When comparing Hawken vs BlazeRush, the Slant community recommends BlazeRush for most people. In the question“What are the best Oculus Rift games?” BlazeRush is ranked 3rd while Hawken is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose BlazeRush is:
This game provides excellent immersion with a VR headset. There's no lag, the user interface elements are curved making them comfortable to read, and the visual effects work really well within the virtual world.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Almost completely free
In Hawken, almost everything can be bought with in-game currency. Unlike most free to play games this even includes items such as cosmetic changes. While you may have to do a bit of grinding, this game can be fully played without spending a dime.
Pro No PS+ subscription required
Most PS4 games with multiplayer modes require an additional subscription called Playstation Plus. However, free games that have online multiplayer don't generally need PS+ to play online, which is a much welcomed feature for players who can't fork out money for this subscription.
Pro Fast-paced and fun action
Hawken breaks the idea that large heavy mechs equate to slow movement. You'll instead move at a brisk pace, constantly firing your machine guns and launching rockets at the enemy. The mechs are also equipped with jump-jets, allowing you to make very swift evasive maneuvers and hover above the battlefield, so it has a 3D tactics aspect unlike most FPS games. All of this makes the action really enjoyable.
Pro Encourages teamplay
In a genre saturated with lone wolf games like Call of Duty, it's nice to have a game like Hawken which makes teamwork a necessity. You'll immediately notice how disadvantageous 1v2 battles are, so you'll always look to cooperate with your teammates. From things like providing covering fire to defending each other when repairing mechs, it feels nice when you can rely on your teammates on a regular basis.
Pro Great sense of immersion
Hawken does an excellent job of making you feel like you really are in the mech. From the vibrations on the glass when you're firing off a salvo of missiles to the swaying of the cockpit when you're stomping your way through a destroyed city, there are many details that considerably add to the immersion.
Pro Great VR implementation thanks to quality optimization
This game provides excellent immersion with a VR headset. There's no lag, the user interface elements are curved making them comfortable to read, and the visual effects work really well within the virtual world.
Pro Excellent as a pick-up-and-play game thanks to thegames straightforward arcade racing
The very straightforward arcade-racing-with-guns-gameplay and quick races make it a great game to play in-between other things, or at a casual get-together (if you have friends cool enough to also have the Rift).
Pro Well designed UI for VR allows the game to be easily interfaced with
The developers clearly thought about their UI supporting VR from early on, and the subtle touches they've added really help. The menus are projected into the 3D world on a concave surface, rather than a flat one, making it easier to read stuff on the far edges. The pause menu allows exploring the details of in-game action by projecting the menu behind the action, and allowing positional tracking to continue working. Also screens and videos completely surrounding the viewer on the main menu is a nice touch.
Pro Good local and online multiplayer support allows the game to be easily played online with friends
The game supports up to 4 player local and up to 8 player online multiplayer. This allows you to play with friends, or online with randoms. Either way, it makes the game feel unique each time which helps keep the game from getting predictable or boring.
Cons
Con Lack of story is a missed opportunity
A current trend in online gaming is that many games do not offer a single player campaign or any means to tell a story. Sadly Hawken continues this trend as it does very little to expand on its interesting setting, which is very disappointing.
Con Can get repetitive
The game can seem very hum drum after spending a good amount of time with it. While this may be true of most racers, this one stands out as repetitive after a while.
Con Continuous D-pad input can strain your thumb
Unlike most racing games, there is no dedicated acceleration button. So, in order to go forwards, you need to push the d-pad in the desired direction - even when just going forward. After a couple games, this can add significant strain to your thumb.