Hawked
- February 15, 2024
- MY.GAMES
- 9h median play time
Hawked is a free, action-packed massively multiplayer online game, where players can team up with friends to explore a mysterious island, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and compete against enemies to escape with precious treasures. In this PvPvE extraction shooter, players will need to use strategy and skill to outwit opponents and uncover ancient relics. Playable in web browsers, Hawked offers an immersive and thrilling experience for adventurers of all levels.
Reviews
- The game has a unique concept that combines treasure hunting with PvPvE elements, making it engaging and fun.
- The graphics and art style are vibrant and appealing, reminiscent of comic book aesthetics.
- Gameplay is enjoyable with a good mix of puzzles and combat, providing a fresh take on the extraction shooter genre.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including lag, crashes, and unresponsive controls.
- Matchmaking is unbalanced, often pairing new players with high-level opponents, leading to frustrating experiences.
- The monetization system is seen as predatory, with overpriced cosmetics and a subscription model that gives paying players advantages.
- gameplay200 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging mechanics and fun co-op elements, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Many users noted issues with performance, including lag and connectivity problems, which detracted from the overall experience. Additionally, concerns about monetization practices and the game's reliance on microtransactions have left some players feeling disappointed, overshadowing the potential of its unique gameplay loop.
“Gameplay is good once you get the hang of it.”
“Fresh mechanics keep it the perfect level of engaging and interesting ... with zero repetition whatsoever.”
“The gameplay is fun and not repetitive.”
“The gameplay is boring and acts like an MMO concept.”
“The gameplay loop gets repetitive with no outside goal to work towards.”
“Unfortunately, the gameplay is a bit underwhelming.”
- graphics142 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising its vibrant, cartoonish art style reminiscent of Fortnite and Borderlands, while others criticize the optimization and performance issues, leading to lag and stuttering even on high-end systems. Some players appreciate the unique comic book aesthetic and colorful visuals, but others find the graphics underwhelming or poorly executed, describing them as low-quality or reminiscent of older games. Overall, while the art style is generally well-received, technical performance and optimization remain significant concerns for many players.
“I will say, though, that this game looks very polished and thought out for the style of animation and artwork.”
“Soaring graphics, talon-sharp controls, and a story that ruffled my feathers!”
“The graphics are absolutely amazing, and the loot you collect is incredible.”
“More like 'hawk-ward!' it's like they took the fun out of gaming, slapped some mediocre graphics on it, and called it a day.”
“The graphics are so poorly optimized that playing for an extended period is physically uncomfortable and hurts my eyes.”
“The graphics are awful, everything is low poly not because of the art style but because the graphics are really horrible!”
- optimization99 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting severe performance issues such as frequent stutters, significant FPS drops, and lag across various hardware configurations. Many users express frustration over the game's inability to run smoothly even on high-end PCs, while others note that the optimization is particularly poor for AMD setups. Despite some players finding it playable under certain conditions, the consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience.
“Great graphics, runs smoothly on my 1080 GPU.”
“No bugs that I've run into yet, feels fairly optimized.”
“The full release also added some new content and improved the performance of the game a bit.”
“Most recent update completely canned the performance, hovering 144fps then randomly dropping to 4fps.”
“Awful optimization, people with 4080 dropping to 60fps, my fps falling down to 15-20 in fights while my PC ran fine on this and other games with better graphics.”
“The game's performance has been a bit of a letdown, with bugs and optimization problems more frequent than one would hope, impacting the smoothness of play and, at times, pulling you right out of the immersion.”
- monetization68 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
The monetization system in the game has been widely criticized for being aggressive and predatory, with many players feeling it prioritizes profit over player experience. Reviews highlight excessive microtransactions, a non-renewable battle pass, and concerns over privacy, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab. While some players find the core gameplay enjoyable, the overwhelming focus on monetization detracts significantly from the overall experience.
“Genuinely fun without paying for microtransactions unlike the majority of modern games.”
“You can straight up ignore the monetization if you want; the economy's fine.”
“While the monetization may not be the best, it seems they have future plans to add more cosmetics that you can buy with the currency earned from just playing, which you can earn fairly fast if you collect many of the smaller artifacts stashed around the map.”
“The monetization strategy in this game is just sad.”
“It feels like every aspect is designed to push you towards spending more money, making the whole experience feel like a cash grab.”
“Unfortunately, the devs kind of shot themselves in the foot; the monetization is very scummy with a non-renewable battle pass that does not give you enough currency to get the next one, having a premium subscription, and just scummy monetization practices while also selling your data.”
- story57 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as fast-paced and difficult to follow, with many players feeling that it lacks depth and coherence. While some appreciate the engaging narrative and character development, others criticize the repetitive gameplay and bugs that hinder quest progression. Overall, the story seems to be a mixed bag, with potential for improvement and a desire for a more structured campaign mode.
