HAWKEN

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 211 out of 304
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 304
  3. Negative: 42 out of 304

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  1. Spacegirl
    Mar 24, 2014
    4
    Mar 24, 2014.
    I keep losing connection to the host. The game looks fun but it's frustrating to be kicked out so often and the gameplay (for me) is a little jerky, it's definitely not smooth.
  2. DRiVER_helsinki
    Mar 17, 2014
    3
    too sad dark maps, :( paying customers get little too much benefits over free players - effects balance negatively. also the old school server browsig thing helps cheaters too much, Looks cool for little while thos . - then i found MECHWARRIOR online tho . .
  3. Atryeu
    Feb 22, 2013
    3
    While it can be fun to jump in for brief periods of time, the learning curve is steep for new players and the gameplay is hectic and repetitive in the long term. Even when winning matches, the frustration due to the game's chaotic nature can have a tendency to outweigh the overall fun factor. Matchmaking is constantly being worked on but seemingly never improved. Playing in team basedWhile it can be fun to jump in for brief periods of time, the learning curve is steep for new players and the gameplay is hectic and repetitive in the long term. Even when winning matches, the frustration due to the game's chaotic nature can have a tendency to outweigh the overall fun factor. Matchmaking is constantly being worked on but seemingly never improved. Playing in team based modes (which comprises 3/4 of the currently available game modes) tend to result in one team dominating while the other team struggles and constantly deals with a rotating team due to players constantly leaving due to frustration. Making matters worse, while still in the open beta the game functionality and regular player base seems to have filtered out many of the curious newcomers and has culled the herd down to those hardcore players that have mastered their mechs, leveled each one to the maximum level, and don't necessarily want things to change. This leads to very limited options when searching for available servers and almost guarantees a new player to be dumped into a match full of high level, very experienced players. If in the US and searching at night on a weekend, you may be hard pressed to find just one server for each type due to the lack of activity. New players that express their concern about this painful level gap in game or on the message boards results in many of the established players explaining as a fact that mech level means nothing in Hawken (if you are as incredulous reading this as I was when someone first tried to explain this concept to me check the hawken message boards as there are many discussion regarding it). Even if this were the case (which obviously it is not leveling gives bonuses and bonuses give advantages), this would mean that the best case scenario is that the currently implemented upgrades system is close to worthless. =/

    If you are curious go check it out and think for yourself, but based on experience it would seem the best course of action would be to wait until the game is out of beta before really investing any time (or God forbid money) in hopes that the fixes to gameplay and balancing are ironed out. While the game is in beta it seems as though focus is mainly on overall stability (there are very few crashes) and implementing new content for the dedicated fan base as opposed to making the game more accessible and enjoyable for new players.    … Expand
  4. 00000000001
    Feb 27, 2014
    1
    Before Hawken's move to steam the game was well crafted and innovative mech shooter, offering fast paced combat, but not removing the feeling of being in a mech. However, since its move to steam the game has taken a drastic u-turn replacing the old game with a steam friendly "twitch shooter" mess. This is coupled with the stream of updates that occasionally remedy issues but mostly hinderBefore Hawken's move to steam the game was well crafted and innovative mech shooter, offering fast paced combat, but not removing the feeling of being in a mech. However, since its move to steam the game has taken a drastic u-turn replacing the old game with a steam friendly "twitch shooter" mess. This is coupled with the stream of updates that occasionally remedy issues but mostly hinder and damage the game further(2steps foward 4 steps back). Further failures of adhesive games lay in its match "balancing" system. This system rarely creates balance 90% of games having a difference of 20 kills between the teams, stacking too many players on one team and filling the winning team players while leaving the losing side till lacking. Hawken represents the biggest fall from grace of any free to play game; going from my favorite time-sync to a pitiful disaster with little to no reasons to keep playing. In addition pay 2 win elements have crept further into the game since its steam update with the replacement of skill tree unlocking mechs to just buying them with micro-transactions or in game money a further dumbing down of the system. In game currency earnt per game will barely raise over 250 each game mech cost between 7000-12000 of this currency, so prepare to spend a lifetime saving for the mech you want. Hawken has sold it soul for a chance to get on steam and alienated veteran players to attract call of duty kids; the devs may as well remove the mech models and replace them with humans because the once powerful mechs who could take hits I played in have been replaced with tin cans that are destroyed instantly by a single shot ,(the intro video shows this perfectly to their detriment). Give the game a chance if you want, you may like it, but eventually its allure will fade you will become woefully bored with what remains. For those who read all of it , Thank you.… Expand
  5. mizzrawrz
    Mar 30, 2014
    0
    Devs are constantly making large sweeping changes, while blatantly ignoring their community. With it's current patch the game feels and plays very broken for a FPS. Combat went from super fluid and immerse, to clunky and intentionally broken. Their so called "bug fixes" often introduce even more and larger gamebreaking bugs.
  6. bacster
    Feb 15, 2014
    3
    This game has become a joke ... The gameplay is totally different from that earned him awards. Simply removed the soul of the game wanting to make it a new UT3, Quake or Exteel (other games that failed and Hawken is next) due to its new simplistic and not immersive "gameplay".
  7. 223kazin
    Feb 13, 2014
    4
    Before reading keep this in mind: I only played this game for 2 hours, before I genuinely got bored of the game. I'm not saying it has no depth, it has plenty, the skill ceiling for booster jet juking is pretty high, it just doesn't have any meat to the potatoes. There's roughly a dozen mechs, all of which have 3 weapons to choose from, max. The only customization that I could see wereBefore reading keep this in mind: I only played this game for 2 hours, before I genuinely got bored of the game. I'm not saying it has no depth, it has plenty, the skill ceiling for booster jet juking is pretty high, it just doesn't have any meat to the potatoes. There's roughly a dozen mechs, all of which have 3 weapons to choose from, max. The only customization that I could see were just different cooldown/oh f##k buttons. Coming from Mechwarrior online, the lack of customization in a mech game is crippling for me. The blatant lie about there being "sniping" in the game also bothered me. The maps are so small that you're basically up in the face of every single person, and the "long range" weapons have the same shell travel time as everything else, meaning hitting that incredibly dim, hard-to-see mech that's hiding behind the fog of impaired vision is ungodly difficult. This leads to situations where you're face-to-face with the far tankier, better-equipped mechs that are designed for close combat.

