WarHawk Review

By Richard Leadbetter Published 30 August, 2007

It's a battlefield out there.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

Let's be honest here. WarHawk owes more than a small debt to Electronic Arts' supreme Battlefield series, its premise being very simple: get a large bunch of gamers into a huge virtual warzone, give them a range of weapons, vehicles and bases and essentially let them blast the living daylights out of each other. Sure, there's a whiff of strategy about it, and a well-organised unit is going to wipe the floor with a bunch of out-for-themselves mercenaries, but the core experience is very similar. It's all about the experience of being one man caught in the middle of all-out carnage.

WarHawk is beautiful to play not only because developer Incognito recognises the essence of what made Battlefield great, but also because it knows how to code great console games, both in terms of technology and gameplay. Graphically then, it's a beautiful looking open-world game, with key 'next gen' visual moments where a vast array of detail is on display. This huge depth of vision isn't just for show - manning a turret and blasting a distant enemy plane out of the skies is just one example of how the engine is utilised to benefit the gameplay. Easily being able to locate weapons or health power-ups at just about any given point is another.

Delicately Poised

WarHawk has five game variations - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag should need no introduction, while the fourth option, Zones, sees you taking over territory in a game where more land equals more points - the game ending when a set number of points are reached. Dogfight cuts out the land-based battling altogether, allowing up to 32 players to engage in a purely aerial form of combat that showcases the excellent control method (hint: move to the Pro aerial controls as soon as you can).

'WarHawk' Screenshot 1

While there's nothing exceptionally innovative in the game modes, it all comes down to the execution. WarHawk is a game that is precisely balanced. Every vehicle, every weapon, has its own strengths and weaknesses. The game equips you perfectly for every situation, giving nobody a key advantage - at least to begin with. If you happen to end up in a game where your enemy controls all of the bases and fortifications, you'll inevitably end up being spawn-camped by the dominant team.

Also worthy of praise is how WarHawk offers multiple map variations for every level to accommodate smaller games. Dedicated servers can house 24 or 32 players, but if you're hosting on a typical ADSL line, the chances are that you'll be limited to a maximum of eight connections. In these cases, smaller versions of the main map are available, tailored to the more intimate atmosphere. It's good to know that while WarHawk works beautifully with a jam-packed server, there's also support for those looking to host smaller, more private games.

Not Without Its Negatives

WarHawk isn't without its negative points. I was surprised to see that the final game featured the exact same five maps that were in the beta. After several weeks of fairly religious play on those levels during the extended playtest, I was looking forward to fresh terrain in the final game (and additional vehicles) and was somewhat disappointed to see nothing new at all. I can only hope that additional content is added later on via download, as - even with the various map configurations available - it does get a little samey after a few weeks.

'WarHawk' Screenshot 2

Being so familiar with everything the game offers also means that newcomers to WarHawk who didn't participate in the beta are going to be at an immediate disadvantage when they first log on. Air combat in particular is tricky to fully master, and the chances are that newbies are destined to be continually blown out of the sky within seconds of taking off. WarHawk offers next to no training whatsoever, to the point that setting up a local game and playing on your own is the only way to get to grips with four control methods the game expects you to master. Some CPU-controlled bots would've helped there, but, alas, they're not forthcoming.

The only other issue I have concerns voice comms. Holding down L3 is required to engage the chat mode (a bit of a pain in itself) but, more than that, the quality of the voice itself varies dramatically. Outside of team games, I turned off the voice entirely - the better to appreciate the music and the truly excellent, THX-certified surround sound.

Buy the Blu-ray Version

WarHawk is an excellent online game and the option to play it here and now via download, as an alternative to buying it from retail, is a great move. There's just something intrinsically cool about the whole concept and this game should've been the standard bearer for online delivery.

But in this case, downloading the game comes with a disappointing DRM penalty. Essentially, if you buy the game from the PlayStation Store, only the account that made the purchase has rights to play the game. And if you port that account to another PS3, there's a 24-hour delay before you can play again. The message here is clear - Sony has had enough of gamers sharing their accounts and giving away their games to other people for free. Fine.

