Preview
Hawked preview: Extract treasures and survive while trying
We met MYGAMES’ upcoming extraction shooter, where stealing treasures and artifacts from a mysterious island will be an exciting online experience.
Games-as-a-service has taken off in the world of video games. Although the business model is extremely risky as it seems to be a hit or miss proposition, this does not stop studios from looking for ways to take risks to get a piece of the pie. This time we were able to try HAWKED, a shooter that aims to be a fun experience for teams.
Before our game session we were told what Hawked is going to be. The MYGAMES team is striving to make it the most accessible extraction shooter on the market. This is done by trying to create an experience that is easy to play while balancing satisfaction, engagement and competitive once mastered.
This desire is based on 5 pillars that must be present in every adventure game:
- A cinematic adventure where the player is in the center, with many situations around us while we are on the island.
- MMO-style player progression, thanks to the artifacts we receive during our sessions.
- Riftwake, the social hub of our adventures between missions, where NPCs will help us configure or customize aspects of our character.
- A constantly evolving map, X-Isle, the place we will jump to in our sessions, which will be constantly changing and is expected to not be the same within a year.
- Dynamic events where there is always a fluctuation on what is happening. The size of the island is so large that you will always be playing in very different parts and with different PvE events.
What is Hawked all about?
Hawked will put you in the role of a Renegade, an explorer that we can customize with which we will begin our adventures in X-Isle stealing artifacts. In each session we will arrive on the island and we will have to make our way, looking for weapons to defend ourselves from the enemies, both the lizard men of the island, as well as other Renegades who want to get their hands on the treasures, consumables and other items. Throughout the island we will find traps, puzzles, enemies and various treasures.
To find the artifacts, we need to find the island’s glyphs, which are hidden behind a puzzle. If you get 5, you will be able to enter one of the temples to avoid its traps and decipher a final puzzle to get your artifact. The game recognizes that there is some risk in carrying such an important treasure, and allows you to either extract one of the two main artifacts and secure part of your treasure, or be brave and sail around the island looking for other treasures. However, as you might expect, the dangers of the island, be they traps, enemies, or other players, can be more than enough to separate you from your treasure.
In our time, we were able to island hop as a team of three. Communication is key, but there are pinging options that can be very useful. As I mentioned, you have to find weapons to defend yourself at the beginning, though you land with a sword and a slingshot right off the bat, which are basic, but nothing compared to the weapons other enemies might find.
The gameplay is dynamic, with many movements that we are used to in other titles, such as running and sweeping, or some special jumps to be able to climb or even jump from one side to another. Since it is a team game, if one of the players is knocked down by enemies, they can be resurrected by their teammates, or even brought to a specific point on the map to be resurrected.
As a good shooter, weapons are an essential part and here we can find the classics, from pistols, shotguns, machine guns and everything in between. Also among the accessories we can find grenades and healing kits. It should be noted that each of the characters can carry some special moves that can be useful in battle, such as a small drone that, when launched, can reveal the enemies’ position.
Hawked’s Future
Although there is still a long way to go, the development team is already looking into the future of how the content will arrive. Something they have commented on is that they want X-Isle to be not only a shooting gallery, but also a place where a story can be told, so instead of having seasons, they will try to call them issues due to their love of comics, with this trial period being issue 0.
For now, Hawked will have an open beta with a free battle pass available on Steam from August 3-17. A cross-play open beta between PC and PlayStation is planned for the near future.