I'm hooked.
-----------
In case you're a PS3 owner and haven't given Warhawk a try, you might want to do so.
This game may just be your next addiction
I thought I would give some user reviews of the game, having owned it just over 8 days and logged 40 hours. I know -- I'm sad.
------------------
------------------
Warhawk is a multiplayer-only game for the Playstation 3. You have the choice of setting up your own internet/LAN server, playing local split-screen, or playing online.
If you've ever played Battlefield 2, then you have a really good idea of where Warhawk is going. Of course there are some differences, but Battlefield 2 vets will find the game more familiar than a total newbie.
Still, though, Warhawk takes time to learn properly. When I first began the game, it was frustrating. Very frustrating. Invent-new-curse-words frustrating. I'm a long-time PC gamer (KB/M aim FTW!), so playing a 3rd-person shooter using thumbsticks was a challenge, even though I had formerly beaten Bioshock just fine on 360.
After a while, though (sometimes a week, sometimes a few days), something just clicks. You stop thinking "damn this game is frustrating" and start thinking "Oh my God that was awesome!"
-----------------
"I'm not a Battlefield 2 vet and I've never heard of Warhawk, so what's it like?
Basically, Warhawk is (usually) a team-based game of deathmatch, capture-the-flag, or "zones".
You play Warhawk in one of three primary ways -- On foot as a soldier (or using an anti-air turret), in a vehicle (tank or jeep), or flying (Warhawk or the expansion-required Dropship).
Your primary goal -- Kill the other people! But, along with that, you usually have objectives.
Naturally, in a game of Capture the Flag, the whole point is to grab the opponent's flag and touch your flag with it to score. Of course, you have to defend your flag all the while.
In Zones, you basically take over and "grow" zones -- The more linked zones you control, the more points you get for kills. The first team to reach a target score (something like 3000) wins.
Team deathmatch is just that -- First team to get X number of kills wins.
-------------------
"Sounds easy enough -- I'll just get in a Warhawk and fly around all day shooting people!"
Not so fast, buster. Luckily for all us non-pilots (like me!), Warhawk developers have balanced the 3 "modes" of fighting extremely well. While a good Warhawk pilot is a fearsome thing, he's not really overpowering because other factors are going to come into play.
For instance -- A typical map will have 1 or more "control points". If your team captures this point, it becomes an additional spawn location for your team, with additional tanks, jeeps, jets, etc.
So, for instance, let's say this is how a map is laid out:
E 1 2 3 4 5 C
Teams E and C are the base camps -- they can't be captured.
In a game of capture the flag, it's really advantageous if team C captures (and holds) control point 1. They can respawn much closer to E's base, giving them more chances to take hold of their flag.
"Big deal. Warhawks will still own the game!"
Not really. You see, to capture a point -- You can't be in a Warhawk =)
Foot soldiers can capture points. Tanks and Jeeps can. For a "pilot" to capture the point, he must exit his plane.
Additionally, in a game like capture-the-flag, many times a Warhawk isn't allowed to fly with the flag -- but tanks/jeeps can. This is much better than running it on foot.
"So how is the game balanced?"
Very nicely. Each "mode" offers advantages / disadvantages. Some people love foot soldiering and tank driving (that's me!) Some people are death-in-the-air. Some people are freakin' defensive beasts. For example:
FOOT SOLDIER:
As a foot soldier, you have an array of weaponry at your disposal, making you a fearsome opponent to other soldiers, vehicles, and airships alike.
For instance --
1) As a foot soldier, you can wield a knife and not show up on enemy radar. This is extremely valuable. I've stolen tanks right from under an enemy's nose, then pounded him with it.
2) You have lots of weapons -- Land mines to blow up enemies (they don't often appear until it's too late), rocket launchers to hit tanks and Warhawks with, machine guns to take down soldiers, Binoculars to call in airstrikes, sniper rifles, Flame throwers to take down vehicles or people, etc.