'WarHawk' Screenshot 3

While it is completely understandable for Sony to protect their investment in such an important game, the restrictions are overly prohibitive. Sony itself has set up a system for multiple users to play on the same PS3, with their own friends lists, game stats etc. But even sub-accounts connected to the main user profile are banned from playing WarHawk, so the message from Sony is obviously that only the person who buys the game - and him alone, nobody else in the household - should be able to play it. To me, that's a line that should not have been crossed.

SixAxis support is also something of a mixed bag - quite surprising considering that early Warhawk demo code was used to showcase the controller's motion sensor a couple of E3s ago. It's certainly entertaining enough in the flight sections if you're intent on a scenic journey around the large game maps, but in the heat of hardcore combat, the motion sensor's lack of precision is frankly a liability. It gets worse when using the jeep and tank, where SixAxis is expected to double up as a steering wheel. The jeep in particular is almost uncontrollable and while the sensitivity can be adjusted, that only serves to balls-up the fairly well adjusted controls for the flight mode. The fact that SixAxis support is disabled by default speaks volumes, and I can only suggest that you leave it that way.

What is strange is that Sony seemingly has nothing to lose by allowing sub-accounts using the same console to play WarHawk. It still kills off the game-sharing, it wipes out the possibility of reselling it, but crucially it doesn't handicap any legitimate use of the game by people who choose to download rather than buy the disc version. But with things the way they are now, I think opting for the retail WarHawk is the best way forward, not least because the Bluetooth headset you get isn't bad value at all, plus you're free to play the game on as many PS3s and/or accounts as you desire. The headset itself is a standard mid-range Jabra effort, meaning it's good for your mobile too.

It's disappointing to end this review on a sour note and it's all the more frustrating because every other online component of this game (dodgy voice chat aside) works so well and serves the gamer brilliantly. I've not had this much fun with the PS3 since... well, since I played the WarHawk beta, actually. Download DRM issues aside, this is a game that begs to played and enjoyed.

Incognito has taken the DNA of Battlefield and crafted a sublime online console game - a virtual battlezone that serves up more than its fair share of wonderful audio-visuals, but more than that, plays beautifully, with every game you play supplying a key gameplay moment that only online gaming provides.

8 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

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Comments (106) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Lawlost #1 5 years ago

    Oooh an 8

  • Yossarian #2 5 years ago

    this has been getting good scores all over

  • BigHairyBear #3 5 years ago

    I've only had a lil play, but what i saw it was very good.....Going back on tonite, can't wait!

  • NickyJo #4 5 years ago

    Call me when PS3 gets a AAA exclusive. But I'm happy for PS3 owners that this turned out good, they deserve it after Lair, Heavenly sword.

  • Psychotext #5 5 years ago

    Pretty solid. I'm not much into multiplayer only titles but I can see this one catching on with people.

  • Dizzy #6 5 years ago

    Good to see the PS3 crowd join the online fight at last. I am sure this will be fun... it certainly looks like it.

  • The-Bodybuilder #7 5 years ago

    FINALLY...

  • JohnnyWashnGo #8 5 years ago

    Hmmm it looks very nice in motion, but sadly just not my type of game :(
    Multiplayer games don't do anything for me at all. All that social interaction stuff just gets on my nerves.

  • George-Roper #9 5 years ago

    /agree

    Good to see something other than Motorstorm get the PS3 engine purring.

  • AcidSnake #10 5 years ago

    "Not Without Its Negatives"
    Not exactly the most inspired sub-caption now is it?

  • rhinoxious #11 5 years ago

    Looks good, but not good enough to warrant buying a PS3.

    Also I'd liked to have read more about the gameplay and less about DRM issues. For most lone male PS3 gamers the one account only restriction will make absolutely no difference.

  • RedPanda #12 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • lennon #13 5 years ago

    I think I will pick up the disc version so I have the option of trading it back in. Incidently how does it compare to Shadow Run? I really enjoyed shadow run for a couple of weeks but the novelty wore off after a while. Does this fit in the same category?

