Warhawk (PlayStation game)
Encyclopedia
Warhawk is a futuristic arcade-style flight-combat game for the Sony PlayStation console, developed by SingleTrac
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
. 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 multiplayer-only remake of the same name has been developed by Incognito Entertainment
; it was released on Blu-ray disc and as a digital download for the PlayStation 3
on August 28, 2007.
built around a futuristic VTOL
craft. The player maneuvers with 360 degrees of flight control through six unique 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
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.
Enemies in the game vary from being tanks and aircraft to massive fixed gun emplacements and futuristic robots, to name a few. In certain areas of the game, enemies continuously respawn to challenge the player until they swiftly complete the mission objective. A version of the Warhawk craft itself was the final boss in Twisted Metal: Black
.
As the campaign progresses, the source of Kreel's power is revealed to be Red Mercury
, which provides his forces with their nigh-invulnerability. Kreel's motivation is never truly fleshed out, and he seems to fall into the role of a stereotypical
insane
megalomania
c.
The game's various quirky, humorous endings, which occur based on what actions the player takes up to the end of the game, include (but are not limited to) 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. Humor is also evident in the live-action FMV
sequences, such as during the ending cinematic when one of the pilots remarks, "I should have been a dentist like my mother told me."
SingleTrac
SingleTrac Entertainment Technologies was a 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 engineering skills into the video game industry.Its most famous...
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. 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 multiplayer-only remake of the same name has been developed by Incognito Entertainment
Incognito Entertainment
Incognito Entertainment was an American video game development company founded in May 1999 and is the developer of titles such as Twisted Metal, Warhawk and Jet Moto. The team was formed by former employees of SingleTrac, it was based in Salt Lake City and was part of Santa Monica Studio...
; it was released on Blu-ray disc and as a digital download for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on August 28, 2007.
Overview
Warhawk is a vehicle simulation gameVehicle 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 variety of other vehicles...
built around a futuristic VTOL
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
craft. The player maneuvers with 360 degrees of flight control through six unique 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
DualShock
The DualShock is a line of vibration-feedback gamepads by Sony for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in the North American market in May 1998...
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.
Enemies in the game vary from being tanks and aircraft to massive fixed gun emplacements and futuristic robots, to name a few. In certain areas of the game, enemies continuously respawn to challenge the player until they swiftly complete the mission objective. A version of the Warhawk craft itself was the final boss in Twisted Metal: Black
Twisted Metal: Black
Twisted Metal: Black is a vehicle combat video game developed by Incognito Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the fifth installment to the Twisted Metal series and was released June 18, 2001...
.
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
Red mercury is a 19th-century term for protiodide or iodide of mercury. It was commonly recommended for use as an antisyphilitic as late as 1913, most notably during the early years of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments. Taken orally, it caused hematemesis...
, which provides his forces with their nigh-invulnerability. Kreel's motivation is never truly fleshed out, and he seems to fall into the role of a stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
c.
The game's various quirky, humorous endings, which occur based on what actions the player takes up to the end of the game, include (but are not limited to) 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. Humor is also evident in the live-action FMV
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
sequences, such as during the ending cinematic when one of the pilots remarks, "I should have been a dentist like my mother told me."
External links
- Warhawk at GameSpot
- Warhawk review at Gaming TargetGaming TargetGaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...