3) You can also man anti-aircraft weaponry to help take down Warhawks or other people (the missiles are great vs. vehicles)
Vehicles:
There are two basic ground vehicles.
1) The Jeep (4x4) -- This thing is fast. The Jeep can accommodate a driver, a .60 cal machine gunner on the back, and 1 passenger. They're very fast but low armored. Great for making flag runs or getting people into a hot zone quickly.
2) The Tank -- My personal favorite. This thing packs a whollop and is heavily armored. It takes a driver and 1 person that can pop open the hatch and shoot at planes / whatever. Downsides - Slow speed and some people have trouble controlling the independent steering / turret aiming. Also you're pretty screwed if someone gets close with a flame thrower, as your turret can't aim low enough to hit them. and those flames hurt!
Warhawks:
A very fast, powerful weapon but one that makes a huge target and is initially very difficult to fly correctly. A Warhawk newbie's first mistake is probably flying first, before learning the ground game. While it can be done, general game familiarity will help ease you into a Warhawk (and knowing what to avoid). Warhawks have very little armor but usually have enough tricks to get away from most threats.
-------------------------
So how do you get the game?
Either download it from the PSN ($40), retail disc ($40), or retail disc with headset ($60). Note that you can pretty much use any bluetooth headset or USB headset with the game, so you may not want to pay for the included headset.
Also, note that the download version is unfortunately tied to the PSN account name -- maybe one day that will change, and another account (on your PS3) can use it.
-----------------------
Some things I don't like about the game --
1) Voice chat quality is generally poor, but usable. Also, since the headset it's standard with the game or PS3 packages, not everyone has them.
2) Sometimes newbies will get on level 2, 3, or 4 servers and have no idea what they're doing. Competition gets fierce, so too many noobs on a team can really damage the team's prospects. Thankfully this isn't too rampant of a problem.
3) I'm still not good at Warhawk piloting.
4) Team deathmatch seems to be a bit slanted toward Warhawk skills.
5) There's a bit of a learning curve for the game, especially if you're talking about piloting.
-----------------------------------
Now, somethings I really like about the game -
1) There's a role for almost anyone, as the game is nicely balanced between foot, vehicle, and air.
2) The maps, while not large in number (5, or 6 with expansion), are varied and generally large. Also, the ability to limit the playable area (for smaller games) ups the variety.
3) There are tons of little tricks and tactics to learn on every map.
4) Ranking up your character only gives you person/ship customizations -- everyone is always on even playing grounds when it comes to weapons, making skill a major factor in personal / team success.
5) Generally speaking, Sony's official servers perform well, with little to not lag, and there are enough (and populated) to play.
6) Developer support is good, even so long after launch, with a patch 1.3 planned to coincide with Home's rollout.
7) There are some awesome seat-of-your-pants moments in the game, especially if you're a flag carrier. Exciting stuff.
8) Servers are level-limited, so you won't find Generals (max rank) smashing recruits (lowest rank) on official servers.
9) The game tracks a crazy amount of detail on your performance. Like....sickening. Your performance with each weapon, vehicle, etc. If you love stats, Warhawk will give you wood.
10) Clan support
---------------------------------------
If you haven't tried Warhawk on the PS3, I highly recommend it. If possible, see if you can pry/borrow a retail disc from a PS3 buddy, as those aren't tied to any particular account (IIRC). Or, maybe rent it.
But, be warned. If you're like me, it's going to take time to learn the game. I'm a decent TF2 player on PC -- I've played the crap out of that game...but going into Warhawk was definitely a bit different for me.
After a few days, though, I started to really get the hang of it. By the time I was Sergeant rank, I was scoring very high on the score charts, usually 1/2nd place. Now I'm too high to get on noob servers, but the newer competition is refreshing on the level 2 servers, usually leading to some incredibly intense (and fun!) battle royales.
Hope to see you in the game!