  • JediMasterMalik #14 5 years ago

    @NickyJo - What about HS and Lair? HS at least has been getting some very good reviews.

    The download was surprisingly quick, installing now. \o/

  • lockload #15 5 years ago

    "Call me when PS3 gets a AAA exclusive. But I'm happy for PS3 owners that this turned out good, they deserve it after Lair, Heavenly sword. "

    It seems all of sonys "AAA" titles ar falling short all seem to fai in thesame areas to much emphasis on graphics and not enough on gameplay

  • Feanor #16 5 years ago

    I haven't seen any proper reviews of Lair or Heavenly Sword yet.

    WaxBrazillian, you haven't even played Warhawk, have you?
    Edited by 1 at 30/08/07 @ 14:34

  • TDS #17 5 years ago

    /sighs

  • lockload #18 5 years ago

    I downloaded the game off the US PSN store a few days ago my major complaint is noone talks and it makes the game souless..not paticular inspired to pick it up again at present, maybe once ibe finished off bioshock and before halo3 comes out
    Edited by 1 at 30/08/07 @ 14:36

  • dominalien #19 5 years ago

    Still undecided whether to get it or not (no time, you see).

    Funny thing, this online distribution system. Makes the game so much more tempting, knowing it's just 3 clicks and 25 minutes of download away.

  • GamesConnoisseur #20 5 years ago

    Glad that ths game is reviewed well and now downloading and looking forward to it.

    Re Heavenly Sword got 70 at IGN who usually rate game higher than other sites, but metacritic out of 6 reviews give it respectable 83. Was expecting better.

    Lair is a different story as only got 68 from 4 reviews and seem better go with HS and rent Lair.

  • S.J.Rogers #21 5 years ago

    A quick question for the PS3 people...

    I am a 360 owner but as a Gadget whore i would like a PS3 and have the money ready, just waiting for a good game...

    Is this a game worth getting a PS3 for, as non of the others have interested me as yet..?

  • Machetazo #22 5 years ago

    IGN have a vid review up, with plenty of footage.

  • Draqule #23 5 years ago

    @S.J.Rogers

    There is plenty to be getting on with on PS3. I haven't played Warhawk yet, so I can't comment on that specifically, but since I picked one up (for reasons similar to yours) I haven't regretted it once. Lot's of the games out already are top drawer, the PSN is nice as is the overall functionality. /Join us

  • Cannibal #24 5 years ago

    No mention of how the sixaxis controls in this.

  • lennon #25 5 years ago

    @S.J.Rogers - Just to balance out Draqule. I have a PS3 and consider there to be next to nothing out for it. I have 2 games Resistance and Ninja Gaiden and the most played game on my PS3 is Okami. I dont regret buying one as I only paid £180 for it but I would hold on if your looking at paying full price.

  • kangarootoo #26 5 years ago

    @rhinoxious

    Is any single game good enough to warrant buying a console?


    @S.J.Rogers

    Probably not just yet. I have a PS3 and I don't use it a whole lot except for movie watching. Remote Play is great, as I've mentioned on here before. With that in mind, if the idea of watching Freeview digital TV on the move rocks your boat, this clip could make you poop your pants with excitement :)

    http://ko taku.com/gaming/clips/play-tv-o...

  • Freelancepolice #27 5 years ago

    I wasn't that impressed with the ground sections. The flying sure was fun though. It's got that horrid sharp, jaggy and clinical look though...

  • dominalien #28 5 years ago

    @S.J.Rogers: Yeah, Draqule is very optimistic. I got mine on launch day and basically Motorstorm and Ninja Gaiden have made the purchase worthwhile for me. Not much else I'd like to play, however. But now, there's this. I wouldn't say it's worth getting a PS3 for, though.

  • Cannibal #29 5 years ago

    Personaly I'm waiting until the PS3 gets at least 5 games that average above a 9.0 score.

  • Steroyd #30 5 years ago

    I broke down and downloaded it was so hard knowing how long i'd have to wait for the retail version. :/

    I spent the last hour on a LAN game on my own customizing the buttons to my taste I can see where the joy can come from in this game.

