Starhawk a Sony PlayStation 3 exclusive is just around the corner in early 2012 – from the same development team as Warhawk. This third person shooter has much going on for it and will most likely turn heads – at first glance it looks like a science fiction high paced version of Trenched (Iron Brigade) with its ability to ‘change the battlefield’ by calling upon enhancements during combat. Unlike Trenched it is not a tower defense game but a multiplayer duke-it-out offering for up to 32 players – there’s also a single player campaign starring Emmett Graves but so far we’ve only been privy to the mutliplayer private beta.
Since Starhawk is still in beta these are just some initial reactions to gameplay and may or not reflect the final outcome of the game. On the positives – Starhawk is a visual treat and will appeal to fans of the Halo series and beyond. The game is fast paced and has tons of aerial and land combat. Multiplayer will allow you to play as either the Rifter (humanoid) race or Outcast (mutants) factions – why these two hate each other is unknown but both have heavy artillery at their disposable and are ready to fight unconditionally.
As Starhawk is still being finalized we can only hope our list of negatives are addressed as well. There is no audible information when attacking forces are getting closer – for instance it is completely common to be run over by a Razerback (jeep) with no knowledge of the vehicle approaching. The same can be said for the transformer-like Hawks that can sneak up on you as easy as an assassin. Also, when you are in a jeep or other vehicle that is destroyed it will take you down with it — if there’s anything we learned from the 1980s G.I. Joe cartoon it’s when your ship is destroyed you automatically are ejected and parachute to safety — not so much the case in Starhawk.
Two other complaints on Starhawk – there’s two ways to view the map – a small default in the lower left corner and a large overlay hud. The small map provides no useful information – while the larger one has everything except that the opacity and colors fill up the screen – making it so you cannot fight and use the map on screen at the same time. Also, there’s an option to melee in the game but it seems like a moot point as Starhawk is all about distance and the maps are so spread out that you’ll never find yourself close enough to stab someone with your energy blade.
For more on Starhawk check out their website:
http://www.starhawkthegame.com
Related Videos:
Starhawk Gameplay Beta [Commentary 01]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGJVkG38Fmc
Starhawk Gameplay Beta [Commentary 02]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmT8Kk7ec6w
Starhawk Gameplay Beta [Commentary 03]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJo7msusL_M
If you have never needed to melee then you’ve evidently not played very much. Yes, the game focuses on ranged combat and vehicle/aerial combat but if you’re in a supply bunker outside the enemy base shooting rockets at their defenses someone is bound to drop in the top and try to kill you. Odds are they will try and knife you, unless you knife them first. Besides, it’s way more satisfying to sneak up on someone and stab them in the back than it is to just spray them with an assault rifle or machine gun.