    There are also no real hitboxes, unlike Mechwarrior Online, 90% of the time you'll just be firing wildly, trying to flank as there's no incentive to take carefully aimed, skillful shots. As of this date the game still feels very empty and lacking a lot of the content you may initially expect, such as mech customization and more intuitive combat than spamming thrusters and aiming in the general direction of the enemy. People have likened it to Call of Duty: Mechs, and they would be both right and wrong. It's very different from CoD but plays the same, if that makes sense. It's F2P and I recommend at least trying it out to see if you like it, but keep your expectations reasonable as this game doesn't have much more to it than CoD.    … Expand
  8. evild4ve
    Mar 7, 2014
    2
    It's pretty, but it ain't Mechwarrior 2. I played for 2 hours and haven't earned enough in-game-grind-currency to make any alterations to the basic loadout. All mechs can fly, and dodge, and move really quickly. s'rubbish.
  9. Krisz
    Oct 23, 2013
    0
    Graphics are interesting to say maps are ok but mech design are weak. Program is stable, but sounds and background music are weak. Idiotic match making system, confusing interface and even more confusing maps. Game play is some times fun but it will get boring pretty soon very repetitive. I played 2 weeks and around 10hrs its not for me, if some one needs content in a game it is not the one.
  10. totalknowledge
    Sep 25, 2013
    3
    Microwaves with legs. Hawken is an uninspired clone of the other fighting robot games on the market. It doesn't have anything to keep you playing. All of the weapons feel the same.
  11. Homerlvsbeer
    Feb 17, 2014
    0
    I Give it a low score. i know its over the top BUT. i dont like getting ripped off. or seeing overs get ripped off. so this is for us all guys. Yes sure the games not bad. but after paying £22:99 for the game. i wasnt expecting that i would have to start buying mechs and items etc. I think its a rip off. and when people steal money from me i dont rate them much. Ive also been playingI Give it a low score. i know its over the top BUT. i dont like getting ripped off. or seeing overs get ripped off. so this is for us all guys. Yes sure the games not bad. but after paying £22:99 for the game. i wasnt expecting that i would have to start buying mechs and items etc. I think its a rip off. and when people steal money from me i dont rate them much. Ive also been playing Mechwarrior. which cost me £00.00 yes you have to buy mechs but with a free game i expected it would be that way. damned if i have to buy the game then buy everything else. WTF. is going on here. and it seems alot fo you havnt even said anything about it. like you enjoy people taking money out of your wallet . and ripping you off. Well i really find it disgusting. An I think Mechwarrior. which is free by the way. is a better game. :P the way game companys are ripping people off is starting to get criminal. charge ya for a game and the content. OMG..… Expand
  12. Chivay
    Dec 23, 2012
    4
    Pros: nice graphics, didn't crash a single time.
    Cons: Chaotic gameplay, idiotic match making, confusing interface and even more confusing maps. Game modes are not grate also. I want to feel that I drive a 50 ton mech not ninja in jumsuit.
  13. ezay
    Dec 30, 2012
    3
    First of all, if you don't like F2P, this game isn't for you. If you don't pay for a decent mech, you won't do anything. This is a Pay To Win.

