R-Kreh's Warhawk Review: Halo Killer Confirmed

Monkblog is proud to present an exclusive review of Warhawk from blog associate and notorious clan stomper, R-Kreh. The hype train on this one is about to derail from the tracks after this glowing review. Check it out.



It is a good time to be a PS3 owner, Why? WarHawk. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about the game. After dropping the single player campaign mode, I figured the game would be a watered down, mediocre online game at best. Was I wrong…

First I must say that I have always been an avid gamer, but over the past couple years I pretty much stopped playing games altogether. My insane work and school schedule did not allow me the time. However I recently had to opportunity to get PS3 dirt cheap and I took it. I haven't gotten much sleep since. And now that WarHawk is upon us, I may as well kiss sleep goodbye...

As I grow older, I find the linear game play of most titles to be a bore. What I have truly come to love are online multiplayer games, especially how unpredictable battling real human opponents is. However my biggest criticism of online games is the lack of game play depth, the repetitiveness that plaque so many current titles. Warhawk breaks the mold.

Warhawk's game play is similar to Star Wars: Battlefront, or Mercenaries. You play in the third person perspective, and have the choice to either run around as an infantry on foot, or take control of several vehicles and types of turrets. What always struck me about the fore mentioned titles is that the vehicles seemed to be thrown in as an after thought. The different game play styles in Warhawk are balanced. You can be just as effective on foot, as you are screaming through the skies in a Warhawk

. There are several game play modes in the game. There is you typical fare including: deathmatch, team death match, capture the flag, and also a mode called "Zones". In a zones match, your team must capture and maintain control of as much of the map as possible. I personally enjoy Capture the flag the most, as the maps are huge, and the battles are epic.

In Warhawk, the world is your playground. There are several types of vehicles in the game. There are your jeeps and tanks, all of which can be manned by more than one player. You can drive the tank or jeep, while a teammate mans the guns. Each base is surrounded by stationary guns and turrets, which you can also jump into and defend your base. My favorite turret is an AA battery that launches insanely powerful rockets at both air and land units.

Of coarse the real fun comes when you hope into one of the Warhawks, and what an experience it is. Upon first getting into a Warhawk, it can be a bit intimidating. These ships are so responsive; it is easy to crash wildly into everything in your path. This is where the game has quite a bit of a learning curve. After a couple of hours of playing, I had pretty much mastered the art of flying the Warhawk (not with the motion sensor on though, that is another story). Flying a Warhawk is like taking a Lamborgini for a test drive.

There are so many weapons to choose from in this game. Some including your standard Machine gun, Flame thrower, hand grenades, others are more creative. My personal favorite is the tow missile. When you launch the Tow missile, you temporarily lose control of you character, and gain control of this guided rocket, which you can fly around the map and slam into the enemy. Another favorite is the WarHawk's Cluster bomb, dozens of small bombs that can be dropped onto a target. I witnessed an especially devastating attack in which an enemy warhawk dropped these on my base, the bodies were flying.

The sound design in this game is amazing. I have a pretty good surround system, and a big Sony 12 sub hooked up. The explosions are devastating, literally shaking the room. And there is something beautiful about hearing the Warhawks screaming past overhead, reminds me of an Air Force Air Show.

I will also note that Sony has made leaps and bounds with their online service. I played for hours without encountering any lag, or disconnects. That was one of my biggest turn off with the PS2's online games, they were so laggy that it was unbearable. With Sony's amazing online service, I feel sorry for the Microsoft fan boys who are paying $60 a year for service.

There is so much to write about, that I could literally make a novel out of this. So I will close with the following. Incognito (formerly singletrac) has accomplished what I consider to be the greatest online game ever. I have never had so much fun, and the action never gets old. The maps are huge, the battles are vicious, and flying a Warhawk is one of the greatest feelings a man can have. WarHawk is a must have for anyone who loves online multplayer games, and delivers on every level. I had high expectations for this game, and for once I was not let down.

All I have to say is….. Halo Killer

Link Fest: Port Downgrade Edition

Here are a collection of noteworthy links I have compiled for you, dear reader.

First of all, anyone who is a fan of Bioshock needs to check out the latest Penny Arcade: Classic

Here is a hilarious article from Cracked.com: Six Videogame Gimmicks That Went Away Too Soon, and Six More That Need to Die.

