Is a plot really required in today’s gaming age? What would happen if a company created a game that didn’t have a story, didn’t have a reason, didn’t even have a single player mode? Would our social hierarchy collapse from below are feet? Would anarchy rain down upon us like fiery death balls? Incognito entertainment decided to find out for themselves with the release of Warhawk for the Playstation 3.

Perhaps that was a little overdramatic but that’s exactly what Warhawk is- a multiplayer only wartime game with ground battles, tanks, jeeps, artillery and most importantly, those sweet, sweet Warhawk jets. As either the Eucadian or Chernovan army, you can gather a slew of weaponry for local or online battle in a fictitious war over a number of well planned out maps, you get to choose how you want to play, as a transporter in a tank or jeep, as a sneaky base catching soldier on foot, take up a defensive stance with a big anti-air machine gun or go all out in the jets that can convert from hover mode to jet mode (the only real similarity between this game and the earlier Warhawk game on PC and Playstation one). The selection of weapons is more than enough for any gun toting maniac and the options for online and LAN play give players plenty to warrant the price tag.

The game comes in two different packages, for the online player, which I would hope you are if you’re playing this game at all; you can download the game right off the Playstation store. Your other option is to buy the game which comes packaged with a Bluetooth headset for online play, which although is a great little gift, from my experiences, most players download the game and as such, don’t communicate via headset at all. If you choose to purchase the physical game, the Blu-ray disc comes with some extra video content, the head set and an instruction manual.

As an online warrior, you can play with up to 32 other Playstation 3 owners in a virtually lag free battle ground, one of the coolest moments in this game is seeing and hearing 31 other players flying Warhawks overhead, guns blazing, missiles launching, and beautiful explosions occurring every which way in amazingly detailed THX audio. The graphics seem a little unfinished in this game however as the player and vehicle models are basic at best while the jet explosions are stunning to watch above in the clouds. Presented in 720p and 1080i, the game is HD ready for all your stunning visual needs.

The controls are a great mix of borrowing from some of the best titles around, infantry controls are basic and precise, using the D-pad to change weapons, the vehicles work somewhat like Halo’s controls with the ability to give other players a lift or change your position with the touch of a button, you can also use the Sixaxis motion sensor to steer if you wish. Where the controls really shine is in the air with the Warhawks. Again, you may use the motion sensor controller to fly the ship, but otherwise the jets fly much like Star fox controls did back in the day, your left analog stick controls your movement while the right is used for loops, barrel rolls and U-turns, anything to dodge the upcoming missiles. For the more advanced player, you may enter Pro control mode, giving the right analog stick total movement control to fly how you want, when you want. Warhawks also have the ability to enter hover mode for take off, landing or just to cause a little chaos.

The game itself delivers what it said it would, a fun online experience that anyone with a PS3 and online connection can enjoy at any time. There are four types of game play, the standards like capture the flag, death match, and team death match are all included, but there’s also a new type of game play called node play. In this game type, you must capture team bases to expand your territory until you control the entire map, much like Battlefield. Each type of vehicle and weapon option has its pros and cons, so it ends up being much like a game of picking the right method for the right enemy on a battleground scale. If the opponent controls mostly jets and a plethora of weapons, your best bet may be to take up an anti-air artillery machine and defend your turf.

In terms of extras and bonuses, the game comes packed with a few videos to watch of upcoming games and a behind the scenes clip of Warhawk itself. The real fun comes in your online ranking system, here you can use the rank points to unlock such bonuses as new skins and costumes for online play to show others just how much you play this game.

Some other issues found in this game was the lack of any type of tutorial or Bluetooth options, simple little aspects to a game that would help any new player be able to jump right into the fray with a chance to at least get some rank points. The first time you play, some little tip boxes will come up explaining new weapons or vehicles, but otherwise, there’s no way of learning how to fight until your up to your elbows in grenades and Warhawk shells.

The game is easy to learn, fun to pickup and although it seems a little rushed and missing anything overly exciting, is still the best online playing game one can get for the Playstation 3 to date.

Graphics: 3.5 / 5.0
Gameplay 4.0 / 5.0
Sound 4.0 / 5.0
Replay value 4.5 / 5.0






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