Reviews

(Before reading on please note that this review is purely on the single player campaign)

Its no secret that sony's beloved hawk series is as of late has mainly focused on being an epic multi player experience and starhawk is no exception. However as a I guess you could say bonus the developers added in a single player campaign to starhawk and although not the main attraction of the game its definitely a unique fun experience.

The gameplay consists of many different elements including third person shooter, tower defence, mec control and air combat (yeah I wasn't using the term unique loosely) the main objectives for each level varies. The most common objective is to protect a specific landmark from a horde of enemies this is were the third person shooter and tower defence aspect most commonly comes into play although the third person shooting mechanics are fairly common the tower defence element is were this game really shines. The player can summon several different pieces of equipment to aid them in there fight this includes things such as turrets, allies, new weapons, shelter, a mec (which can transform into a fighter plane) and much more.these items can be summoned at almost any time in almost any place but there's a catch every time you summon an item it costs rift energy and this can be seen as currency the bigger the item you purchase the more rift energy it costs and rift energy comes in small supplies so it needs to be spent wisely however rift energy can be earned from killing enemies and breaking open specific containers so all is not lost if you are low.

Other common objectives include destroying all enemies in the level which is commonly achieved by using landmark defence methods for ground enemies but for air enemies a fighter plane must be used. This is accomplished by summoning a mec which can used as a powerful land weapon to defeat grounded enemies with ease and when the time comes your mec can transform into a fighter plane to take down air enemies.

Graphics are pretty standard for the most part not bad but nothing out of the ordinary. the setting in very unique having a futuristic western sci fi setting which is not a common concept at all. The controls are great with each button doing something different and the controls being easy to use and memorable. the cutscense are fantastic being presented in a unique cartoon like artstyle that you wont be forgetting any time soon. The story is quite fascinating although over time you realise that there's not much too it. The weakest part of the single player campaign is without question is its length with there being only ten levels and although each level is fairly long the campaign can be completed within 5-6 hours but keep in mind that the campaign is more a less a bonus like I mentioned at the start of this review so 5-6 hours really isn't all that bad.

Over all Starhawk's single player campaign is a blast to play with a unique environment fun entertaining gameplay elements bind together to make one heck of an original gameplay idea a somewhat interesting concept for a story that could be better but could be a lot worse and most importantly what this and every game should be pure fun starhawk definitely gets a star in my books.

What I would consider an over looked gem of the downloadable game market hell yeah is a very fun platformer which is very unique not so much in the sense of gameplay but specific aspects such as graphics, art style, presentation, characters, dialogue and more. Overall hell yeah is a fairly simple charming 2D platformer that never quite got the attention it deserved in my opinion the price may make some people sceptical and also the fact of next to no reply value and limited amount of collectables besides from gems (which act as currency) that allow you to buy things such as new guns, hats, new designs for your saw jet pack and upgrades for your weapons which may sound like a lot but you will most likely get everything in your first playthrough that being said however it is satisfying to collect said gems knowing that you are constantly working towards achieving something with every gem collected also with the game taking around 5-6 hours on average first playthrough its not a bad deal for the price your paying.

What can be said about the story I mean its a platformer so as you've probably guessed the story isn't too in depth which is okay because this game like many platfomers shouldn't be played for a fantastic story but rather the experience and let me tell you this game will keep a lasting impression on you with some of its bizarre humour and its beautiful unique art style. Commenting on what story is there it is silly but will at least make you chuckle despite if your a teen or a grown man and considering this game focuses a lot on comedy the story sets out and achieves what it was aiming for.

One thing i should mention before carrying on further is that hell yeah is not a kiddy platformer although very colourful the humour is definitely targeted towards teens and adults although the dialogue isn't laugh out loud funny there are several lines that will put a grin on your face or make you chuckle but i would have to say that the funniest moments of the game do not come from the dialogue but from some of the sequences which are so bizarre and silly that they will make you laugh just from thinking what the hell remember what I said earlier about the humour keeping a lasting impression on you? well these sequences are the highlight of that statement.

The music is half and half there are several songs in the game that fit the mood and are quite memorable but then there are the songs that although fit the mood can be pretty forgetful. One thing that impressed me about the music is the variety there a several different types of music such as techno, rock and more over all the music is pretty good and meets it criteria.

The level design is very unique and you will never see two levels that look anything alike some levels have minor gimmicks that some may not like but it does change up the gameplay a bit and the majority of the game is the platforming that you will be used too by time you get to these points.

I wanted to save the most criticized aspect of this game for last which are the controls often they are said to be the make or break deal for people interested in this game and for the most part people have said that they are quite awkward and are what stop this game from rising above a lot of the mediocre downloadable games out there. I have personally never had any problems with the controls what so ever although I have only played the ps3 version of hell yeah and can not comment how the controls are on the xbox 360 and pc versions I can comfortably say that the controls are barely an issue on the ps3 version in my option i mean the only slight difficulty iv had with the controls are when first getting the saw jet pack but after experimenting around with the controls for about two minutes after obtaining the item and seeing how the physics work it didn't become a problem to me at all and I was able to see the game from start to finish with no control difficulties.

Overall hell yeah is a game that I am thankful exists and all though not perfect and there being many better downloadable games out there for the same price if not cheaper I do not regret downloading it and would happily beg for a sequel. If you were a kid growing up in the 90's and you were a big gamer at the time you most likely remember the era of mascots and that's what's so amazing about hell yeah it brings some of that mascot nostalgia back which in the video game world now a days is a very VERY rare thing Overall would a recommend this game?.... HELL YEAH!