  • smoothn00dle #31 5 years ago

    8 is the best score, is honest. Below 8 mean the game has a critical fault. Over 9 is mostly hype. Gamespot give MGS1 a 8.5, turn out to revolutionary.

  • kangarootoo #32 5 years ago

    @WaxBrazillian

    So 5 mins is as long as you can manage before its all over eh? I'm sure you are dead popular with the ladies o-o


    @Richard Leadbetter

    I'm not normally one to criticise a review, but you can't seriously list "nothing much has changed since the beta" as a negative point of the game. The beta test is just that, a beta test. The fact you personally happened to be part of that test means nothing to your readership. You might as well complain that the springs had gone in your favourite gaming chair, making the experience of playing Warhawk and uncomfortable one.

  • Lukus #33 5 years ago

    Someone's got mental problems..

  • andromeda #34 5 years ago

    it's not Bioshock though is it.

  • kangarootoo #35 5 years ago

    @andromeda

    Neither is your mom, but I still think she rocks!


    ... no offense, just had to wheel the mom joke out.

  • andromeda #36 5 years ago

    @kangaratoo

    can we get off mums now?


    after all, i just got off yours XD

  • Cannibal #37 5 years ago

    Bioshock does benefit the PS3 though.

  • JYM60 #38 5 years ago

    Only played briefly (fuck you dentist) but I'm ready to get stuck in now.

    What I did play was fucking excellent though.

  • Artemus #39 5 years ago

    Nice review. Went home at lunch to download. Can't wait to play tonight now.

  • stodgypudding #40 5 years ago

    8 seems a bit generous for a multiplayer game with only 5 maps?

  • mash the x button #41 5 years ago

    A one page review, congratulations!

  • rashes #42 5 years ago

    bummer... makes me kind of want a PS3. This isn't supposed to happen till next year.
    I've christmas to get through....

  • Dr_Lobster #43 5 years ago

    Three graphs spent on DRM? What about visuals?

  • NickyJo #44 5 years ago

    What do you expect from a game with no single player?, lack of content deserves half a page, Eurogamer were generous.

  • bleeptest #45 5 years ago

    So there's no single player like the PS1 original?

  • NickyJo #46 5 years ago

    While this is a nice game, Halo 3, COD4, UT3 will soon relegate Warhwak to a distant memory in online gamers minds,

    The big hitters are on the way, Warhawk is just a little girl standing in their shadows, no reason to buy a PS3 for this.

  • Draqule #47 5 years ago

    I'm not a Sony rep honest. After being a firm Microsoft man since I first got my Xbox and after the whole launch debacle and critisism the PS3 got, I was really pleasantly suprised by how good it was, when I actually had one sitting under my telly. For me personally-

    Resistance
    Motorstorm
    Sigma
    Flow
    Stardust
    Warhawk (terms and conditions apply)

    have validated my invesment in the machine.
    As a side note, after playing Bioshock, I happen to think it's a bit overrated.

    /runs...really really fast

  • zuljin #48 5 years ago

    @Egster
    Warhawk has 5 maps. Each map has 5 variations ( variations only include different weapons, starting locations and some flag points are disabled ).

  • skx #49 5 years ago


    No no Draqule your right with Bioshock..its more a 9 than a 10.

    But by the way.. are there 5 or 25 Maps in Warhawk? 5 would be a little bit disappointing...

  • Frogger #50 5 years ago

    Does this fog visible on the screenshots is a way of hiding clipping ? Reminds me the first Turok on 3DFx cards.

  • zuljin #51 5 years ago

    @skx
    5. They are all symetric, but you can play smaller versions of them, some which are smaller and still centered and some which are one side of a map (assymetric).

    @Frogger
    Theres no fog on level playing field, only clouds. One of the screenshots shows a level up in the sky however, and so the fog is there to restrict you from going down.

  • kangarootoo #52 5 years ago

    @andromeda

    Badum tish!