“A thrilling ride, Hawked surpasses genre peers with its immersive story and superior mechanics, despite falling short in the graphics department.”
“I like the characters on the ship and how the story is changing.”
“The story that the game world builds is already amazingly fun and interesting.”
“Played in the first season pass then quit. Tried to play it again recently and everything is so expensive. The amount of money you get from trinkets has decreased from a few hundred to like 50, and the gameplay feels very choppy. The recoil on the guns feels like too much, making it just feel off. I also believe two of my old items you could buy with coins are just gone now. It feels like there is a story, but it's really hard to follow if there is one. The fact that the PvE mode isn't free just feels greedy to me.”
“But I sold an artifact (Collector's Coil) before I was able to buy them, and I happen to need it for one of the first tutorial quests. I've pretty much deadlocked the storyline, making it impossible to move forward at this point, which makes the game unenjoyable overall.”
“If you like a story and lore, there is a basic campaign element built into the PvE area of the game, but it's not worth taking notice of in my opinion unless the devs go the route of splitting the game into PvE/PvP queues.”
- stability36 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly impact gameplay and overall experience. Many players report issues such as unresponsive controls, server problems, and a poorly designed user interface, leading to frustration despite the game's fun concept and potential. While some users have managed to enjoy the game, the consensus is that it remains a "buggy mess" in need of substantial optimization and fixes.
“The game is a buggy mess; it runs at 720p only, no full HD or 2K, uses AMD upscaler only, forced blur, and the UI feels like a mobile game because it's hard to use your mouse.”
“Lastly, the game is beyond buggy; the final gate to get the artifact won't even let you open it; it just gets stuck and makes the noise like it's spinning, but it isn't, so you are stuck and just have to wait for time to run out or exile within a minute.”
“Unfortunately, the game is too buggy.”
- grinding21 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 76 % negative mentions
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to upgrade abilities and progress. Many find the repetitive nature of grinding for resources and upgrades to be unfun and detracting from the overall experience, with some suggesting that the game lacks meaningful rewards for the effort invested. While some acknowledge that skill plays a role in gameplay, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind is a major drawback.
“The puzzles are fun and you'll have to pay attention to solve most of them, but it's done well and is fun, not tedious.”
“The game is boring & there's nothing to do here but grind artifacts and sell; the market is not fun at all, to be honest :(”
“Upgrading to the last 2 rarities is insanely grindy.”
“Like technically there is a system for progression, but it seems super grindy and not worth the effort in the first place, just giving you bonuses that don't do much on their own.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing gameplay moments, such as unexpected player interactions and funny in-game text bubbles like "kapow!" and "blammo!" Additionally, references to pop culture, like a nod to Shrek, and the absurdity of certain character mechanics contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that players find entertaining. Overall, the humor enhances the gaming experience, making it enjoyable and memorable.
“The gunplay is decent, and the little text bubbles that pop up when you shoot someone saying 'kapow!' or 'blammo!' are a hilarious touch.”
“I like the environment, the lizardmen tribe, the funny moments (there is the Shrek reference, which made me laugh).”
“Now the good funny parts of this game,”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as immersive and captivating, enhanced by thematic holiday design that creates a unique experience. While it offers a rich environment and engaging presentation, some players find the competitive and repetitive elements challenging, particularly for casual gamers. Overall, the festive atmosphere is highlighted as a significant strength of the game.
“Immersive atmosphere - captivating environment.”
“There's a lot of things I really enjoyed about this game, from the movement giving you a lot of options to the general atmosphere and presentation being a cut above other games like this.”
“The entire game area has been thematically designed for the holidays, creating a special atmosphere.”
“However, its repetitive nature and competitive atmosphere can be challenging for casual players.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its quality and immersive aesthetic, likening it to an Indiana Jones vibe, others criticize it for being overly loud and distracting, even during menu navigation. Overall, it seems to evoke a relaxing atmosphere for some, despite performance issues.
“The music and aesthetic makes me feel like Indiana Jones.”
“Queue to open the options menu while blasting the game's horrible music and it still plays audio while it's unfocused.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a mix of frustration and hope regarding the game's emotional impact, noting that while it has potential, particularly in its aesthetics, it currently lacks the fluidity and satisfaction needed for a more engaging experience. Many feel that improvements in movement and animations could enhance their emotional connection to the game.
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users emphasize that the game offers significant replay value, highlighting its longevity and the ability to engage players in multiple playthroughs. This suggests that the game remains enjoyable and fresh even after several completions.
“The replay value is impressive, offering both longevity and a fresh experience each time.”
“This game has incredible replayability, ensuring that every playthrough feels unique and engaging.”
“With its high replay value, I find myself coming back to this game time and again, discovering new elements each time.”
“Replay value is lacking, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“The game offers little incentive to replay, as the experience feels the same each time.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's not much left to draw you back in.”