''Warhawk'', released as in Japan, is a futuristic arcade-style combat flight game for the Sony PlayStation console, developed by

SingleTrac SingleTrac Entertainment Technologies was an American video game developer, mostly for the PlayStation platform. The management team and much of the original development team came from Evans & Sutherland, bringing their 3D graphics and software e ...

and published by

Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...

. It was originally released on November 10, 1995 in North America and a month later in Europe. It was later re-released as part of Sony's ''Greatest Hits'' line-up. A Windows version slated for release in 1996 was cancelled. A multiplayer-only remake of the same name has been developed by

Incognito Entertainment Incognito Entertainment (formerly Incognito Studios and Incog Inc. Entertainment) was an American video game developer headquartered in Salt Lake City. History Incognito Entertainment was founded in 1999 by Scott Campbell, who had previousl ...

; it was released on Blu-ray Disc and as a digital download for the

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...

on August 28, 2007.

Gameplay

''Warhawk'' is a

vehicle simulation game Vehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles. This includes automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, and a ...

built around a futuristic

VTOL A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wi ...

craft. The player maneuvers with 360 degrees of flight control through six levels. Weapons include fire-off lock-ons, rockets, multi-fire swarmers, and plasma cannons. The game has no multiplayer capabilities and does not feature

DualShock The DualShock (originally Dual Shock; trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK; with the PlayStation 5 version named DualSense) is a line of gamepads with vibration-feedback and analog controls developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the Pla ...

or analog controller support. There are no saving or loading features. Instead, a password is presented each time a level is completed. The game ends after its six levels are completed, or when the player's craft can no longer fly. This occurs if the craft takes heavy damage, gets stuck in narrow places or the player ejects from their craft. The craft is teleported to base, repaired, and sent back to the stage for the first two times this happens; on the third time, the game ends. Enemies in the game vary from being tanks and aircraft to massive fixed gun emplacements and futuristic robots. In certain areas of the game, enemies continuously respawn to challenge the player until they complete the mission objective. A version of the ''Warhawk'' craft itself is the final boss in '' Twisted Metal: Black''.

Plot

The plot of the game centers around a megalomaniac named Kreel who has become a global threat and is threatening various nations with his seemingly unstoppable armies. Players take the role of two pilots named 'Hatch' and 'Walker', who are part of an international force devoted to fighting Kreel and his varied minions. As the campaign progresses, the source of Kreel's power is revealed to be

Red Mercury Red mercury is purportedly a substance of uncertain composition used in the creation of nuclear weapons, as well as other weapons systems. Because of the great secrecy surrounding the development and manufacturing of nuclear weapons, there is no ...

, which provides his forces with their nigh-invulnerability. The game has various endings depending on what actions the player takes during the final battle, or if the player loses all lives. These include a costly nuclear war, Kreel choking to death on a chicken bone, a happy ending selling "I survived the Red Mercury war" baseball caps, both pilots being served as the main course at Kreel's grand victory ceremony, or Hatch being brainwashed by the Red Mercury and becoming Kreel's willing servant and destroying the mothership and remaining planetary defense forces.

Development

The game was announced at

E3 1995 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 1995, commonly known as E3 1995, was the first Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 11–13, 1995, with 50,000 total attendees. Highlights of th ...

. Associate producer/designer Mike Giam explained how the game's basic concept was formed: "We looked at shooters like ''

After Burner is an arcade vehicular combat game developed and released by Sega in 1987. The player assumes control of an American F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, and must clear each of the game's eighteen unique stages by destroying incoming enemies, using both a m ...

'' and '' StarFox'', and we juxtaposed their arcade feeling with the freedom of a computer flight sim".

Reception

''Warhawk'' was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews. Critics lauded the precise controls, music, graphics, sound effects, and most especially the freedom and variety afforded by the open 3D world and complex flight controls, though some felt the game was too short.

References

External links