Hey remember a lot of people were excited about that cult mech shooter Hawken was he coming back from the dead? It was Monday! It’s now Wednesday and I’m sad to say that the excitement is such many short lived.
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Monday 6:46 p.m
Hawken is rebornlaunched in the rudest way imaginable, free to download and in Early Access, but also charging for microtransactions. I expressed a small concern on Monday after seeing Born again “The edges seem to have been sanded away from the game’s aesthetics” to release the trailer; After playing it, I don’t know how this game is set in the same universe.
Hawken it was a game that was not only technically impressive, but most famous for its visuals. they are also heavily inspired by kitbash styles machine warrior. Hawken Reborn’s the visuals seem to be inspired by the free-to-play mobile shooter, and with the original’s rusty, furry look… whatever that is:
This jarring disparity between what we remember and what’s on offer today continues in the game itself. What is this Hawken Here’s what it looked like in 2016:
And that’s it Hawken is reborn Here’s what it looks like in 2023:
Yes. Perhaps most damning is some of the art used Hawken Reborn’s static cut scenes that raise some questions. Like… why is he holding the iPad upside down?
And why do almost identical angles of the same character look so different? Especially the teeth? So why does her earring designs change every time I see her?
would be a human did the artist turn a blind eye to them? I emailed both a PR representative from publisher 505 Games and a community representative on Reddit asking if AI art was used in the game’s development (and also who exactly the development team was behind this project, since it was only listed as “505 Games” title on Steam). At the time of publication, I have received no response.
Anyway, what about the game itself? And it’s bad! Hawken’s the trademark thing was the swinging view of your cockpit, which gave players the illusion that they were piloting a large, luxurious mech. Hawken is reborn tries to copy it, but it’s a bit annoying to have to sit down all the time, and it’s PvE levels are a meandering slog through the barren wasteland trying to shoot down tiny and insignificant human enemies and static missile turrets, the monotony of which is only controlled by the dumbest AI imaginable with random bullets sponge enemy mechanism.
Tuesday game It had a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam, with players hating everything from the game’s microtransactions (which refer to actual in-game gear, not cosmetics) to repetitive missions. Perhaps the most useful is this from the Shard:
This is the Hawken IP used by the publisher to dress up a shallow and generic Destiny clone that, despite currently having no multiplayer, already sells premium currency packs under the Play Game button on the store page. already seen). It lacks Hawken’s amazing art direction and instead combines the familiar Hawken mechs with the blandest modern sci-fi art style out there. Graphically, it manages to look worse than the original game that came out in 2013. I realize this is “”Early Access”” but with its condition we all know why there was no public information about it until ’36. one hour before launch.
Things aren’t any better on Reddit either. I know the game is in Early Access, which means there is room for improvement. So this is an impression piece, not an opinion piece. But the fact that its publishers have the nerve to leave it like this, look and play like this, and charge for microtransactions despite all that… doesn’t bode well!