(Cputeq007)
-----------
In case you're a PS3 owner and haven't given Warhawk a try, you might want to do so.
This game may just be your next addiction
I thought I would give some user reviews of the game, having owned it just over 8 days and logged 40 hours. I know -- I'm sad.
------------------
------------------
Warhawk is a multiplayer-only game for the Playstation 3. You have the choice of setting up your own internet/LAN server, playing local split-screen, or playing online.
If you've ever played Battlefield 2, then you have a really good idea of where Warhawk is going. Of course there are some differences, but Battlefield 2 vets will find the game more familiar than a total newbie.
Still, though, Warhawk takes time to learn properly. When I first began the game, it was frustrating. Very frustrating. Invent-new-curse-words frustrating. I'm a long-time PC gamer (KB/M aim FTW!), so playing a 3rd-person shooter using thumbsticks was a challenge, even though I had formerly beaten Bioshock just fine on 360.
After a while, though (sometimes a week, sometimes a few days), something just clicks. You stop thinking "damn this game is frustrating" and start thinking "Oh my God that was awesome!"
-----------------
"I'm not a Battlefield 2 vet and I've never heard of Warhawk, so what's it like?
Basically, Warhawk is (usually) a team-based game of deathmatch, capture-the-flag, or "zones".
You play Warhawk in one of three primary ways -- On foot as a soldier (or using an anti-air turret), in a vehicle (tank or jeep), or flying (Warhawk or the expansion-required Dropship).
Your primary goal -- Kill the other people! But, along with that, you usually have objectives.
Naturally, in a game of Capture the Flag, the whole point is to grab the opponent's flag and touch your flag with it to score. Of course, you have to defend your flag all the while.
In Zones, you basically take over and "grow" zones -- The more linked zones you control, the more points you get for kills. The first team to reach a target score (something like 3000) wins.
Team deathmatch is just that -- First team to get X number of kills wins.
-------------------
"Sounds easy enough -- I'll just get in a Warhawk and fly around all day shooting people!"
Not so fast, buster. Luckily for all us non-pilots (like me!), Warhawk developers have balanced the 3 "modes" of fighting extremely well. While a good Warhawk pilot is a fearsome thing, he's not really overpowering because other factors are going to come into play.
For instance -- A typical map will have 1 or more "control points". If your team captures this point, it becomes an additional spawn location for your team, with additional tanks, jeeps, jets, etc.
So, for instance, let's say this is how a map is laid out:
E 1 2 3 4 5 C
Teams E and C are the base camps -- they can't be captured.
In a game of capture the flag, it's really advantageous if team C captures (and holds) control point 1. They can respawn much closer to E's base, giving them more chances to take hold of their flag.
"Big deal. Warhawks will still own the game!"
Not really. You see, to capture a point -- You can't be in a Warhawk =)
Foot soldiers can capture points. Tanks and Jeeps can. For a "pilot" to capture the point, he must exit his plane.
Additionally, in a game like capture-the-flag, many times a Warhawk isn't allowed to fly with the flag -- but tanks/jeeps can. This is much better than running it on foot.
"So how is the game balanced?"
Very nicely. Each "mode" offers advantages / disadvantages. Some people love foot soldiering and tank driving (that's me!) Some people are death-in-the-air. Some people are freakin' defensive beasts. For example:
FOOT SOLDIER:
As a foot soldier, you have an array of weaponry at your disposal, making you a fearsome opponent to other soldiers, vehicles, and airships alike.
For instance --
1) As a foot soldier, you can wield a knife and not show up on enemy radar. This is extremely valuable. I've stolen tanks right from under an enemy's nose, then pounded him with it.
2) You have lots of weapons -- Land mines to blow up enemies (they don't often appear until it's too late), rocket launchers to hit tanks and Warhawks with, machine guns to take down soldiers, Binoculars to call in airstrikes, sniper rifles, Flame throwers to take down vehicles or people, etc.
