Warhawk

Back when Sony's third home console was just a baby and light on big titles, Incognito brought out Warhawk. Few may remember a game of the same name released on the original Playstation back in 1995, a fantasy flight combat game. Twelve years later, Sony has brought the franchise back for a complete reinvention. This is a 32 player, online only third-person shooter. With huge, sprawling maps perfect for chaotic battles. To go along with the dynamic solider vs. soldier combat, the attraction to Warhawk is having the ability to pilot one of the many vehicles. Along with ground turrets, jeeps, and tanks, you can fly the titular aircraft.

As an exclusively multiplayer game, Warhawk is light on plot, with a basic backstory as to why this giant war has broken out. The Chernovan army (red) has invaded Eucadia (blue) who fights furiously to defened their home turf. That's about as in depth as it goes, with the rest being up to your imagination. You are able to customize your appearance for two different load-outs, one per team, along with a fully customizable aircraft for each team as well. The more you level up, the more insignias and clothing items you'll unlock.

Once you're set and ready for battle, you'll notice the options for game types. There are six game types to choose from (originally four, with two added in a later update). These are mostly your basic modes, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Zones, Hero (same as TDM, but one player is given special priorities for a minute), and Collection (you attempt to collect cores and return them to your base). Nothing out of the oridinary, but you have all the necessary game types. All of these can be played across five maps, an at first underwhelming number until you've witnessed the insane scale of these maps.

Combat is fast and hectic. There are many weapons scattered across the map to collect and test out. With flamethrowers, rocket launchers, explosive binoculars, and standard rifles, you're sure to find a favorite weapon or two amongst the many the game has to offer. However, just grabbing one and running out into a battlefield isn't likely to get you far. Warhawk has a heavy emphasis on teamwork, requiring you to familiarize yourself with the maps lay-outs and many strategies if you want any shot at racking up points or a win.

While the various vehicles in Warhawk are tempting to hop in and cruise about with, they'll also take a bit of time to learn. Jeeps are fast but vulnerable, while tanks are deadly yet slow. The biggest learning curve of all, though, is held by the Warhawk/Nemesis itself. If you're playing against a team of even slightly skilled Warhawk players, they know how to control the sky. The dual-stick control methods for planes takes a while to get used to be able to just fly smoothly and dodge missles, and on top of that you're going to need to learn all the tricks of offensive flying yourself in order to rack up some kills of your own. There are just as many options for weapon types in the air as there are on the ground.

If all this sounds intimidating, don't be nervous. Warhawk is a hard game with a very steep learning curve. If you want to be a top player, you're going to need to pour hundreds and hundreds of hours into this game. But for most of us, we don't have that kind of time for a game, so does that mean we can't enjoy Warhawk? Not at all. Even if you're not the most talented player, Warhawk is still a blast. Plus, with so many options you are sure to find a way to contribute to your team, even if you can't kill another player for anything. There are many game matching options (Warhawk has one of the most accesible match finding systems of any online game ever) to find some opponents around your skill level.

For a game with virtually no storyline at all, Warhawk's atmosphere does wonders. The art style and beautifully designed maps make you feel as if you're a part of this ongoing war between the Chernovans and Eucadians. What really sets everything over the top, is the game's astounding soundtrack. Christopher Lennertz and Timothy Michael Wynn paint a vivid picture of the Warhawk universe, with some of the best compositions in recent gaming history. Even if you don't enjoy the gameplay Warhawk has to offer, you're almost guaranteed to be awed by its music.

Like all online games, Warhawk is full of various medals, badges, and ribbons waiting to be earned, and levels to be climbed. However, one thing that may be a turn-off to Warhawk newcomers are the brutal waiting times in between some of the higher levels. If you like to level up quick and often, you'll be disappointed when you've been playing for months consistently and still seem like you need a ridiculos amount of XP to reach your next level.

Warhawk can be frustrating, and is certainly not for everybody. However, thanks to a strong community and some of the coolest design choices in gaming this generation, it still remains one of the biggest achievements for online multiplayer shooters on the Playstation 3. If you enjoy challenging, team-based shooters with unique vehicular combat, Warhawk is worth your time and money.

Logan Smithson, NoobFeed