    Touche :)

  • Azazel #53 5 years ago

    No no Draqule your right with Bioshock..its more a 9 than a 10.

    /ponders the difference between 9 and 10

  • mingster #54 5 years ago

    So i'm still in the dark about...

    how the vehicles / planes handle
    how many vehicles there are
    how well does the sixaxis work

    any one know?

  • rashes #55 5 years ago

    @Azazel

    lets not go there.... it's an emotive one....

  • oldergamer #56 5 years ago

    I gotta say this review is a tad sterile... The 8/10 tempts me but I'm afraid I'll get bored after a few hours. How does this compare to playing Resistance online, which is the only MP experience I have so far? Better?

  • JediMasterMalik #57 5 years ago

    Better I'd say, and alot more variety, vehicles, turrets, and ground combat, it all works well imo.

  • S.J.Rogers #58 5 years ago

    No PS3 for me yet then..!

    Will stick with 360 and wait fro CoD4, UT and Halo 3...

  • Weezer #59 5 years ago

    Those pics don't look a whole lot next-gen to me.

  • TheGrandChappo #60 5 years ago

    @S.J Rogers

    You've made the right choice! I bought a PS3 at launch and hardly use it! Of course when the quality games start rolling in it im sure it'll rack up the hours!

    Still, traded RFOM & Motorstorm in for Bioshock last Friday and lovin' it.

    Will download Warhawk tonight

  • El_MUERkO #61 5 years ago

    Will download it tonight I think, hopefully Sony will sort the subaccount issue and it'll be fine :)

  • kangarootoo #62 5 years ago

    @Weezer

    I never base my opinion purely on stills. Motion blur, frame rate and just general pace of movement all effect how things appear in the end. Burnout for example looks nice in stills, but looks amazing when moving. MotoGP looks a bit flat in stills, but looks ace when moving because it never drops frames. Warhawk looks very good when its hoofing about the place, nice smoke effects, nice explosions, good frame rates. Its worth seeing it running if you can before making a descision.

  • Kenshin001 #63 5 years ago

    Only read good reports of this game by people who have actually played it. What with Resistance already, this, COD4, Haze, UT etc all this year there is going to be a virtual feast of online multiplayer goodness.

  • BiscuitBase #64 5 years ago

    "PS3 in good game shocker!!!"

  • zuljin #65 5 years ago

    @mingster
    "how the vehicles / planes handle"
    Good responsive, all very different. All have own strengths weaknesses.
    4x4 - very fast / skiddy / easy to tumble over with (3 to a jeep)

    tank - slower, packs a punch, good for clearing mines, with a buddy sporting a rocket launcher it is a very good comb (2 to a tank).

    Warhawk - very fast, only takes 2 rocket launcher missiles to take out though, so quite fragile. Fantastic for darting across map stealing opponent flag when they are just about to capture yours! (2 to a plane)

    "how many vehicles there are"
    Warhawk / tank / 4x4. Then you have MG turrets, flak cannons, and missile launcher turrets - not strictly vehicles, but very useful since unlimited ammo.

    "how well does the sixaxis work"
    Mmm. Personally not my thing, I guess some people would use it, just like the Motorstorm SIXAXIS controls are funky, but I'll stick to normal buttons for now anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 30/08/07 @ 17:19

  • malarky #66 5 years ago

    Where's the euro servers? Having to play with transatlantic pings is shit.

  • Scimarad #67 5 years ago

    Was playing this on split-screen earlier on - Huuuuge ammounts of fun!

    Two or more on the same console VS the online hordes is just amazing...

  • macksed #68 5 years ago

    i know it shouldn't, but this game makes me really really really tempted to spend what i've saved for uni and get a ps3 :S

  • JediMasterMalik #69 5 years ago

    @BiscuitBase - After Resistance, NG Sigma, EG5, Motorstorm, and SSHD of course!
    Edited by 1 at 30/08/07 @ 18:21

  • oldergamer #70 5 years ago

    I have a mental map of the games to play this year and it's making me feel a little embarrassed: Bioshock, Warhawk, Metroid, Halo 3, Ratchet, Mass Effect, etc. I am truly ashamed.