3) You can also man anti-aircraft weaponry to help take down Warhawks or other people (the missiles are great vs. vehicles)
Vehicles:
There are two basic ground vehicles.
1) The Jeep (4x4) -- This thing is fast. The Jeep can accommodate a driver, a .60 cal machine gunner on the back, and 1 passenger. They're very fast but low armored. Great for making flag runs or getting people into a hot zone quickly.
2) The Tank -- My personal favorite. This thing packs a whollop and is heavily armored. It takes a driver and 1 person that can pop open the hatch and shoot at planes / whatever. Downsides - Slow speed and some people have trouble controlling the independent steering / turret aiming. Also you're pretty screwed if someone gets close with a flame thrower, as your turret can't aim low enough to hit them. and those flames hurt!
Warhawks:
A very fast, powerful weapon but one that makes a huge target and is initially very difficult to fly correctly. A Warhawk newbie's first mistake is probably flying first, before learning the ground game. While it can be done, general game familiarity will help ease you into a Warhawk (and knowing what to avoid). Warhawks have very little armor but usually have enough tricks to get away from most threats.
-------------------------
So how do you get the game?
Either download it from the PSN ($40), retail disc ($40), or retail disc with headset ($60). Note that you can pretty much use any bluetooth headset or USB headset with the game, so you may not want to pay for the included headset.
Also, note that the download version is unfortunately tied to the PSN account name -- maybe one day that will change, and another account (on your PS3) can use it.
-----------------------
Some things I don't like about the game --
1) Voice chat quality is generally poor, but usable. Also, since the headset it's standard with the game or PS3 packages, not everyone has them.
2) Sometimes newbies will get on level 2, 3, or 4 servers and have no idea what they're doing. Competition gets fierce, so too many noobs on a team can really damage the team's prospects. Thankfully this isn't too rampant of a problem.
3) I'm still not good at Warhawk piloting.
4) Team deathmatch seems to be a bit slanted toward Warhawk skills.
5) There's a bit of a learning curve for the game, especially if you're talking about piloting.
-----------------------------------
Now, somethings I really like about the game -
1) There's a role for almost anyone, as the game is nicely balanced between foot, vehicle, and air.
2) The maps, while not large in number (5, or 6 with expansion), are varied and generally large. Also, the ability to limit the playable area (for smaller games) ups the variety.
3) There are tons of little tricks and tactics to learn on every map.
4) Ranking up your character only gives you person/ship customizations -- everyone is always on even playing grounds when it comes to weapons, making skill a major factor in personal / team success.
5) Generally speaking, Sony's official servers perform well, with little to not lag, and there are enough (and populated) to play.
6) Developer support is good, even so long after launch, with a patch 1.3 planned to coincide with Home's rollout.
7) There are some awesome seat-of-your-pants moments in the game, especially if you're a flag carrier. Exciting stuff.
8) Servers are level-limited, so you won't find Generals (max rank) smashing recruits (lowest rank) on official servers.
9) The game tracks a crazy amount of detail on your performance. Like....sickening. Your performance with each weapon, vehicle, etc. If you love stats, Warhawk will give you wood.
10) Clan support
---------------------------------------
If you haven't tried Warhawk on the PS3, I highly recommend it. If possible, see if you can pry/borrow a retail disc from a PS3 buddy, as those aren't tied to any particular account (IIRC). Or, maybe rent it.
But, be warned. If you're like me, it's going to take time to learn the game. I'm a decent TF2 player on PC -- I've played the crap out of that game...but going into Warhawk was definitely a bit different for me.
After a few days, though, I started to really get the hang of it. By the time I was Sergeant rank, I was scoring very high on the score charts, usually 1/2nd place. Now I'm too high to get on noob servers, but the newer competition is refreshing on the level 2 servers, usually leading to some incredibly intense (and fun!) battle royales.
Hope to see you in the game!
(Cputeq007)
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