The Neogaf community has a fascinating discussion of video game history's most insanely downgraded ports. Some examples include Street Fighter II for the Commodore 64, Double Dragon for the Atari 2600, and Gameboy Color Resident Evil..


If that's not enough for you, I have the latest reviews from EGM. It looks like PS3 fared especially well with higher than expected reviews for Warhawk and Heavenly Sword. After some early reviews being total bombs for these titles, getting good marks from the normally tight-fisted EGM is quite the plume in the cap for Sony. Oh, and Bioshock is one of the few games in EGM history to get a completely perfect score. I left out some of the obviously uninteresting reviews, like MySims Wii.

Bioshock 10, 10, 10 GOTM
Heavenly Sword 8, 8, 9
Warhawk 8.5, 7, 8.5
Wild Arms 5 - 8, 6.5, 5
Eternal Sonata - 6, 8, 7
Madden 2008- 9, 9, 8.5
NHL 2008 (EA) - 9.5, 9, 9
Medal of Honor Airborne - 6.5, 8, 5.5
Sonic Rush Adventure - 7.5, 7.0, 7.0

Monk-Blog's asssociate, Mr. Kreh, had some amazing things to say about Warhawk, or as he might call it "Woah-hawk" or "Wowhawk". Hopefully he will share some more thoughts for in written form for an official monkblog review.

Sneakpeak at the Bomberman DLC

Here ya go folks, an exclusive look at the new Bomberman Live DLC coming out soon which will go on sale for 250 points. It includes three new costumes, a new mode, some new stages, and a new tornado which is sure to wreak havoc on your fellow bombers.

Here are the three new costumes:
French Maid

Disco Dude

And my personal favorite, Hunter S. Bombson


And if that's not enough for you, how about a new stage set on a ZEPPELIN?


Monkblog considers this new expansion pack to be a must buy for all 360 owners!

Exclusive Scans of Disgaea 3

One of the most surprising announcements as of late for PS3 was Disgaea 3 by niche developer Nippon Ichi. And as these scans show, the game is looking hot, hot.

Exclusive Sneak Peak at Silent Hill 5 From Next EGM

Great news folks, monkblog has an exclusive look a Silent Hill 5 preview that is featured in the next issue of EGM, which has yet to hit the news stands.




"
It would seem The Collective is very honored to be working on Silent Hill 5 and rightfully so. After Konami announced they were passing on the developer work to an outside company, it was discovered that quite a few developers wanted to work on the IP. In the end, these other developers were "scared" out of doing such an ambitious title.

The Collective, evidently, is not so easily frightened.

Character Debacle

Although Alex may look similar to other protagonist’s in the series, he is an altogether different character. Alex Shepard is 22 years old and with that comes the attitude and thinking’s of a standard young adult.

While SHV will feature an entirely new plot (ala SH2), the developers have said that the player should not be suprised to see themes, settings and other surpises familar to series fans.

Along with Alex and his family (more on that later), a new host of characters will be featured in this entry. That doesn't mean however, that settings, situations and settings wont be familiar.

"It's important that the characters fit into the overall style of Silent Hill," says Brian Hourton (SHV Lead Artist).

About that story bit...

(what follows is a recap of the story we know so far)

Alex is in a Military Veteran's hospital, recovering from a near fatal wound he received. (It is not specified how he received the wound). While there, Alex has a premonition that his young brother, Joshua, is in danger.

"Alex will be confronted with horrors that reflect his psychological state" Horton adds.

He leaves the VA for his New England home town of Shepards Glen. Upon returning however, he finds his mother in a catatonic state, his brother and father missing and the entire town shrouded in a bizarre fog.

Along his travels, he will team up with a spunky upbeat girl named Ellen. It isn't known at this time if she will be playable or not but she seems to be a cross between SH2's Maria and SH3's Heather.

The developers feel the game and its characters seem to lean much more to Silent Hill 2 and its psycological thematics. It is confirmed that the player will actually GO to Silent Hill, not any hole buisness ala SH4.

Gameplay

Alex's military background plays both into the game dynamics and the theme of the story. Knowing this however, the developers aren't attempting to create any sort of political standpoint. The developers want the battle system in SHV to be tougher, more interactive and ultimately engaging. Seeing as Alex is a former solider (tentative), he is more agile and better suited for doing actual "battle" with his adversaries.