  • belziah #71 5 years ago

    @WaxBrazillian

    why? I mean, just why?

    I suppose it must take your mind off being felched by the local vagrant(yes, we know you call him Dad but to the rest of us he's "pissy Bob";)

    Go play one of the wonderful 9/10 games us "poor" PS3 owners dont have and stfu
    Edited by 2 at 30/08/07 @ 18:44

  • JediMasterMalik #72 5 years ago

    @oldergamer - That sounds like a good list to me. :)

    Though you're missing SMG and Uncharted.

  • BootLace #73 5 years ago

    Just had a quick go on this. Was a little annoyed initially when trying to join the SCEE servers; there's an irritating delay between selecting a server and it telling you it's now full. I was probably just really unlucky it took so many attempts, but once I got in, have to say it is really good fun. It's more of a back to basics Battlefield (kept reminding me of Codename Eagle), with a sort of arcadey feel that makes it easier to get into. Hopefully that won't hurt it's longevity.

    Still, good couple of weeks for gaming, let's hope it carries on.

  • Ryze #74 5 years ago

    Hey - it's good!

    Wowzers.

  • JYM60 #75 5 years ago

    EG clan. Space for 15 more.

    See forum, unless you're a wierd tardy troll. In which case, there is no forum. :)
    Edited by 1 at 30/08/07 @ 19:43

  • dryden555 #76 5 years ago

    only 5 maps total though? Did I read that right? You can scale a map down for fewer players but sheesh that's cheap.

  • oldergamer #77 5 years ago

    @Jedimastermalik

    Left those two games out so the list wouldn't look too long... they are must-plays, too.

  • smelly #78 5 years ago

    Sounds good.. now gimme ratchet and clank!

  • smelly #79 5 years ago

    >"PS3 in good game shocker!!!"

    it's only been out 6 months!

    Give it a break.

  • Dr.Mott #80 5 years ago

    Or the myth about the Wii having no games. No wait, that one's true...

  • Monkey-Wizard-Ken #81 5 years ago

    The PS3 has a good game!, shocking :)
    Even more shocking, this game was very nearly canned.

  • DanC89 #82 5 years ago

    It's feckin' good.

  • jynxce #83 5 years ago

    Now this is rich. The game has no bots & 4 less maps than Shadowrun on the 360, but scores a full 2 points higher. Try to be a little more subtle next time...

  • caligari #84 5 years ago

    Smelly poverty stricken kids in 'I'll diss what I can't afford' shocker!!!

    :)

  • Darren #85 5 years ago

    Wow, what a surprise that Warhawk should turn out to be so damn good. Downloaded it earlier in less than an 40 minutes and have only had a few goes on it but it's bloody good fun for a multiplayer-only game and the graphics, whilst artistically simple, are superb, running fast and smooth no matter how much is going on. Perfectly priced at £20 in my opinion, if it'd been any more then it would likely have passed me by.

  • Darren #86 5 years ago

    jynxce - "Now this is rich. The game has no bots & 4 less maps than Shadowrun on the 360, but scores a full 2 points higher. Try to be a little more subtle next time..."

    ... yet Warhawk costs half the price of Shadowrun and plays a lot better!!! ;)

  • allen #87 5 years ago

    i propose a new scoring scheme. the more maps and bots you have the closer you are to 10. its the only fair way.

    off topic: warhawk is jolly good fun, shame the drm is a bit over the line but i'm only account user on my ps3 so not a huge worry for me. they could have done it differently though.

  • Vandrius #88 5 years ago

    Richard (reviewer), your choice to ramble on about DRM on the downloadable version was too much. You dragged the DRM ramble against Sony over FOUR PARAGRAPHS on a ONE page review. I'm sorry, but that isn't good reviewing, and you shouldn't have dragged it out past one para. Its a valid point, but not worth spending half the review on.

    Please take that as constructive criticism.

  • 3william56 #89 5 years ago

    I don't see what the DRM fuss is about. How many people here are really affected by this in practice, not in whatif theory? Really?

