HAWKEN - 2nd Anniversary - How is it Doing?
2Happy Birthday, HAWKEN! Well, that was yesterday.
It's been many months since I last played this game (when it moved in with Steam) and there hasn't been any update since July, I believe. Had to check the site to see what's going on and it seems the game is kind of in limbo. There is no official word on its status and all that's been left on the plate were several cryptic tweets. On one hand, the community thinks the owners are in talks with other companies for a possible buyout; on the other, it fears the creators are preparing for a complete shut down. I really hope it's the former, at least, because I'd hate to see this game become a sad page in PC gaming history.
First of all, this was the first PC game I really wanted to try, which is what I did when I got my hands on a gaming-capable laptop. It has sentimental value, but the gaming experience was glorious. There was no disappointment.
But what exactly made the game wonderful?
1) IT'S FREE-TO-PLAY. And not the bad kind where you'd be forced to use real money to advance. There is real money involved, but you can easily buy [useful] things with points you earn by playing.
2) IT'S A FAST-PACED FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER WITH MECHS. Not only that, they also added new mechanics to rejuvenate the tired genre.
3) NUMEROUS MECHS TO CHOOSE FROM. The game has s a huge smorgasbord of diverse metallic giants grouped in three classes: light, medium, and heavy -- each one accommodating a wide variety of playstyle.
4) GOOD CUSTOMIZATION. You can swap out some parts for others and add a fresh coat of paint to your mech if you want aesthetic changes, change weapons, and can carry several items and gear to improve your performance against other players.
5) DIFFERENT GAME MODES. There is your usual PvP, with Team Deathmatch, free-for-all Deathmatch, Siege, and Missle Assault. Then there is the friendlier co-op where you face waves of bots and mechs. You can even explore maps to familiarize yourself with the battleground.
6) AWESOME COMMUNITY. Members are really friendly and treat each other nice. Granted, it's a pretty small community, but how often do you see a gaming community feel almost like a family?
7) ACTIVE DEVS AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT. The devs really talk with their patrons in the forums (HAWKEN's own forum) and word has it that former devs even play with the community, sometimes, through community-organized gaming events. Tech support is fantastic. They provide insight and shed light on some things when you experience issues or just have questions, unlike the others who strictly follow a script. In fact, they feel more like forum members than a support team when they talk to you.
Sadly, people behind HAWKEN are quiet these days. Even game servers are like a ghost town, except for the USA East servers. Thankfully, I don't lag much in there. Right now, it seems the only thing keeping HAWKEN alive is the active community. And as long as servers are still up, they'll keep on playing, promoting, and supporting HAWKEN -- myself included. So, how about joining us?
This great community recently celebrated HAWKEN's 2nd anniversary by playing themed matches, which you can watch right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkV0iNRDs2E
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HAWKEN might be on life support right now. Join the fight to help its survival!
http://www.playhawken.com
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## Model Configuration ##
Lenovo IdeaPad Y410p-20216
Windows 8, 64-bit
1366 x 768 Native Resolution
Intel Core i7-4700MQ "Haswell" @ 2.4 GHz (3.4 GHz turbo)
GeForce GT 750M GDDR5 2 GB VRAM, SLI ready
8 GB DDR3 Samsung RAM @ 1600 MHz (single channel)
1 TB Seagate HDD @ 5400 RPM
JBL Dolby-certified Home Theater v4
Notes:
OS Version - Windows 8.1 Single Language
Nvidia Driver - 344.75 WHQL
GPU - Dedicated, Single
CPU Tweaks - 95% Performance Level
GPU Tweaks - 85 °C temperature limit; -290 MHz memory clock speed
Recording Utility - Nvidia Shadowplay
Input Device - DualShock 3 gamepad
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