Starhawk Review (PS3)

Prepare for some rather chaotic star wars

“In space, no one can here you scream” is a well known catchphrase that the creators of Starhawk never even heard. In space, tons of psychopaths are happy to hear you howl in pain from being laden with bullets, whimper as vehicles with Megatron capabilities fly through your face and breath an unexpected last breath as buildings land on your head. The universe has got a whole lot deadlier, and it seems that the Earth’s population is out to kill you in some of the most ridiculous ways possible. Spiritual successor to WarHawk, Starhawk loosely follows the exploits of Emmett Graves, a mercenary caught in the midst of a universe clawing over corpses for a universal fuel known as ‘Rift Energy’. A highly prized resource on one side of the coin, a devilish disease that turns humans into twisted beings known as ‘Outcasts’ on the other, Emmett’s near-fatal encounter with an over dose of the twisted energy nearly pushed him over the edge. The plot tries to connect you with the tortured protagonist, however all you really need to know is he seems to have one of the most awesome jobs in the galaxy; shooting scum and building highly fortified compounds in a blink of an eye. The story is a nice change of pace from the standard ‘Take over the world’ fare sci-fi usually forces us to fight through, but it’s quickly forgettable. Emmett isn’t a dislikeable character and comic inspired cut-scenes document events well, it’s just that the plot never really finds a dramatic spark. An optimist would say the 5 hour single-player campaign is a comprehensive tutorial rather than a rather puny mode lacking in content. It’s certainly a good introduction to the laws of Starhawk, but after even a quick dabble against the Earth in online battles soon proves that this game was made to be played with others. When chucked into battle, you’re forced to get gung-ho as if it’s second nature to any third protagonist, and you’re usually cast onto barren wastelands that span what seems like miles. Due to the bare nature of the battlefields however, you’re not encouraged to storm into areas on foot, leaving headquarters desolate for ages. The real trick up your sleeve is Starhawk’s ‘Build ‘N’ Battle’ system, a feature ‘Lego’ really need to implement in future for lazy kids. Pretty much anywhere, at any time, you can call in air support to drop an entire fortification on your position. Need a quick sniping solution? Instantly place a sniping tower at your feet. Need transportation to the enemy base? Set up a garage in seconds. Persistent enemy giving you grief? Call in a landing pad…to land on them.

A respectable new take on third-person shooters

The emphasis on construction based improvisation means that each match tests both conventional player skill and how well they adapt to an ever changing map. It quickly tips your conventional multi-player logic on its head when you’re arsenal doesn’t consist of insane weapons, but structures and some rather devious tactics that can alter the battle rapidly. As online fights can host up to 32 players, there’s always a miniature battlefield forming either on land or in the air, and your ability to cater battlefields to your liking means you’re always near an invitation to battle. Bring a gun to a robot/aircraft fight however, and things usually end pretty poorly, forcing you to leave behind nothing but a Darwin award. Gather enough energy, however, and you can afford your own terrain tearing jeep or even better, robot come aircraft transformers known as Hawks. There’s a supreme sense of childish joy each and every time your walking tank transforms into a fighter jet. Flying controls are smooth, but you really have to amass a large amount of players in a dogfight to truly appreciate the use of all the power ups your vehicle can obtain. With a lack of players taking you on, the simplicity of the aerial based gameplay takes hold, and it’s the only factor that can really ever so slightly bother you. The combat doesn’t exactly wow, the RTS elements are extremely basic, and if any factor was left to stand alone then it would quiver and tremble like a deer caught in combine harvester headlights. Together however, they blend brilliantly well to present a blisteringly well balanced game of brains and brawn that doesn’t let-up. The ever changing war-zones are ridiculously bewildering to newcomers, but that’s also part of their charm. Forcing you to think outside the box with the arsenals available, some may find the test of improvisational skills. The single player teaches you the basics of the game, but the A.I. is no where as devious as other players can be, and another reason why you won’t return to single player in a hurry. As there are no in-game commands, it really is advisable that you enter the universe with a microphone handy. Those who wish to boss others around without one can play in split-screen, but the need to converse with team-mates isn’t just for tactical purposes, but to learn how you can utilise the ‘Build ‘n’ Battle’ system in your favour. The sheer chaos of the battlefield generates this survival of the fittest attitude, and working with others quickly teaches you this. Stumble in on your own however, and it can take a while to really use such tactics to your advantage. It’s still enjoyable to learn that you can set-up tactical forts and smash someone to pieces simply by aiming a respawn pod at them, it’s just a slower and occasionally disjointed process. A enigmatic third person shooter and RTS hybrid, Starhawk may seem light on content, but there’s hours of multi-player madness to take advantage of here. It’s a shame that the defence focused campaign is as thin as the o-zone layer, as there are plenty of set pieces that would relish in taking advantage of the frenzied tactics you can implement online, but it’s all the more reason to get hooked into the vastly layered multi-player modes. A respectable new take on third-person shooters, those who are looking for a fresh online battlefield to rule over and challenge more muscles than the trigger finger should definitely declare war on Starhawk.