| HAWKEN Mech Combat FPS Video Game Preview |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Games | |
| Written by Dan McNamara | |
| Friday, 23 November 2012 | |
HAWKEN Mech Combat FPS Video Game Preview
Manufacturer: Meteor Entertainment and Adhesive Games Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been self-supplied. From the moment you hit the launch button to when you expire in a burning and crumpled mess, the impact of the Hawken Mech Combat FPS video game is almost mesmerizing. Meteor and Adhesive Games have produced a gripping and fast paced game that is challenging, and very engaging. Benchmark Reviews has had the opportunity to review the pre-release game during the Open-Beta events 1 and 2. HAWKEN is an online, multiplayer, Mech based, first-person shooter that will be free-to-play. The vehicles are sleek and powerful; controls intuitive and responsive. From my point of view the Closed Beta Events were successful and foretell of a game that will be very popular.
In this review the game was played by three different users and their combined comments collected and summarized here. System RequirementsMinimum System Requirements are stated as:
Recommended Specifications are:
First Look: HAWKENIf there is one thing that stops people in their tracks it is the view of the battlefield. Hit the "Launch" button and as your screen clears you get a look at where you will either live or die. Smoke obscures your view and you know something has really hit the fan and it's time to kick some Mech bottom. 
When you leave your spawn point you had better be ready for battle and keep your head up. The world is multi-tiered and, as you will find out, the enemy can pop out from any angle and rain destruction on you and your Mech. And of course there are the Mechs. Your initial choice of Mechs provides a good set of basic abilities so you can be out a'stomin, and a'smashin and a'shootin in no time at all. Hawken provides new Mechs to try out and then purchase, and, of course there is a huge number of modifications that can be done to each to make them your own. 
A good Mech to start out with is the Assault Mech. It has lots of armor and can really take damage and keep on swinging. If you are looking for something to slug it out with little finesse this is the Mech for you.
If you favor agility and sniping then the Sharpshooter is a good choice. It is light and nimble, but with the excellent 3D movement in the game it is easy to maneuver into position for precision shooting.
The infiltrator is fast, light and has the ability to use camouflage to hide and unleash it's fury in an instant. These are just a few of the available Mechs, but you can tell there has been great effort put in to make the experience as complete as possible
HAWKEN Detailed FeaturesOnce you enter the game your first stop should be the Garage. This is where you fine tune your Mech for battle. I know from experience that if you don't do some initial tweaking before deploying your time on the ground won't be very long. 
Once you select your Mech you and move to the garage, you can tinker and tweak to your hearts content. Choose your weapons out load using the Equip tab. Upgrades are available at the Upgrade tab. You can spend a long time at the Optimization tab, making things just right. 
At the body shop you can change how every system on your vehicle looks and functions. This includes arms, legs, and torsos to name a few. You can even modify the little Mech robot that comes out of you back to repair you.
Finally you can finish off you tweaked out and pimped up vehicle with a custom paint job. 
You can have such a great time customizing your Mech to the extent that it becomes a big part of the game even before you deploy.
Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyI played the game, and then I asked my two sons to play the game. We spent a few good hours in the Beta Event and enjoyed every minute of it. I must admit, as you see below I do not have access to a high-end gaming machine. In Beta Event 1 I found it a bit choppy at first, but after adjusting my video settings I was able to play with enough control to have a grand old time. Test System
By Beta Event 2 everything had changed. I did not have to adjust anything, and I was able to jump into the action and shoot them up with the best of them. I don't know what they did at Hawken central, but it was a welcomed change. ResultsThe gaming environment is very satisfying. Gravity physics are right on, you can anticipate where you are going, and where the enemy will be. The multiple levels of the playing surface keep the action rolling. It seems like you can always see someone else, and someone else is gunning for you. I like the fact that it forces you to keep you moving and maintaining your awareness of your environment. The controls inside the Mech are relatively easy to figure out. The HUD puts what you need to fight well within your field of vision, and keeps it there and everything is very intuitively laid out. In almost no time you are using everything available to keep track of the game. The map/IFF bubble does the job of keeping track of the players very well. The only thing that I would like to see improve is the blue force tracking being consistent. In this game the prize goes to the players that are hunting in a pack, so being able to identify where the friendlies are is very important. In the screen cap below, if you look closely you can see what the IFF shows when you are about to take a forced rest. 
You can certainly tell when you are taking fire and you can maneuver your Mech quick enough to get a few licks in when you are pinned to the ground.
HAWKEN Final ThoughtsI like the game. It's just that simple. Hawken has enough customization to keep you tweaking your vehicle endlessly. It packs tons of action into a short period of time and has a lot of terrain and details so that you are immediately immersed in the simulation. And it is a fun game. I have had a ball every time I have played it and look forward to the introduction of the "Match Making" function so I can play people my own rank and maybe last just a little bit longer. 
HAWKEN ConclusionEven at the Beta Test stage the HAWKEN Mech Combat FSP video game has a lot going for it. It has great visuals and a huge variety of Mechs and ways to customize your vehicle. The in game environment is fantastic adds a height level of realism to the simulation. Control functions are easy to figure out and intuitive to use. I love the graphics and the many types of landscapes available. Hawken Mech Combat FSP is still in Beta testing. I was able to participate in two Beta Events in two weeks so the creators are trying hammer out as many bugs as possible and to incorporate as much feedback as possible. If you are interested go to the site and sign up (https://www.playhawken.com/). The game was playable on a modest legacy machine and very playable on a i5 laptop. I would strongly recommend that you sign up and experience the game for yourself. It is worth it. I am looking forward to future Beta Tests, and have great expectations on where the end product. Pros:
+ Great graphics. Cons:- A little more work on the Blue Force identification would be appreciated. Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.
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