Our full, play through review of Hawken, a free-to-play mech arena shooter currently in open beta.

Hawkenis a free-to-play mech arena shooter currently in open beta status.

It features a selection of eleven customizable, upgradable mechs.

To be perfectly honest, the words mech and customizable did not give me high hopes forHawken.

IfHawkenhas a story, it escapes me.

Youll also learn about optimizations, which are where you allocate the optimization points you earn gaining levels.

Ad content continues below

InHawkenyour mech can move in all directions, strafe and boost.

you might side-boost to dodge attacks.

you’re free to also jump and hover.

Again, nothing ever runs out inHawken, but you must recharge.

The first two are self-explanatory.

Missile Assault is a team-based match in which you and yourHawkenteammates fight enemies for control of three missile launchers.

EachHawkengame key in is frenetic and simple.

Plus, winningHawkenMissile Assault matches seemed to garner the most XP.

Once in a match,Hawkenisnt exactly a welcoming experience.

The issue is that opponents appear to be simply thrown together at random.

I ran into quite a few experiencedHawkenlevel 25 players early on and was repeatedly slaughtered.

Graphically-speaking,Hawkenlooks pretty good.

Especially for something thats free-to-play,Hawkenis nicely detailed.

There are some very 2D-looking textures up close, but its nothing too distracting.

However,Hawkensgraphics are nothing earth-shattering.

There are several different levels inHawken, but theyre largely indistinguishable from one another.

Theyre all industrial or desert themed, makingHawkenmostly drab greys and yellows.

Hawkenssounds are all decently done with subtle mechanical whirrs accompanying your movements and satisfying explosion and gunfire noises.

Its got a nice epic, mounting tension feeling and I think it works really well forHawkensmotif.

I have to level with you:Hawkenis really not my key in of game.

Im not much of a multiplayer guy lately and Im definitely not a mech guy.