    Second, I didn't find any complexity in the fights. It's a plain simple I-see-I-shoot, with slow and boring machines.
  14. anononymousFukr
    Feb 21, 2013
    0
    Really stupid gameplay because if you are matched in a team with all people that don't pay and the other team is full of payed users they will kick your asses (happens more than you would think) and most of the paid mechs suck even more than the free one which makes for a really disappointing experience.
  15. shakes321
    Feb 26, 2014
    0
    The worst game I've ever played mechs have no weight graphics are confusing no effort has gone into this game what so ever.. Also its always been a free to play game but now until further notice they are charging ppl to play which is kind of terrible since the mass majority got this for free. I urge you all stay well clear from this title it can only go from bad to worse
  16. Ordin1120
    May 5, 2014
    0
    Clich, mundane, out of date, old mechanic design. This alone is already 80% failed. Ahead of South Korea's failed 'Metal Rage' comes to mind games. Design of more advanced forms of mechanics want to walk.
  17. Jonhs
    Jan 16, 2013
    0
    Gameplay is boring. Interface is confusing. It's pay-to-win. This game has no soul, only demand for more money spend on it. It's just another try to get some money without doing anything for their customers.
  18. GM_Ninja
    Apr 8, 2014
    3
    An overly ambitious game overshadowed by it's business model, this game comes with one-color graphics hues and one of the worst matchmaking queues i've seen in any multiplayer title. Balancing teams seems to be an issue, as well as class balancing. The game hasn't progressed much at all over the course of two years, and is currently one of the most disappointing releases i've come across.An overly ambitious game overshadowed by it's business model, this game comes with one-color graphics hues and one of the worst matchmaking queues i've seen in any multiplayer title. Balancing teams seems to be an issue, as well as class balancing. The game hasn't progressed much at all over the course of two years, and is currently one of the most disappointing releases i've come across. Pretty generic music, only 4-6 basic maps, and a convoluted HUD/UI setup sealed the deal for me in ignoring their abhorrent title. 38/100… Expand
  19. ogower
    Aug 24, 2014
    3
    This game COULD be great. It is quite a lightweight shooter but the scenery and mechs are impressive and it can be a lot of fun. However, there are some quite major problems. Key to this is an almost invisible development team. Compounding a recent lack of new content and development and the fact that this has been beta/early access for a long time is the lack of any recent updateThis game COULD be great. It is quite a lightweight shooter but the scenery and mechs are impressive and it can be a lot of fun. However, there are some quite major problems. Key to this is an almost invisible development team. Compounding a recent lack of new content and development and the fact that this has been beta/early access for a long time is the lack of any recent update from the dev team. On top of this are some very annoying mechanics, such as the increasing reliance on twitch reflexes making this a game dominated by younger players, the fact that spending money does give you an edge on internals and equipment that can really help (so partial pay to win), the lack of mechs and weapons countered by quite a long grind with an overpriced premium model to help if you want to, a matchmaker that either keeps you waiting forever or dumps you in a match that is already lost and game modes that have no tutorial leading to slower players wandering around trying to play deathmatch and losing the game for their team. This game could rate higher but the missed opportunities, p2w mechanic and invisible devs lead to a lower score.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
37
#37 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Aug 1, 2013
    70
    Hawken shows that piloting a mech doesn't have to be a complex task, and it gets players straight into the action. [Aug 2013, p.92]
  2. GameStar
    Jul 1, 2013
    76
    Quotation forthcoming.
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  3. games(TM)
    Jun 25, 2013
    70
    Very ambitious, but we’d urge them to concentrate on the game; with poor matchmaking, few maps, overly simple game modes and a limited free game, players might not stick around. And that would be a shame.
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