    ...

    Thought not. Quit whinging.

    Back to the game please.

    Question: does the restriction on accounts also make sure (a) you can permanently ban idiots without them turning up under a different name every 3 seconds, or (b) good players causing havoc in the lower ranks by continually slumming under a low ranked account? Sounds like a good thing to me.

    Jeez, didn't think I'd ever say this, but the IGN review is better - points out the major weakness is spawn site camping (why no temporary invulnerability after respawn so you can get to cover, as has been standard in 1P shooters since the 80s??), lack of tutorials (really need an option to have a 1P practice game with even just static targets to get to grips with the controls before heading out into the jungle of the interweb) and lack of bots. Will download this weekend, but know I'll be getting my ar$e handed to me quick sharp - hope it doesn't ruin the game.

  • Virvel #90 5 years ago

    I downloaded this game yesterday and it is great! Spent all night playing it and cant wait to get online again tonight.

    But it IS very similar to battlefield and even to Tribes1 from 1998...

    And all the rambling about the PSN download being restricted userwise.. I dont get it, its not like it costs alot of money, and who REALLY is affected by this? I would say well over 90% are not affected by the restrictions, and those who are can either buy two online viersions, or pay twice the price for the blueray disc.

  • Les #91 5 years ago

    How's the online community for this game (for as far as you can tell in this early stage)? What’s put me off of playing online games so far are the trash talking little fanboys that typically play online games.

  • kali_mist #92 5 years ago

    Les Said:How's the online community for this game (for as far as you can tell in this early stage)? What’s put me off of playing online games so far are the trash talking little fanboys that typically play online games.

    I played a few hours last night; there is not much talking so you would not really notice the wankers.
    If you want a few games add my psn: mlennon

  • bag-in-box #93 5 years ago

    Yes, there are some invulnerability when you spawn. At least I think it is, you are at least invisible for a couple of seconds.

    The only negative I found so far is that it's damn hard get into the ranked games. Either they are full or the game so ;)
    But do think you can't join mid-game? And when you try it says game is full..
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/07 @ 08:59

  • Vandrius #94 5 years ago

    disc, I'm not arguing the effect of the decision, I'm pointing out that it took up a full 4 paragraphs to complain about.

    I can think of many DRM issues that are worse than this. (cough, Starforce, cough)

    At worst, buy the blu-ray. Not really an issue to me, imo, but I *do* like having hard copies.

  • Darren #95 5 years ago

    The entire Warhawk game is less than 800 MB so the game coming on a 25 GB BD disc seems like overkill don't you think? In fact, the game would fit on one of those 800 MB CDs never mind a 9 GB DVD!!! LOL

  • teabagger #96 5 years ago

    Got half an hour of Warhawk in before work. It's really good, but playing online games like this mostly just serves to remind me how shit I am compared with most other people. Still, great fun though!

  • Les #97 5 years ago

    Might download it and give it a try tonight. Don't have a headset however (and really don't want one either). Is it playable without voice communications?

  • Agent_Llama #98 5 years ago

    Now officially tempted by this. Eek.

  • MossyMos #99 5 years ago

    Absolutely a lovely little game. Being an old Battlefield whore this sure brings back the memories. If you get hooked by this game I cannot see anyone not spending at least 15-20 hours online. I am sure to go well into the 40 hours over the next couple of months if my battlefield addiction was anything to go by. 20 quid very well spent IMO. And it is slick. I guess a console game affords that luxury of tweaking everything so that it never looses a step in framerate. Very important in a game like this.

  • jetsetdemo #100 5 years ago

    Just finished 1st run through on Bioshock, is it worth switching on the PS3 (something which I haven’t done since Forza 2 came out) and getting hold of this, I have always been a big fan of the Battlefield games and would love to know if this plays the same….

  • captainrentboy #101 5 years ago

    Confounder, shush!
    Your statement is boolsheet, and you know it sonny.

  • DjFlex52 #102 5 years ago

    @captainrentboy

    +1

  • Verwandlung #103 5 years ago

    A ps3 game?!

