Warhawk

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I really like blowing things up. In most situations this statement would land me in prison, where making things explode would be limited to the warden's anger, but thankfully I have my PS3 and Warhawk to help with this slight aberration, letting me enjoy the soothing art of explosions.

Pros

  • Simple to get online and play, Good controls

Cons

  • Not enough depth to feel completely satisfied with the game

Bottom Line

Although the game leaves you feeling like there could have been more, it's hard to deny the intense, dizzying feeling of the overall game-play.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 99.95 (AUD)

Though Warhawk has a great presence and features intense online combat experience, there is not nearly enough stuffing to fill things out to make it feel like a full-fledged game.

An Elephant On A Landmine

Going online is delightfully painless and simple, and as soon as you join a game, your character will spawn at your chosen drop point. Immediately, there is no doubt you are at war; bullets are flying by your head, bombs are exploding off in the distance, and a thick cloud of smoke billows out of a burning building.

All of this is great, but being dropped immediately into the action leaves you somewhat bewildered and doesn't give you that feeling of connection to the game. What truly makes so many other MMOs in this genre so great is empathizing with what I'm fighting for and knowing why I'm playing when I'm trying to capture a flag or a zone.

When you start running around to get a handle on the layout of the map--there are plenty of maps here to keep things fresh--you'll be looking for weapons, tanks, jeeps, and yes, Warhawk planes to thwart the enemy with. This is without a doubt the game's greatest strength. It requires a bit of strategy to actually utilize all of the weapons and vehicles at your disposal. For example, if you are caught in a game of capture the flag, then zooming around the skies in an airplane may not give your team the greatest advantage to bringing home the flag. Without a doubt though, piloting a Warhawk is more tempting than watching an elephant tap-dance through a field of landmines.

The Dizzying Heights of Six-Axis

The flying aspect of Warhawk is what truly defines it and sets it apart from other third-person combat MMOs. There are plenty of planes scattered across the battlefield, and as soon as you make your selection and climb onboard, the plane starts hovering. Hold down the R2 button and you vehicle will rise up into the clouds. When you're at a safe height, tap the triangle button and the Warhawk converts to flight mode and you're ready to tear up the skies.

There are plenty of power-ups floating around the skies to grab that should not be missed; if you're caught without them, it will make taking on a dogfight next to impossible. It truly is a dizzying experience to rush through a tunnel of concrete, nearly hit a tank broadside, and pull back on the controller to head straight into a loop followed by a barrel roll.

The controls for the plane are everything they should be, and echo most every other aspect of the game: a tightly polished product that is simply intuitive. Though the action became intense and sometimes frustrating, I was always ready to jump right back into the mix. The lack of off-line play is the one thing really hurts the experience. Expansion packs for vehicle and character customization are scheduled for release via download in '08, so hopefully that will keep things fresh. The Blu-ray version of the game does come with behind-the-scenes extras and a Bluetooth headset, but with a cheaper price tag at the Playstation store, why spend the money?

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