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Preview of: WarHawk | By: Justin Fenico |
22 May-2006 |
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One of the first PS3 titles I played at E3, Warhawk’s lasting impressions stuck with me throughout the expo. |
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One of the first PS3 titles I played at E3, Warhawk’s lasting impressions stuck with me throughout the expo. Let’s start out with the simple, yet unique way of flying your advanced fighter by tilting your PS3 control stick around as if you were on ecstasy (not that I would know what being on ecstasy is like). Tilt left-go left, tilt right-go right, this isn’t rocket science people. We’ve all seen those types of people who get so excited and immersed in a game that they literally start moving with the action; Warhawk seems to be just the game for them. You might think that the lack of using the analog stick for movement would be a tough adjustment but within seconds the PS3 controller and I became one. Even starting out I noticed how fluid the plane moved with even a twitch of my wrist in any direction I deemed fit. Now some of you may be saying Sony is blatantly stealing Nintendo’s idea. Truth be told, it seems that the Sony control only takes into account the type of roll the controller experiences, and isn’t nearly as sophisticated as Nintendo’s Wii controller which is capable of managing the movement in a 3D experience (X, Y, and Z Axis). That being said, it was still a welcoming change when I grabbed the controller for the first time.
Only at the 30% completion mark, Warhawk has all the makings of a promising next generation title. With a plethora of enemy fighters on the screen at once, it’s amazing that, without any optimization, there wasn’t any slow down. Adding to the graphical chaos are bullets coming from every angle, debris scattering around from recently destroyed fighter jets, and even some very cool “scatter” missiles at your disposal. These things are a god-sent for any pilot and allow you to lock on to numerous fighters at once. Once you fire you get the pleasure of watching 4, 5, 6, or even 7 missiles homing in on their target and taking them out with pure precision. During my first mission I became quite the assault expert taking out multiple bogeys at a time. As much fun as that was, it didn’t compare to the more intense objective of taking out a few frigates. This required a hit and retreat strategy. I would fly in, fire and forget a few missiles, avoid fire from about four different directions and then break away. After I noticed pieces of one of the frigates falling right in front of me I went in for the kill aiming at the back of the engine. Big explosions ensued and I was pleased with my efforts (and the sudden increase in fire) overall. In fact, the overall feeling I had of Warhawk reminded me a lot like when I used to play Crimson Skies.
Even though the map I flew around was eerily reminiscent of a (yes again) Crimson Skies level; I noticed the graphical power of the PS3 at work. My jet, for instance, had a very nice metallic coat making it seem industrial yet nice-looking for any pilot. Even the clouds and water reflection was impressive this early on in development. The only minor mishap I noticed was when I would crash into a frigate only to bounce off like a rubber ball. I’m guessing (or I should say hoping), that the hit-detection isn’t quite complete. In a game where speed and maneuverability are nice looking as well as personally satisfying, bouncing off of other planes/objects would just seem silly.
I don’t believe Warhawk has a snowballs chance in hell of being a launch title; which is a real pity. It's one of the few titles I played at E3 that instantly grabbed my attention. Perhaps the simple notion of using your controller to actually “control” the plane that has grasped my attention so deeply; regardless of the reason, I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears out for any news about this title, and so should you. |
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