Never back down from a job in Starhawk

Those who love third person shooters and are on a constant search for something innovative, have plenty of reasons to check out Starhawk. This seamless combination between strategy and action, makes each confrontation unique and therefore more intense. Players can dictate the rules of the game, by building fixed defenses wherever they please, surprise their opponents and react to their actions. While the single player campaign is underwhelming, the multiplayer is so rewarding that it makes Starhawk worth purchasing for the sheer pleasure of competing against other players.

It all started with a spark

Every player that wants to get accustomed with the game will start with the single player campaign, and despite its limitations it does a great job in honing essential skills. Each mission is aimed at teaching the rookie how to use various vehicles, how to bolster defenses and repel incoming enemy forces. The narrative starts very promising, and the opening trailer can be a little deceiving, because the campaign advances into a single direction.

You assume the role of Emmett Graves, a tenacious hired gun that never backs down from a job, even when this implies going back to the world that he had recently escaped. Rift energy is both a blessing and a curse, because while it is the most valuable resource it can also infect people and turn them into violent creatures. Known only as the outcasts, they have a single purpose and this is to eradicate mankind. Emmett has survived the infestation and while struggling to preserve his sanity, he benefits of the special abilities Rift energy empowered him with.

An original take on third-person shooters

This is what makes Starhawk special as a third person shooter, because our hero is capable of calling down orbital drops whenever he accumulates enough Rift energy. These drops include static defenses that are used to protect an objective, or powerful vehicles that are essential when launching attacks against defended positions. In a multiplayer game, all the players have the same ability to build structures and summon offensive vehicles, which takes action to a whole different level.

Instead of blasting your way to an objective and employing the same maneuvers over and over again until you perfect them, you really need to come up with innovative solutions. Adjusting to what your opponent is deploying on the battlefield, is the only way to win a confrontation and this gives a multiplayer game plenty of depth. It is only fair to say that the entire single player campaign is just a prelude, and it doesn’t have any replay value; fortunately competing against other players is very rewarding and this title has all the chances to turn into a hit.

Four out of five stars are a just reward for the way developers succeeded in bringing something new to those passionate about third person shooters. Watch the trailer and try to envision a large-scale battle, but remember that you need to take it online to experience the best Starhawk has to offer.

Florin

I am an avid gamer and a passionate reviewer, with three years of experience in this line of work. I’ve worked for Games32 and during those three years, I’ve written hundreds of previews and reviews for both PC and console games. The website was unfortunately revamped and now offers casual games, but some of my articles still exist on the developers’ websites.

Before working as a game reviewer, I’ve played competitive Starcraft. I won the Romanian Championship 4 times in 8 editions and I won the Balkanic Cup with the national team. I know what gaming is and I can relate to both rookies and pros.