HAWKEN REBORN

About

HAWKEN REBORN is a single player and multiplayer tactical action adventure game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by 505 Games and was released on May 17, 2023. It received negative reviews from players.

Return to the world of high-octane mech combat in Hawken Reborn. Construct your ultimate war machine and shoot your way through hordes of enemies to uncover the mysteries of Ilall in this brand-new Free-to-Play PVE mech game. Hawken Reborn is a PvE first person shooter, whilst the original Hawken was an exclusively PvP experience. Pilots may not be going head-to-head in Hawken Reborn against each…

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26%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,689 reviews

story79 positive mentions

monetization69 negative mentions

The game has potential and offers a fun gameplay loop for a free-to-play title.
The movement mechanics and mech controls are enjoyable, reminiscent of the original Hawken.
The introduction of a story and single-player campaign is a welcome change for some players.

The game lacks the PVP mode that made the original Hawken popular, leading to disappointment among fans.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including long loading times and crashes.
The monetization model includes microtransactions that feel inappropriate for a single-player game.

story
783 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story aspect of "Hawken Reborn" has received mixed to negative feedback from players. Many reviewers criticize the narrative as bland, generic, and poorly executed, often feeling disconnected from the gameplay, with some describing it as a tedious collection of escort and fetch missions. The comic book-style presentation and voice acting have also been deemed unengaging, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the characters and plot. While some players appreciate the attempt to introduce a story-driven experience, they express a desire for more depth, variety, and coherence in the narrative, especially compared to the original game's focus on multiplayer combat.
- “The story is really good and it follows a good path.”
- “I like how this leans into the story of the Hawken universe.”
- “The first few missions are linear and do a decent job of introducing various game elements, factions, and mission types to you.”
- “The story is bad, the bugs are stupid, and the game in general is mediocre.”
- “The story feels generic and bland, with glaring plot holes.”
- “The story is annoyingly boring and the game itself is obviously early access material.”
gameplay
402 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The gameplay of "Hawken Reborn" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant departure from the original game's mechanics and feel. While some appreciate the core gameplay loop and controls, others criticize it for being repetitive, lacking depth, and feeling more like a generic looter shooter than a unique mech combat experience. Additionally, concerns about performance issues, microtransactions, and the absence of PvP elements have contributed to a generally negative perception of the gameplay.
- “It has good gameplay, good controls, and the actual patrol mode is genuinely fun.”
- “The core gameplay is satisfying, direction is given to the player, and the new tutorials and UI are good.”
- “The gameplay loop is 40 minutes until Nantes kill you, so grab your loot from players or NPCs, do some missions, or just roam; you can use these stargate-looking gates to turn over loot for safekeeping or use them to return to base.”
- “Unplayable mess with buggy mechanics, shitty GUI, and horrible performance.”
- “The gameplay lacks the weight, intensity, and fluidity that made the original such a standout in the mech combat genre.”
- “The core gameplay and feel of old Hawken combat has been butchered to painful simplicity.”
graphics
268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment that they appear worse than the original Hawken, which was released over a decade ago. Critics highlight a lack of cohesion in the art style, describing it as generic and lacking the gritty aesthetic that defined the original. While some players appreciate the improved performance and certain visual elements, the overall consensus is that the graphics feel outdated and fail to capture the unique charm of the predecessor.
- “The graphics and movement are a massive upgrade compared to the original and I can't wait to see more content/story updates.”
- “The aesthetic was quite cyberpunk, and I loved the futuristic and run-down maps, and the general look of all of the mechs.”
- “Good controls, visuals; satisfying gameplay and excellent sound effects.”
- “What's baffling is that despite this game being newer, the graphics somehow look worse than the original, which was built on Unreal Engine 3.”
- “The graphics are worse than the original game.”
- “The original game, which is over 10 years old, boasts better graphics and art style than this release.”
monetization
180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
58%
38%
