When comparing Hawken vs Surgeon Simulator, the Slant community recommends Surgeon Simulator for most people. In the question“What are the best Oculus Rift games?” Surgeon Simulator is ranked 13th while Hawken is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose Surgeon Simulator is:
There is not much in the way of hand holding in the game as many situations can be passed more easily once the payer understands the ins and outs of the game. Things like a green serum not being explained that it helps with a patient bleeding will only be discovered through trial and error, which in the end is rewarding to finally learn all of the mechanics of the game.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
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 Rewarding exploration based gameplay
There is not much in the way of hand holding in the game as many situations can be passed more easily once the payer understands the ins and outs of the game. Things like a green serum not being explained that it helps with a patient bleeding will only be discovered through trial and error, which in the end is rewarding to finally learn all of the mechanics of the game.
Pro Purposefully difficult controls create slapstick humor
In the game the player controls the movements, rotation, raised/lowered stated of the surgeons hand as well as each finger separately. It's purposefully difficult to control the movements of the hand well. The difficulty of controlling actions creates lots of opportunities for slapstick.
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 frustrating
While lack of accuracy of the controls is the main draw of the game it can at times get unnecessarily frustrating.