. My point is that I have no point and just surprised me when I encounterd this article of a review of such an older game.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 AM
I can always count on Warhawk for an intense, wonderful time. Split-screen rocks! Free expansions would be a plus.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:41 AM
LOL!
And once you’ve racked up a couple of hundred hours, you’ll realise that everything you’ve just written is wrong!
There’s so much more to Warhawk than meets the eye. It’s a very long learning curve. On the other hand if you don’t enjoy it enough to persevere, then you won’t get to enjoy the fruits of your experience and skills.
For the record, I’m over 500 hours in, and still have a lot to learn.
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:33 AM
Sundays we will be doing these retro reviews. Just away to inform all our readers in a effort to provide the best Playstation coverage. This game may be old but there are plenty of new PS3 owners everyday.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 AM
Warhawk is complete garbage. Get Burnout Paradise and flower and save $10.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Funny, I got a trophy for running someone over in my Warhawk.
Warhawk Rocks. I play it every time I fire up the PS3.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 PM
That doesn’t make any sense. Totally different games.
Also, I love Warhawk. It’s like a fine sport, each game so unique and fun – even though we’re playing on the same maps for so long (disregarding the DLC maps).
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:56 PM
I guess you could get hit list, or resourceful driver, or perhaps vengeance.
But there is no specific trophy for running someone over.
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:35 PM
There is one, but it is for hitting someone flying a Jetpack. “That was some bug”
February 24th, 2009 at 6:18 AM
Yeah I’m sure that is the one.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:05 PM
[...] covered Warhawk this week in our retro-review (5/5), as everyone at PSLS got excited for a new reason to jump into Home. Currently, until we [...]
February 26th, 2009 at 2:46 PM
[...] Warhawk Game Space finally goes live in PS Home today. Want to know what it’s all about? Take a tour [...]
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Another example why PSN is better tha XBL.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:05 PM
warhawk is the 3rd best game ive played in my life lol
May 30th, 2009 at 10:17 AM
ill be honest. i have every single DLC for this game and the concept is fun .. YET, i cant find myself playing this game for more than 40min. maybe its not my thing..
July 19th, 2009 at 9:29 AM
[...] 2 and Resistance 2 are two games that the real triggers both give immediate benefits to. Warhawk, on the other hand, wasn’t as good as an experience when piloting. It’s nice to have [...]
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 PM
@shadowjin
might be.. or just get some warhawk friends
November 4th, 2009 at 6:41 AM
@shadowjin
yeah, get some warhawk friends.. its a great game reminds me of an old game i use to play on my PC back in the days
November 21st, 2009 at 11:50 PM
[...] 2 and Resistance 2 are two games that the real triggers both give immediate benefits to. Warhawk, on the other hand, wasn’t as good as an experience when piloting. It’s nice to have [...]