It seems Alex can unleash a flurry of heavy or light physical attacks and has several melee weapons at his disposal. Each melee weapon, saw, pipe etc, will have its OWN set of moves and combos (giving a much more actiony feel to battle). The player can also use grapple techniques, counter moves and can expect the same from enemies.

Strangest of all?

Alex has a dodge roll.

The developers have yet to confirm any info on the gunplay mechanics yet though they promise they aren’t turning this game into a "shooter."

Graphics

To sooth everyone's soul, the grain filter will indeed return for Silent Hill V, however in addition, other filters will be added as well. Filters that give hairline cracks in the screen or are filtered with debris allow the developers to change the mood and atmosphere of the game WHILE it's being played.

Interestingly enough, the game is using the Havok engine in a unique way. The middleware is being used in the same capacity as it was in Saints Row and in the upcoming game Halo 3. Now when you bump into chairs or tables or open doors, the game will register that action in the in-game environment. Bump into a chair? It will in turn bump into a table causing not only a response physically but also audibly. This new "noise", the running on creaking floors etc, can and will alert enemies to your position.

The fog in Silent Hill V will also be receiving a graphical overhaul as well. EGM wasn't able to see much of it, it's still in development, but what they saw was amazing. The fog ebbs and flows in the air and occasionally chunks of ash or debris filter down. It is meant to be specifically interactive, it swirls around you and as Alex cuts through it, the fog conforms to his shape.

Wounds will also be shown in real time.

"We want it to feel physical and alive, like you're carving the fog with the beam of your flashlight," adds Hourton

The camera is now controlled using the left analog stick and allows the player to view the horrors much better then earlier iterations. Inspired by Christopher Gan's movie adaptation, the worlds in SHV, or rather the transition between the two, will all be done in real time. Like in the movie, the setting will peal and melt away or suddenly burst into flesh painted walls.

(Teh Flashlight Confirmed.)

All the Rest

Boss battles will be revived in this entry as well. The Collective is obsessed with delivering cinematic massive, epic boss battles. Interestingly, they are looking for Zelda like encounters...hmmm.

Endings....yes there will be many, though a number has yet to be given. The developers are looking to make the decision on which ending you are given to be much more player induced then before. Missing an item or killing someone wont automatically move you to a predetermined path. The actions you do, the way you speak to the different people you meet. These interactions will have a much more fluid transition into the story upon up intriguing possibilities.

Monsters are now fully motion-captured (ala the Silent Hill movie) and all new beasts are set to make their debut. One such creature, Siam, is a fusion of a male and female body. What’s left is a pulsating, overtly sexual enemy. Monsters will now have visible effects on them. So if an enemy has busting pustules or bleeding mouths, it will be animated, in real time and will be effected by Alex's attacks.

Some of the enemies are humanoid in nature, favorites such as the nurses, will indeed return, however the variety of creatures is said to be quite large.

(Side Note: In the Silent Hill games, the "enemies" are usually physical manifestations of the protagonists mind. It can even be argued that the "monsters" they see aren’t even real or that perhaps what a character see's as a monstrosity might in fact be human after all.)

Closing Words

There seems to be some worrying that Silent Hill has gone the way of Resident Evil 4. I can assure you that this is not the case. The battles seem to be more focused on action than wild flailing and we've yet to see how this will play out. This is still, first and foremost, a psychological HORROR game and the developer is doing a good job so far proving that. For those worried about the "real time" transitions....DON'T. It goes far beyond simple instantaneous morphing of the environment. Audio will also play a role in transitions as well, imagine walking in an apartment hall way and suddenly a dozen hands come reaching our of the walls near you. Transitions are being held very carefully and I give them credit for what they've done so far.

Of note however is the plot implications this might have, of which we are not yet aware of. In all past Silent Hill games, the transitions happen for a reason, not simply as a game play device (this is why in SH4, "climbing" into each world seemed so off base)."

