Fresh off the presses at Sony and developed by LightBox Interactive in conjunction with Sony Santa Monica comes Starhawk. This title is a spiritual successor to Warhawk, though there are many differences that prevent this 
from being a direct sequel. Either way this game picks up all the multiplayer action left behind in Warhawk and gives you more options at your disposal. Lucky for you Playstation fans, this game is an exclusive Playstation product.
Starhawk is essentially a futuristic western game. In this game, you play as Emmett Graves, a gun-for-hire outcast ready to help the man with the highest bid. However, Emmett is not an ordinary human. He has been exposed to a new form of energy called “Rift Energy”. Normally, this energy mutates humans into psychotic monsters but for Emmett it failed to do so leaving him on the border of humanity. Emmett finds himself on his home settlement of White Sands, which is on an alien planet out in the frontier. A mysterious band of outcast warriors has been causing trouble in the system. Emmett is hired to investigate these disruptions and find out who is behind the attacks. While investigating, he discovers that he has a lot more vested on the outcome of these expeditions than he originally counted on.
For the first time in this series of games, Starhawk feature a full length campaign. It takes you through the story of Emmett Graves as detailed above. It is a fairly short run taking about 7-9 hours of gameplay to finish, and it does so in a very stylistic way. The cutscenes are beautifully animated, and they contrast the brightly colored world of campaign. Most shooters today are some variation of grey and black but having a world that is as colorful
as this one is a nice change of pace. The campaign also does a nice job of changing up the environments so you never play in one setting for too long. They also manage to keep a sense of continuity so you experience a lot of different environments and you always maintain that western feel. While you pushing the enemy back, you now have the ability to call in equipment from your orbital drop ship. If you need a tank to take out some artillery, simply create a garage and a tank will spawn. Do you need more weapons? Simply call in a bunker and stock up. This building system is very interesting, and it is something that carries over to the multiplayer modes, as well. This system gives the game a real time strategy feel to the game while still being a third person shooter. It sounds like an eclectic mix, but it works well and it surprisingly fun and addictive.
In particular, the vehicle combat during the campaign feels great. Summoning a vehicle is quick and easy. Simply press a button, choose a building, and confirm and whatever you need is placed in front of you. However, when you summon a vehicle platform, you only get one vehicle. If you need another one, you’ll have to build a new platform. This isn’t a game breaking issue, but it would have been nice to be able to order another vehicle instead of finding a new area on the map with enough empty space to build a new platform. Despite this flaw, vehicles are what makes this game so much fun, especially having the ability to fly a hawk. This time around, hawks have the ability to turn into a mech. Now you’ll be able to transition from space 
dogfighting to mech warfare with the push of a button. This transition feels great, and it is definitely a highlight of the game.
As for the multiplayer, it follows the same vein as the single player campaign as far as gameplay is concerned. Up to 32 players can play at the same time and it makes for some pretty intense battles. The “Build and Battle System” are present, and this is the mode that you are going to spend the most time with. Battles are fast and furious, and it is a lot of fun, but it does take some adjusting. The campaign itself is a good primer for multiplayer battles, but the strength of the vehicles and buildings in the single players don’t have the same attributes when you go online. For example, hawks are devastatingly powerful in the single player campaign. An entire chapter can be completed using one single hawk. However, online hawks can go down rather easily which is a stark contrast and takes some adjustments. However, if you are a quick study, you’ll find that the multiplayer is what this game is all about. Dogfighting, base construction, fast-paced multiplayer are all hallmarks for this game, and for the series, as well. Fans of the original game will feel right at home with this game, and you should enjoy the improvements made to the system. If you are looking for a great multiplayer experience, Starhawk has you covered.
Starhawk gives the player the ability to change the battlefield; however they see fit, and that level of control is what makes this title truly unique. Buildings are created and destroyed quickly, and your outposts can be taken
just as easily as they are constructed. The pace is often frantic due to this fluidity, but it is also exciting and strategic. Strategy plays a pivotal role in the later levels of multiplayer, and you’ll soon realize that destroying buildings can be just as important as killing players. Unfortunately, lessons like these aren’t necessarily evident when starting this mode from scratch. If you put in the time, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts with a multiplayer mode that surpasses most modes you’ve seen before.
Finally, there is co-op play available if multiplayer isn’t your thing. This mode is a survival challenge where two players construct a base against waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Though this mode isn’t anything completely new, it still maintains the fun factor. Learning the choke points on the map, knowing which buildings to build and which weapons are best are just some of the skills you’ll need to master to get to the later levels. Unfortunately, these skills are completely different from the skills you’ll need to master the other two main modes of this game. Moving from mode to mode can feel quite different, so expect a steep learning curve each time you embark on a new experience. This isn’t to say that it isn’t worth it, but you should be aware of the challenges that await you.
Starhawk is one of the best multiplayer games this year and is certainly worth your time. The single player is passable, though nothing special, but this game truly shines in the multiplayer modes. Getting online and flying around in a hawk is gratifying and just plain fun. It is too bad that this game is only available on Playstation systems because this game could find success across all platforms. Either way, if there were ever a reason to play your Playstation, this game is it. We truly enjoyed Starhawk and we know you will too, and because of that, this game deserves our highest recommendation.
Rating: 
This review is based off a review copy of the Playstation 3 version of Starhawk by SCEA developed by LightBox Interactive and SCEA Santa Monica