The monetization model of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing frustration over the presence of microtransactions in a single-player experience. Players feel that the monetization undermines the game's integrity, with accusations of pay-to-win mechanics and a lack of meaningful content. Overall, the sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over quality, tarnishing the legacy of the original title.
- “The microtransactions are not necessary, nor do they feel integral to the enjoyment of what game there is here.”
- “There are indeed microtransactions in the game, but it is a mech, a booster, and a gun, on rotation, that are all available to obtain by just playing the game.”
- “All in all, this game is free, microtransactions are there, but not even advertised, and it's an open-world first-person mech shooter in open access.”
- “This title feels, to put it bluntly but honestly, a soulless cash grab.”
- “They removed so many mechanics that made the original unique, and then made it obvious that this is just a blatant cash grab when they have pay-to-win aspects and a cash shop day one in early access.”
- “This is clearly not an attempt by passionate developers to revitalize a beloved niche IP, but just a soulless attempt to use an old IP to sell microtransactions.”
grinding
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game features a significant amount of grinding, often described as tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the time required to progress and upgrade their mechs. While some appreciate the grind as a core aspect of the looter-shooter experience, others criticize it for being overly drawn-out and incentivizing microtransactions to bypass the grind. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a major point of contention, with many players feeling that they detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “No story, dull missions, and a lot of pointless grinding - that's what this game is.”
- “It's such a slog; the only viable methods to get the materials to craft or upgrade your stuff is to spend hours farming or use premium currency to buy it all.”
- “Every aspect of the game is milked dry for transactions and overly drawn-out grinding.”
optimization
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
46%
43%
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering and frame drops, even on high-end systems. While some users noted decent performance at lower settings, the overall consensus is that the game feels poorly optimized, with a lack of user-friendly settings and a buggy interface. Many reviewers expressed disappointment, particularly in comparison to the original game, highlighting that the current state of optimization detracts significantly from the gameplay experience.
- “Graphics are pretty nice and performance on max settings at 1080p on a GTX 2070 is excellent.”
- “And so far the entire game does feel pretty polished in terms of performance. I'm on a relatively decent PC (GTX 3060 Ti, i5-12400F, 16 GB of RAM), and on the default highest settings, I could run this game just fine.”
- “Graphics are good, well optimized.”
- “The engine optimization is just awful - pressing shift drops my FPS from 100 plus to a complete hitch/stuttering mess.”
- “My machine is not high-end and it gave me a very high maxed out setting and my performance was near unplayable, and trying to fix the settings manually was not user-friendly.”
- “The game feels rushed, with shoddy optimization, small amount of content, rough UIs, and lack of interesting gameplay features due to very simple AI with very limited variety, yet it was announced to the public only a few days before the early access release date.”
stability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that render it nearly unplayable. While some players acknowledge that minor bugs are expected in early access titles, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from significant stability problems, including crashes, lag, and unresponsive mechanics. A few users found their experiences enjoyable despite the bugs, but the overwhelming feedback suggests that the game's current state is frustrating and in need of substantial improvement.
- “Other than one match where my HUD text all disappeared for some reason, the 11 matches I've played so far were all fun and bug-free.”
- “Unplayable mess with buggy mechanics, terrible GUI, and horrible performance.”
- “After update 0.3, the game is now a buggy mess!”
- “The fact that it freezes after every mission and crashes to desktop is really unacceptable for even an early access title and makes me hesitant to try this again until it gets an update.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
14%
The humor in the game is polarizing, with some players finding it unintentionally funny due to its overcomplicated mechanics and poorly executed jokes, while others criticize the dialogue and storyline as cringeworthy and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight moments of absurdity and irony, particularly in the context of its dystopian themes, but overall, the humor often falls flat, leaving players feeling more frustrated than entertained. Despite some amusing elements, such as quirky AI behavior, the consensus suggests that the game's attempts at humor do not resonate well with the audience.
- “The feedback from weapons is top-notch, the sound design is brilliant, the enemies are engaging, allied CPUs aren't dumb as bricks, the voice acting is unique and funny, the in-mech immersion is great.”
