Why Starhawk might be revolutionary for the PS3

Not many people played Warhawk . It was one of the most original and fun games ever released for the PSN. Yes, it didn’t have a single player mode, it was a PSN exclusive which was released on Disc as well. If you have played Warhawk, you should know it was one of the most hardest games to get into. When the game was released, PSN was at a growing stage, very barebones. A game like Warhawk wasn’t suited for the network because there wasn’t a good install base nor too many gamers online on PSN. It was a launch title and a very good one that showcased the six axis controller well.

Warhawk

It is hard to define Warhawk and Starhawk since they give you so much freedom. Due to a lack of large amount of people playing Warhawk, a certain section kept playing it and became so adept at the game that anyone joining the game two years later would get completely murdered online. The flight mechanics were very hard to pick up. You could pick up weapons and other powerups while in flight and dogfight with others in the air. It was an amazing experience that never got the exposure it deserved. So five years later, its sequel will be released called Starhawk. That’s right – five years. What they have been doing for so long, you ask? Read on.

Starhawk has a completely changed engine but resembles Warhawk in many ways. That is understandable because you wouldn’t want to piss off the fanbase. While many developers don’t care about their fanbase, Lightbox Interactive does. Starhawk was officially revealed today, and before we begin, take a look at the video below that shows you some of the features of the game.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBv3aSpm_4I

So that gives you a brief idea about how the gameplay will be. Now why I call this as a revolution is because, Warhawk, for me was the best multiplayer game on the PS3, better than anything that’s on the console. But it was bottlenecked due to a low install base and a primitive PSN. Times have changed, PS3 has a 50 million install base with a great online network now.

Lets see the features of Starhawk:

• Mechs can transform into planes. They can fight in mech form as well.
• The flying and other combat mechanics are just like Warhawk.
• The graphics looks much better than Warhawk.
• There are RTS mechanics in the game. You can drop buildings in the map.
• There is a single player story this time.
• You can fly in space, and there will be Space Stations.
• There are space battles, yes absolutely. There are big, epic space battles in and around planets and space stations and you can build in space too. We’re not showing all the stories in Starhawk just yet due to the production schedule but we wouldn’t have called the game Starhawk if we couldn’t deliver on the fantasy of flying in space, recalling some of those old Colony Wars games, that kind of stuff.
• You will get your fix of space battles in Starhawk.
• Full clan support.
• In-game calendar.
• Cross-Server Clan Voice Chat.
• A Fully Automated and Integrated Tournament System.

Explaining how much visual improvement the series has seen since Warhawk was released wouldn’t be complete, without providing you with visual evidence. Take a look at these screenshots for Starhawk:

Screenshots:

The story of the single player mode:

The Starhawk universe is set in the distant future, out in the far reaches of space where factions battle over a rare and dangerous resource known as Rift Energy. In this galaxy, colonies of humans, called Rifters, explore a scattering of planets, known as the Frontier, in attempt to mine this energy to make an honest living, but find their way of life threatened by the Outcast, a ruthless species of humans who have mutated into psychotic monsters due to exposure to this very same Rift Energy. Caught in the middle is Emmett Graves, a hired gunslinger ostracized from society because of his own exposure to Rift Energy, leaving him partially mutated, but still able to retain his humanity.

Starhawk allows you to take on the powerful role of Graves who is drawn back to his home settlement of White Sands on the Planet Dust to face a mysterious outlaw and his war band of Outcast warriors only to discover that this job may mean more to him than he could have ever imagined. He will soon find out that his family is involved in the clash between the Outcast and the Rifters and therefore must decide between those close to him and those he swore to protect.

Lead Protagonist:

So there we have it, the game is loaded. And I am sure there is more to be revealed. PS3 needs a rich multiplayer experience like this, that is not only innovative but seems very fun to play aswell. This could be a start of a revolution if Sony markets this title well. Think of this as PS3′s Halo, if it takes off. Who doesn’t like flying in Space? Ever heard of Colony Wars, that game was awesome and the devs said Starhawk will have that type of Space battles. More information on the game will be revealed at E3, but if you loved Warhawk, this game is just the beginning.

Starhawk will release next year on the Playstation 3.