Buy the Blu-ray Version
WarHawk is an excellent online game and the option to play it here and now via download, as an alternative to buying it from retail, is a great move. There's just something intrinsically cool about the whole concept and this game should've been the standard bearer for online delivery.
But in this case, downloading the game comes with a disappointing DRM penalty. Essentially, if you buy the game from the PlayStation Store, only the account that made the purchase has rights to play the game. And if you port that account to another PS3, there's a 24-hour delay before you can play again. The message here is clear - Sony has had enough of gamers sharing their accounts and giving away their games to other people for free. Fine.
While it is completely understandable for Sony to protect their investment in such an important game, the restrictions are overly prohibitive. Sony itself has set up a system for multiple users to play on the same PS3, with their own friends lists, game stats etc. But even sub-accounts connected to the main user profile are banned from playing WarHawk, so the message from Sony is obviously that only the person who buys the game - and him alone, nobody else in the household - should be able to play it. To me, that's a line that should not have been crossed.
SixAxis support is also something of a mixed bag - quite surprising considering that early Warhawk demo code was used to showcase the controller's motion sensor a couple of E3s ago. It's certainly entertaining enough in the flight sections if you're intent on a scenic journey around the large game maps, but in the heat of hardcore combat, the motion sensor's lack of precision is frankly a liability. It gets worse when using the jeep and tank, where SixAxis is expected to double up as a steering wheel. The jeep in particular is almost uncontrollable and while the sensitivity can be adjusted, that only serves to balls-up the fairly well adjusted controls for the flight mode. The fact that SixAxis support is disabled by default speaks volumes, and I can only suggest that you leave it that way.
What is strange is that Sony seemingly has nothing to lose by allowing sub-accounts using the same console to play WarHawk. It still kills off the game-sharing, it wipes out the possibility of reselling it, but crucially it doesn't handicap any legitimate use of the game by people who choose to download rather than buy the disc version. But with things the way they are now, I think opting for the retail WarHawk is the best way forward, not least because the Bluetooth headset you get isn't bad value at all, plus you're free to play the game on as many PS3s and/or accounts as you desire. The headset itself is a standard mid-range Jabra effort, meaning it's good for your mobile too.
It's disappointing to end this review on a sour note and it's all the more frustrating because every other online component of this game (dodgy voice chat aside) works so well and serves the gamer brilliantly. I've not had this much fun with the PS3 since... well, since I played the WarHawk beta, actually. Download DRM issues aside, this is a game that begs to played and enjoyed.
Awful attemps to put PES own, trying to scoop as much crap as you can!
I get paid tomorrow so if I'm home tomorrow, I'll grab it then. Gutted.
G4 is covering the Tokyo Gameshow live in the US 