- “It reeks of corporate greed and the irony of this in a game about dystopic corporations is hilarious.”
- “Luckily, the AI is so bad that they’ll usually get caught on terrain or forget you exist, so it makes it hilariously easy to do this.”
- “It's Velma levels of bad, with shallow characters, unironic use of overused tropes, extremely cringe and unfunny puns and jokes, and by God, they are always talking.”
- “The humor feels forced and relies too heavily on clichés, making it more annoying than entertaining.”
- “I found the jokes to be painfully predictable and lacking any real wit, which made the experience feel tedious.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable and lacking the impact of previous titles, while others appreciate the sound design and voice acting. Many noted that the soundtrack fails to enhance the gaming experience, often feeling generic and faint, particularly in menus and during gameplay. Overall, there is a call for more engaging and memorable music to elevate the game's atmosphere.
- “I relaxed for 5 ♥♥♥♥ minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Better music (maybe hire Mick Gordon to compose for you?), having the right music helps improve the overall gaming experience.”
- “The music and sounds are great, and the voice acting is entertaining in a good way, showing narrative and script design are far from secondary considerations.”
- “Music's a bit weaker than the original, but honestly, how do you compete with rust & ruin? That soundtrack slapped.”
- “Audio-wise, it's poor and the music is forgettable.”
- “Most of the time there is no music, but even when there is, even at 100% volume, it's too faint to even tell it's there. When you can tell it's there, it manages to be magnitudes more generic than royalty-free music.”
atmosphere
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The atmosphere of the game has been widely criticized for lacking the gritty, immersive qualities that defined the original, with many reviewers noting a significant decline in visual and sound design. The new environment is described as bland and soulless, failing to capture the charm and appeal of its predecessor, leading to a sense of isolation and disconnection from the gameplay experience. Overall, the shift in atmosphere has left players feeling disappointed and longing for the captivating settings that once made the game memorable.
- “Nanomachine goes rogue and basically becomes a pathogen, now there's the gigastructure, a cuboid mass growing in the largest capital of the colony, and humans are isolated to their hangars and mechs because the atmosphere is poisonous.”
- “Many nights have been spent on memorable matches in a captivating setting and atmosphere.”
- “Was a wonderful mech game, with lots of variety, solid PvP, and a gritty atmosphere with great mech customization.”
- “It doesn't have the presentation, atmosphere, appeal or 'feeling' of the original.”
- “The gritty atmosphere, the groaning of your mech every time you moved or took damage, the impact of weapons and how they sound are just all gone.”
- “The atmosphere and the charm of the first game are completely gone; Reborn feels utterly soulless.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
9%
The emotional response to the game's reboot is overwhelmingly negative, with many players expressing heartbreak over the loss of the original experience and disappointment in the new direction. While some see potential in the game's future, the lack of emotional engagement in the current story and the nostalgia for the past leave many feeling disillusioned and reluctant to continue playing. Overall, the emotional weight of nostalgia and unmet expectations heavily influences player sentiment.
- “An utterly heartbreaking reboot to a game with an admittedly tumultuous past.”
- “I want to cry, that's the only emotion I can express here.”
- “It inspired a whole generation to reimagine what mechs could be, but this new development is heartbreaking.”
- “I have the impression that people consider this game as completed and don't realize it's still in early access. I recommend trying it for yourself instead of relying solely on others' opinions. It's understandable that everyone was expecting the old Hawken, but when they see AI-generated art with errors and a somewhat boring story, it can be disappointing. I think it would be better if they added a story mode to the existing Hawken and brought it back for PC players. I need to be happy with what we have because Hawken brings back good memories, even if it's not what I was expecting.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers significant replayability due to its diverse maps, mechs, and play styles, allowing players to experiment and optimize their strategies. However, some users feel that improvements to the HUD and cockpit view could enhance the overall experience.
- “The variety of maps, mechs, and play styles really made the game enjoyable and highly replayable.”
- “There is a degree of replay value if you want to min/max your mechs to higher 'mark' tiers.”
- “Graphically, the HUD and cockpit view could probably use some improvement to provide a clearer, more playable experience.”