  • thinred #104 5 years ago

    Eurogamer is getting so anti-PS3, I don't even bother reading game reviews anymore. It's plain ridiculous.

  • smoothn00dle #105 5 years ago

    A download size has to be small. Do anyone want to download an 25 gig game? Why blu-ray because marketing and the cost of disc are same as DVD.

    Why the review spend so many words on DRM? Does that wound the gaming experience? Bioshock PC authorization system require gamers to log on to the server to play a single player game, I find that ridiculous. How come no mention of that on Bioshock review? I see double standard here.

  • Les #106 4 years ago

    “Eurogamer is getting so anti-PS3, I don't even bother reading game reviews anymore. It's plain ridiculous.”

    You should still read the reviews, just read a lot of them and don’t look too much at the review scores. There certainly is a sort of anti-PS3 vibe within the video gaming community. I guess Sony underestimated the impact of arriving late at the scene this time around or the willingness of the hardcore game journalists to embrace something new (Wii reviews in general suffer from the latter as well). While still being ridiculously cheap for what it offers, the PS3 is seen as much too expensive. And of course 600 euros is a lot of money for a just a games console (for those people not interested in the other functions it offers). A 360 offers more games right now and more exclusives, for a lower price (if you look at just gaming functionality and no online charges. The incredibly convoluted pricing scheme for the 360 is a brilliant move by MS) and often with a better online component (something journalists love but the non-hardcore gamer couldn’t care less about). Of course it has a criminally high failure rate, something which it kind of gets away with in the gaming media: Besides the occasional joke, there’s little said about it. I don’t know whether journalists have to pay for their 360 or not (might be a company expense). If not, that might explain the apathy with regards to the issue…

    Furthermore, despite how much gaming journalists like to complain about the lack of originality in gaming or the problem of ‘sequelitis’, their review scores don’t show for it. Highest rating games on the current gen platforms are just upgrades of last gen gaming templates. Wii games often get ridiculous review scores (unless they’re plain Gamecube ports like Zelda or Super Paper Mario) and the first real ‘next gen’ title on PS3 (Lair) gets slammed as well. I’ve played Lair and it most certainly isn’t the greatest game ever. But it does something new and it does it well.

    However, I’m of the opinion that none of the ‘next gen’ machines (Wii, 360 or PS3) so far have shown that they’re a worthy investment. If you’re new to gaming and you value gameplay over graphics, there still is nothing that can beat the PS2. If gaming journalists would be honest (and no graphics whores) I think they’d have to agree.

    Gaming media in general is of very poor quality, probably because of it’s relative infancy. Eurogamer isn’t great, but it’s one of the better sources of information IMO.

    But back to Warhawk: played my first games yesterday and must say I didn’t expect to have so much fun. As long as I stayed on the ground, I actually managed to take out some opponents in my first game! ;)

  • jlaakso #107 4 years ago

    Having played a lot of BF2 on the 360, it's a revelatory experience to play a solid-framerate online shooter. The 3rd person bugs me a bit and so far ground combat just isn't happening in the games I've played, which is a shame. The flying is super fun, granted, but I'd prefer some ground action, too.

  • Les #108 4 years ago

    "The 3rd person bugs me a bit and so far"

    I struggle most with the on-foot movement. The inverted controls don't feel natural. Haven't checked yet whether you can swap them, just for the on-foot part, because in flight they are fine.

    "The flying is super fun, granted, but I'd prefer some ground action, too."

    Most games I played featured a good mix of the two. But that might be because I tend to favor ground action and to effectively counter that, the opponent has to resort to it as well.

  • m0thr4 #109 4 years ago

    @disc: "So the PSN version is for loners."

    LOL! An online-multiplayer-only game is for loners?!? I think you'll find the opposite is true.

    Neither my wife nor my 22-month-old son have the dexterity to play Warhawk (my son is surprisingly good at Tekken:DR though). Fortunately, I have plenty of friends to play online with. This DRM business doesn't inconvenience me in the slightest.