Was hyped to see Hawken get a reboot that was primarily PvE focused instead of 4v4 PvP - Came in expecting MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf-esque vibes, instead was left with probably one of the biggest bouts of depression I have experienced in a long time.

It's Hawken without any resemblance of itself - only the visuals. It has been stripped down to a single map where you "explore" an open world spanning a few kilometers. The main game loop is that of a extraction-shooter like Tarkov... Get in, get some loot, and get out before the arbitrary timer is up. No story, no missions, no additional lore, just the most barebones mech-combat. The only way to get loot is by completing these randomized objectives at various locations - be it hacking a terminal, blowing up a crate or energy orb, or defend an objective.

The game locks all of your progression behind blueprints and components where you are expected to grind for materials in order to assemble these items. Meanwhile any damage done to your mech is permanent and must be repaired in between rounds or you risk being destroyed the next deployment.

To add insult to injury, the game also seems to be restricting weapon parts based on your "Class" of mech. I can understand this mechanic from a balance perspective, but for a straight PvE game, this design decision makes no sense. I should be able to strap on whatever weapons, jump jets, and chassis I feel like using.

Core gameplay issues aside, it also leaves you with a horrible user experiance for the first few rounds. The first "Patrol" was softlocked where I couldnt even get past the main menu only to be told I had no weapons / jumpjets equipped. The convoluted and barebones UI does not help in this regard as it was difficult to realize there were sub menus inside of the hangar that you were expected to click. My first instinct to go to the Workshop screen was ill-fated as I was trying to fabricate new weapons only to be told they were locked as I didnt have the blueprints in order to craft *anything*. After a little bit of fumbling about I eventually figured out how to outfit my mech and jumped into a patrol. The "Tutorial" if you can even call it that simply throws you in the game and says to get loot and to a transporter. Thats it. No pictures showing me what it looks like, no examples nearby, no pictures, nothing. I have no idea what I am looking for and there are already about half a dozen icons on the radar screen that I have no idea what anything means. After about 45 mins of stumbing around shooting things and picking up the little resource orbs, I finally *BY CHANCE* stumbled upon a transporter and extracted. Oh - and by the way there is absolutely no map for you to get even the most basic of bearings as to where you are, so you better memorize the map and landmarks!

After about 4 rounds, I had had enough. Did dozens of the "Missions", upgraded my mech a bit, unlocked a few blueprints and chassis from the enemies I killed, and then closed the game, entirely disheartened.


This is not even remotely close to a "Reborn" or even any semblance of a spiritual successor. This is not Hawken. This is not good.

Was hyped to see Hawken get a reboot that was primarily PvE focused instead of 4v4 PvP - Came in expecting MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf-esque vibes, instead was left with probably one of the biggest bouts of depression I have experienced in a long time. It's Hawken without any resemblance of itself - only the visuals. It has been stripped down to a single map where you "explore" an open world spanning a few kilometers. The main game loop is that of a extraction-shooter like Tarkov... Get in, get some loot, and get out before the arbitrary timer is up. No story, no missions, no additional lore, just the most barebones mech-combat. The only way to get loot is by completing these randomized objectives at various locations - be it hacking a terminal, blowing up a crate or energy orb, or defend an objective. The game locks all of your progression behind blueprints and components where you are expected to grind for materials in order to assemble these items. Meanwhile any damage done to your mech is permanent and must be repaired in between rounds or you risk being destroyed the next deployment. To add insult to injury, the game also seems to be restricting weapon parts based on your "Class" of mech. I can understand this mechanic from a balance perspective, but for a straight PvE game, this design decision makes no sense. I should be able to strap on whatever weapons, jump jets, and chassis I feel like using. Core gameplay issues aside, it also leaves you with a horrible user experiance for the first few rounds. The first "Patrol" was softlocked where I couldnt even get past the main menu only to be told I had no weapons / jumpjets equipped. The convoluted and barebones UI does not help in this regard as it was difficult to realize there were sub menus inside of the hangar that you were expected to click. My first instinct to go to the Workshop screen was ill-fated as I was trying to fabricate new weapons only to be told they were locked as I didnt have the blueprints in order to craft *anything*. After a little bit of fumbling about I eventually figured out how to outfit my mech and jumped into a patrol. The "Tutorial" if you can even call it that simply throws you in the game and says to get loot and to a transporter. Thats it. No pictures showing me what it looks like, no examples nearby, no pictures, nothing. I have no idea what I am looking for and there are already about half a dozen icons on the radar screen that I have no idea what anything means. After about 45 mins of stumbing around shooting things and picking up the little resource orbs, I finally *BY CHANCE* stumbled upon a transporter and extracted. Oh - and by the way there is absolutely no map for you to get even the most basic of bearings as to where you are, so you better memorize the map and landmarks! After about 4 rounds, I had had enough. Did dozens of the "Missions", upgraded my mech a bit, unlocked a few blueprints and chassis from the enemies I killed, and then closed the game, entirely disheartened. This is not even remotely close to a "Reborn" or even any semblance of a spiritual successor. This is not Hawken. This is not good.