Free-to-play Friday: Hawken

by: Travis - posted: 9/20/2013 9:00:00 AM

Free-to-play Friday is a weekly series that showcases some of the best and most interesting free-to-play games currently available for everyone to try. Did we miss a favorite free-to-play game of yours? Post your favorites in the comments and we'll be sure to give it a try for ourselves.

This week's edition of Free-to-play Friday focuses on recently-updated Hawken, a combination of frantic first-person shooter combat and mechs. The best way I describe Hawken to friends is to imagine the gameplay of a first-person shooter combined with the destruction and mobility of a mech. While some may prefer the slower-paced combat of MechWarrior Online, I can't get enough of the intense battles that occur in Hawken. From barrages of missiles to ear-deafening machine gun fire, there isn't any other game currently available that matches both the ferocity and beauty of Hawken.
 
When the game was originally launched, many were taken back by its jaw-dropping visuals of tower skyscrapers and highly-detailed mechs. The most visually-striking aspect of Hawken is the first-person viewpoint with its realistically-designed mech interior. From working gages measuring the mech's temperature to warning sounds when heavy damage has occurred, everything about Hawken aims to immerse players in the battlefield. While still technically considered to be in its beta form, the game runs flawless without any occurrences of bugs or glitches.

The new Hawken: Ascension update that launched last week contains a variety of improvements and new features including a map that takes place in a dense forest as well as a completely-revamped progression system that makes it easier for players to try out new mechs. My only gripe with the game is with how expensive some of the items can be to purchase with only the in-game earned credits. While the game does advertise the ability to buy mechs and upgrades immediately with the premium Meteor points, in no way do they affect the actual gameplay. Even with a completely-upgraded mech, the actual skill of piloting and utilizing teamwork is far more important in combat.

When no other games seem of interest to me or I'm simply in the mood for some frantic mech battles I look no further than Hawken. With its price as free, there really isn't any reason not to give it a try. Hawken is currently available for download through the official website, and requires the creation of an account for logging into the game.