July NPDs: Fear Your New God

Here it is folks, and this month's totals are truly epic.
Top 10 SKU's for July
360 NCAA FOOTBALL 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 397k
PS2 GUITAR HERO ENCORE: ROCKS THE 80S ACTIVISION (CORP) 2 339k
WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA 3 278k
PS2 NCAA FOOTBALL 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS 4 236k
WII MARIO PARTY 8 NINTENDO OF AMERICA 5 177k
PS3 NCAA FOOTBALL 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS 6 156k
NDS POKEMON DIAMOND VERSION NINTENDO OF AMERICA 7 144k
PS2 TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME ACTIVISION (CORP) 8 143k
PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR ACTIVISION (CORP) 9 138k
360 GUITAR HERO 2 W/ GUITAR ACTIVISION (CORP) 10 108k



July Hardware Figures
Wii 425 k
Nintendo DS 405 k
PlayStation 2 222k
PlayStation Portable 214k
Xbox 360 170k
PlayStation 3 159k
Game Boy Advance 87k

The huge shocker here is that for the first time Wii outsold DS, the sales for Wii in July, one of the slowest months of the year, are utterly amazing. It will be scary to see how man Wiis Nintendo can move once they start actually getting enough on the shelf to meet demand. What makes this all the more impressive is that Nintendo cranked out these sales without any huge software releases this month, the only one being semi-notable is Mario Strikers. Also of note is that according to most analysts, Wii has officially surpassed 360 in all time worldwide sales. It is looking more and more like the Wii is going to be this generation's PS2.

The other huge shocker is that despite a $100.00 price drop taking affect at the beginning of the reporting period, the PS3 *still* couldn't outsell the 360, and this is without a single major new 360 title being released during July either. Unbelieveable. This was Sony's best chance to outsell Micrsoft for a long time, after this month we will see the effects of the 360 pricedrop plus Microsoft's huge hit parade of titles will push it's lead over Sony further, and perhaps give it the chance to rival even Nintendo.

PS3 may just have to completely write off the rest of 2007 and hope that 2008 can change it's fortunes. So far it's holiday lineup have been huge critical bombs (Lair, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword all receiving poor reviews), it only will have Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank to stand on as far as exclusive titles go. Fortunately for Sony, the PS2 and PSP are still selling like gangbusters and should help them offset their losses with the PS3 at least somewhat. Probably the most worrying thing of all for Sony is that these numbers show that PS3's problems are not entirely related to price. Sony dropped the price a whole 100 dollars, and more people still chose to buy 360s. Sony will have to pray that they can avoid the death spiral that third place consoles typically go through. Where lack of sales translates to less third party support which translates to less sales which translates to less third party support, etc.

On the software side, nothing too shocking. One thing of note is that the 360 version of NCAA outsold the PS2 version which I believe is the first time that this has happened with a major EA Sports title and should signal that people are finally migrating over to next gen, and is a good harbinger for future 360 software sales.

So stay tuned for next month: how much of a drop off will PS3 have after the inital bump from it's price drop? Will the 360 finally have chance to challenge Nintendo with it's Bioshock/Pricedrop one-two punch? All of this and more on monkblog.

Rumour Mill: FFVII Coming to PS3?

Chalk this up in the unsubstantiated rumor category, but French magazine Gameplay RPG says that a remake of FF VII is coming exclusively for the PS3, if there was ever anything that could save Sony's system, this would be it!


"LE CHOC! A quelques heures du bouclage, voilà que tombe entre mes mains un communiqué officiel de SE indiquant le "remake du tres apprécié FF VII sur Ps3, uniquement". Alors que Sony se faisait du mauvais sang avec toutes ces exclusivités qui lui passent sous le nez, voila qu'une annonce vient flatter son catalogue. SE n'en finit pas de surprendre puisque, rappellons-le, depuis la demo technologique de FF VII pour annopncer l'arrivée de la PS3, rien n'avait filtré. (...) Une démo devrait etre présentée à la prochaine SquareEnix Party."

for our non-French speakers:

"THE SHOCK! At a few hours of looping, here are that fall between my hands an official official statement from SE indicating the "remake from very appreciated FF VII on Ps3, only". Whereas Sony was made bad blood with all these exclusivenesses which pass to him under the nose, veiled that an advertisement comes to flatter its catalogue. SE does not finish any surprising since, rappellons it, since the technological demo of FF VII for annopncer the arrival of the PS3, nothing had not filtered (...) a demonstration should be presented at next SquareEnix Party."

Is this just some silly rumor-mongering to push a few extra issues of their magazine? Or this the biggest bombshell yet for the PS3? Stay tuned, dear readers!