Sony Gamers Day 2007: Warhawk

I admit, I’ve had high hopes for Warhawk. To me, it was looking to be the kind of major time sink that Halo 2 was for me online, or even Counter-Strike and Battlefield 2.

Perhaps those hopes were a bit too lofty, because out of everything I saw at Sony’s Gamers Day event, Warhawk was the biggest letdown, by far. While Brian Crecente and I debated the game constantly, I just didn’t see it as the perfectly-controlled title that he did.

Yeah, the graphics and ideas behind Warhawk are good enough, but the actual gameplay and control of the game is a complete mess. After playing such perfectly adaptive shooter titles on consoles such as Resistance: Fall of Man and Halo, it’s amazing that some developers still can’t lock that delicate control scheme down.

But, I’m not giving up hope. I’ll give the beta a try and maybe the controls just need a ton of familiarity combined with sensitivity tweaking, but as of the multiplayer demo that we tested, it was almost impossible to play the game.

I could hardly focus on anyone on the ground to go after and flying was just a hectic circus. A pick up and play title this is not. While it still shows incredible promise to be something exciting online (the action on screen was intense and fast-paced), the devs really need to lock down the preciseness of the controls or else their going to have a Perfect Dark Zero on their hands. 

OVERVIEW

The long-awaited remake to the PlayStation® hit takes flight on the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system.  In Warhawk™, players experience the thrill of white-knuckle aerial combat with swarms of enemy fighters, bone-crunching armored assaults and high-intensity infantry combat in a massive, all-out war fought both on the ground and in the skies.

Warhawk delivers high definition warfare and multi-modal combat exclusively through online gaming, allowing players to battle against and alongside the Warhawk online community.  Through various gameplay modes such as Team Deathmatch, Territories Mode and Capture the Flag, players engage in cooperative online play or fend for themselves against a barrage of enemies in thrilling combat.    

During battle, players can take command of the most advanced war machine in the fleet, the Warhawk, capable of aerobatic dogfights at high speeds or hovering over ground troops providing tactical support.  Players continue the battle on foot with an arsenal of weaponry including rifles, flame throwers, grenades and more.  Furthermore, players can gain access to an array of ground vehicles and lay waste with powerful weapons mounted on jeeps, tanks and specialty transports.

The stunning graphics and power of PS3 set the stage for a truly unique Warhawk universe filled with detailed on-screen vehicles and troops, captivating and interactive landscapes, destructible cities, and vibrantly detailed environments.

KEY FEATURES

Pilot the most advanced Fighter in the Fleet – Fly or hover to engage in intense dogfights with a vast army of high-flying enemies in addition to enemy ground forces.  Player can opt to “steer” the Warhawk in flight using the roll, pitch and yaw motion controls of the SIXAXIS™ wireless controller.
Fight on Foot, in Ground Vehicles, or in the Sky – Next-generation multimodal design throws players into a fun and diverse gameplay experience. Fight in the war as a foot soldier, vehicle driver or ace pilot – whatever you want.
Play Warhawk Exclusively Online – Players can engage in huge multi-modal online battles.  Through various online gameplay modes such as Team Deathmatch, Territories Mode and Capture the Flag, players can engage in team play or fend for themselves against a barrage of online enemies.
Discover a Vast and Unique World – Highly customizable soldiers representing Eucadian and Chernovan forces must defend their territory against online enemies throughout hundreds of square miles of high-resolution and fully interactive terrain in a world where old and new technologies merge in epic battle.
Experience an Expansive Online Community – Join teams or maintain clans in the Warhawk online community.  Full stats, rankings, leaderboards, badges, awards and more are supported and reward players for success on the battlefield. Players can stay organized online with user-friendly communication tools.
A Full Arsenal of Weapons – Whether in the air, on the ground or in a combat vehicle, players have an array of weapons at their disposal, including missiles, rockets, sniper riffles, flame throwers and more.
Powered by PLAYSTATION 3 – The processing power of PS3 enables Warhawk to feature a wide variety of fluidly moving characters and various combat vehicles, all of which realistically interact with their environments, leading to more chaotic and immersive warfare.