Developer Adhesive Games
Publisher: Meteor Entertainment
Genre: Mechanized first person shooter
ESRB rating: Teen (violence)
Cost: Free to play through Steam
Website: http://www.playhawken.com/
Editor’s note: A funny thing happened on the way to reviewing Hawken. It went from beta, to being available though Steam. It is still in Beta, so a few things may change.
From their website: Hawken is a multiplayer first person shooter that places you inside a mechanized war machine on the battlefield of a dystopian world called Illal. I first had the pleasure of seeing Hawken demonstrated at PAX East 2013 during an NVIDIA demonstration of PhysX; I was literally blown away by the graphics. After the presentation, I found my way down the exhibit hall and standing in a long line.
Yes, you get to actually pilot one of these, albeit in a virtual world.
I was not standing around for long, as I was quickly moved to the front of the line, not because I was old, but because I was a party of one. Whereupon, I was thrust into the midst of a timed match, and only a few minutes remained. I managed to take down one or two other mechs, while being destroyed several times. Wow! What I explained later, to one of the developers (whose name I neglected to write down), was as long as I could take out one other mech, I considered it a win for me. I also told him, as an older gamer, unfamiliar with the controls, I thought I did OK and would definitely be following up on future Hawken updates. Since PAX East, there have been many updates, including what I want to cover today, the tutorials.
After PAX East, I played the Hawken whenever I could. Often times game tutorials are quick, and don’t always allow you the time necessary to develop the required skills to play a game. This is not the case with Hawken, and they have made the tutorials even better over time, especially for us older gamers as we can replay them as much as we need to before being thrust into the fray.
So let’s begin by visiting the website; Hawken. Look around, you will see that is well developed. Feel free to explore. If you click on Game Guide, you’ll be taken to the Guide’s main page, where you can choose several sub-categories; Mechs, Weapons, Items, Maps and Progression. Hover your mouse cursor over ‘Progression’, and then click on the Beginner’s Guide. Here you have the information you’ll need to get started with Hawken. Read about how to move, fire weapons, the Mech garage, piloting progression and your first match. If you go back to the main Hawken page, and click Community, you’ll be taken to the Hawken forums, where players can discuss the game and all its facets. All of this can be done, with logging in or creating an account. Kudos to Hawken for making this simple and allowing us to explore this world before being forced to sign up.
First Steps: Getting Started
Minimum specifications: Recommended:
CPU: 2Ghz dual core 2.3Ghz+ Quad core
Memory: 3GB RAM 4GB RAM
Graphics Card: 512MB graphics card DirectX9 GeForce GTX 560 / Radeon HD 5850
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/ 32/64bit Windows Vista/7/8 64bit
In this brief introduction to the game, I want to emphasize the tutorial portion of the game. If you are a seasoned veteran of games, and many of today’s players are older and have grown up with video games, you will breeze right through the introduction, and venture headlong into the chaos of mechanized combat. If you have never played a first person shooter, or are hesitant to play because you think it will be too difficult, then Hawken is a great way to start and get your feet wet.
From the main Hawken page, find the ‘Play Now’ button and click it. Clicking the Play on Steam button will get you some information about Hawken’s transition to Steam. Or go directly to Steam, and search for Hawken. Since it is free-to-play, download the game. It will be available in your library. You will need a Steam account to play. It’s free and does not require a credit card. . Go ahead and install. You’ll notice it needs about 5 gigs of hard drive space. Take a break.
OK, all installed?
Let’s go!
First timers will have to register for a meteor account. You’ll be sent to the enlistment / registration page. First is the callsign box so go ahead and enter it. The callsign will be your in game name and it has to be unique. Don’t worry, it will tell you if the callsign is in use. Most of my choices were already in use. Next, enter your email address.
Enter a valid email address as you will validate the email address you enter. The email you will receive begins with ‘Dear Pilot’. Pick a password, pass the human verification test, check which emails you wish to receive and, finally, verify you are 13 or older and agree to the EULA, rules of conduct and name policy. Now click on the ‘Play for Free’ box. Once registered, you’ll be able to play Hawken through Steam.
Ready? Click on training, and then start with Chapter 1: VR training. If this is your first time playing a first person shooter or if you are unfamiliar with the player controls don’t pass up this important part of the game. You’ll be able to repeat the tutorials as many times as needed. Go though basic movement, weapons systems, items, and combat. Don’t feel bad if you feel the need to repeat the training. I’ve been though it a bunch of times. You’ll need to remember your training if you are to survive the next two chapters.
Chapter 2: Offline Team Deathmatch. Sounds exciting! Click start. Wow that was quick. Died fast? Well, let’s try it again. Click the launch button to re-spawn. If needed, there is a next button on the lower left of your screen to give you hints. The match is timed, so don’t stand still. Move, move, dodge, fire…
Chapter 3: Offline Bot training. There will be 10 waves of Bots, with wave 5 and 10 having bosses. (Tougher than the average bot!). It’s intense, edge of your seat combat. You’ll put everything you learned in training to good use here.
To summarize:
I wanted to introduce you to Hawken with this brief overview of the tutorials. I hope I have accomplished this, even though it is a fast paced game, it will take practice, and even more practice to become a proficient pilot. Unlike many games that throw you into the combat fray without the proper tools to survive, Hawken does a fantastic job of introducing you to the game; their website (Hawken) is where you find hints, manuals and great community forums where you find other hints and information to help you. I especially like how the tutorials have gotten better over time since I first played the game almost a year ago. The ability to go through training, again and again if you wish is not found in many of today’s games. The practice with bots in simulated combat will prepare you well for what is to come when you fight against real players. And dear reader, all it costs is the time to download the game and enjoy. Hawken is a wonderful introduction for us older folks, and even youngins, to the free-to-play gaming world. Have fun, stay cool!
Elder Mael’s review in one sentence: Hawken is an exciting, thrill a minute, fast paced mechanized first person shooter game that will keep you coming back for more.
I have not talked about the variety of mechs available, or how to update your recruit mech. Yes, I’ll review even more of Hawken in future blogs.
Elder Mael 