Gaming Trend Review
Warhawk: Operation Fallen Star
- Official Site
- Platform: ps3
- Publisher: Sony America
- Developer: Incognito
- Release Date: 08/28/08
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Pros
- The same great Warhawk game with even more content
- The jetpacks work well and add a lot to the game
- You can't beat the price
- 30 new layouts for existing maps
Cons
- People who don't like Warhawk won't find anything to change their mind
by Mike Repella
Warhawk was first released on the PS3 last year. It launched as an online multiplayer only game and since its launch Sony has added three Booster packs. The latest booster pack is called Warhawk: Operation Fallen Star and it adds a host of new features, a new vehicle, a new map and a bunch of new layouts for existing maps.
In addition to Operation Fallen Star, Sony has released update 1.5, which adds trophy support to the game along with other minor improvement.
Existing Warhawk players won’t need to read this review, most likely you have already bought Operation Fallen Star from the Playstation Network. Read on though if you haven’t played Warhawk yet and are wondering what the game is all about.
This review will focus mostly on the Operation Fallen Star booster pack. We also have a review of the original game available on our website
Warhawk is definitely a good looking game. Textures have a depth and richness to them, there isn't an over abundance of bloom lighting, the framerate is rock solid, and best of all there is none of that next-gen plasticky look that tends to be the norm in a lot of other titles. Of course technical prowess isn't all that matters, a game can approach the "Uncanny Valley" all it wants, but art direction is what really makes games shine. Warhawk has it in spades. You really feel like you are in a war torn country fighting for your life. Burning buildings, sepia-toned sunsets, and military bases can be found all over, and even though it is mainly cosmetic, each team has a very distinct look that you can customize as you gain more and more ranks.
Lastly the arenas that you battle in can be as massive as you want or as little as you need, and the game engine doesn't miss a beat. You can land your Warhawk on top of a mountain range, pull out the binoculars or sniper rifle and practically see forever. Some levels don't seem to end, and even better is that there are no invisible barriers. You could literally walk from one end to the other with nothing stopping you. For an online multiplayer title I was expecting dumbed down graphics with tight and constricted maps designed to help with latency issues. Instead you get a war torn paradise with gigantic maps that each have a distinct look and feel to really draw you into the battles.
Operation Fallen Star’s map is called Tau Crater and it features a giant crashed space ship in its center. The skyline for the map is predominantly red so most of the map has a very atmospheric red hue to it. There are also a bunch of trees spread throughout the map to add to the overall design of the new map.
Warhawk combines a mixture of excellent sound effects with a military movie-esque soundtrack to give the feeling that you truly are part of something much larger. Each vehicle engine has its own distinct sound, as does every weapon. There is definitely a distinct sound to the flame thrower that when you hear that hiss you know to hightail it to somewhere safe before you get fried. You may never really notice the soundtrack because you are so busy trying to help your team achieve the next objective, but that really is the best thing about it. The soundtrack is so seamless into the gameplay that it truly does compliment the game battles well.
Nothing has really changed in the sound department for Operation Fallen Star. The jetpacks provide the only new sound in the game and they give off a realistic jet sound that only helps add to the war theme.
Screenshots
No one ever complains about having a lot of choice when it comes to controls in video games. If you polled the gaming masses, everyone would agree that being able to adjust any game's controls to your personal tastes would be preferred to a locked system. It seems that Incognito agrees with this principle as Warhawk allows for multiple control styles. You can choose to have inverted controls for each set of vehicles, you can choose to use motion controls, and you can even adjust the sensitivity. Personally I wasn't too fond of the motion controls. The Six-Axis controller doesn't provide the most precise motion sensing, and while it will work for some, I felt it was much too loose for me.
However, the analog controls provide a tight gaming experience that you can enjoy from the start. Each vehicle has a different feel, and when you switch from hover to jet in a Warhawk, your controls change from a tank-like tactical hover plane to a fast moving, easy to maneuver missile dodging bird of destruction. One thing that was severely lacking was any real in game explanation of the controls.
Incognito has finally addressed one of our complaints with our original Warhawk review and has included a multi-part tutorial. The tutorial covers ground combat, vehicle combat, and two different phases of air combat. I have been playing Warhawk since its launch and I still found the tutorial to be helpful. I actually learned a couple of things that I didn’t know about from my previous year of playing the game. On top of lesrning the controls, successfully completing each tutorial will earn you easy trophies.
The core Warhawk game hasn’t changed since its launch. Warhawk is still a 32 player, team based, FPS. Operation Fallen Star has added several new features that have done more than any other booster pack to try and freshen up the core experience.
First and foremost are the jetpacks. All existing maps now have jetpacks available. The jetpacks can be used in a variety of ways. Players can grab a missle launcher and take to the air to try and lock onto Warhawks or tanks. Alternatively, you can equip a flamethrower and hover above an enemy tank and fry them. Other players have found previously hard to reach peaks with which they can now land on and snipe other players. On top of all of that, you can equip a jetpack while riding in any other vehicle and then jump out of said vehicle and attack using the jetpack. This even works for Warhawks. Skilled players can now eject out of a damaged Warhawk and safely fight on using the jetpack.
The jetpacks are supplied by Daedalus (fancy name for jet pack maker), which are placed in key locations on each map. The Daedalus cannot be moved or destroyed. The jetpacks themselves are pumped out of the Daedalus one at a time and have a relatively fast respawn rate.
Tau Crater is the new map and for Warhawk scale it is not that big. But it does feature some cool things. For starters there is a vehicle ramp in the center of the stage that creates some cool jeep jumping action. Second, the main bases for the map are fairly close together and a lot of games will come down to one team frantically defending their base from the other team. Trying to defend your base and turn the tide of battle is good fun.
The last big update included with Operation Fallen Star is the inclusion of 30 new variations for existing maps. These variations all change maps around a little bit and are designed to incorporate the jetpacks, along with the different strategies players can use with the jetpacks.
Operation Fallen Star can be purchased on the Playstation Network for $7.99, alternatively players can purchase all three booster packs for $14.99. Sony also recently reduced Warhawk’s retail price to $29.99. That means you can now get Warhawk and all of its booster packs for just $44.99.
Warhawk: Operation Fallen Star is a must buy for all Warhawk players. Other gamers who don’t own Warhawk or who don’t own any of the expansion packs owe it to themselves to check out Warhawk and all of its booster packs. While Operation Fallen Star is the third booster pack, it is definitely the most feature rich and game changing booster pack yet.
