Every team should have recon operators; they’re just that good. I’ve not encountered many teams that didn’t use Luna or Hackclaw. Reconnaissance and intel gathering are two essential components of a tactical shooter, and that’s why recon operators are so effect
I recently had the chance to go hands-on with Hawk Ops at a preview event that let me try out two of its three distinct game modes while chatting to Team Jade’s studio head Leo Yao about bringing the series back. The first of Hawk Ops’ core modes is a more traditional multiplayer shooter experience called Havoc Warfare, which is essentially Delta Force maps Force’s answer to Battlefield’s Conquest mode and features two large teams either trying to take control of or defend points around a map.
The second game mode I got to experience was Hazard Operations, an extraction shooter mode in the same vein as Escape from Tarkov . I’ve never actually played Tarkov before, but I’m familiar with the general premise- spawn into a map after choosing what to bring from your limited inventory, pick up as many valuable goods as you can, beat anyone who stands in your way, and get out before someone takes you out and grabs your stuff.
I don’t support taking two kitted ARs into the game since most of the time you use only one of them. You can bring in a pistol for a sidearm instead, but if you are down and out, the Bizon has your b
The AKM prides itself on being a familiar weapon, and its powerful yet untamed nature is already a staple. With accuracy-improving attachments , the end result works extremely well in open environme
To keep things interesting, the game locks a good chunk of weapons behind specific classes and operators . Still, with 52 guns in total, including secondary weapons, there are only so many you can upgrade and invest in for the long run. Thus, knowing which weapons are truly overpowered can give you a significant edge over other players and make the grind a lot more worthwh
Even though my first go at Havoc Warfare ended in a loss, my second attempt at the mode went a lot smoother as I got to grips with how to use each Operator’s abilities. At one point, I took out a hallway of enemies with D-Wolf’s grenades, and in another, I managed to fire off Luna’s sonar arrow to reveal which part of the map the enemy team was trying to chokehold. Hawk Ops’ general gameplay isn’t too groundbreaking in the genre, but the Operators do help it feel distinct and satisfying.
With the A-tier weapons, you won’t regret using your Weapon XP cards to upgrade them, but there are a few visible caveats. The guns are either highly dependent on particular maps and playstyles or underpowered to the point that they need attachments to cover up their weakness
S-tier weapons aren’t as widely popular as the ones in S+, but they make up for it in different ways . They’re either more accessible, more favored in a specific yet effective archetype, or have immense (and possibly untapped) potenti
D-Wolf is quite suitable for players who want to go solo hunting. Vyron’s there with his dashes. However, D-wolf’s ultimate allows him to run longer distances, intercept any runners, and rush to an extraction po
I see Vyron as a flanker more than a frontline. Every time you use one of his skills, you get a movement boost , which can be used to get deep into the enemy’s backline. I’ve seen Vyrons pushing instantly with their dash, even if Sineva’s wire trap is on the gro
Whichever mode you play, whether it’s Warfare or Operations, there are chokepoints that you need to be wary of. Once held, unless you use an AoE skill or grenade, it’s hard to clear them. That’s why having a skill covering an entire corner is n
Then, if you want to breach enemies’ backline or blind their line of sight, throw in Stinger’s gesture-guided smoke and you’ll slip through with ease . I’d rather call him the god of rescue than Stinger; he’s just that g
However, you can even use high-tier ammo in it, as 5.56x45mm rounds are abundant in the auction house and sold at a lower price than others. Plus, if you don’t bring enough low-tier ammunition to kill bots in a match, you can loot an AI bot to refill your arse
Things went so badly the first time around that for my second attempt, I was advised to head straight for the extraction point, which was a bit of a blow to my FPS ego. This made for a much more peaceful experience, even if I still managed to nearly get my head blown off by an enemy with a grenade launcher. I may not have been great at Hazard Operations, but I can see it being a hit with anyone who wants a slightly different take on Escape from Tarkov.
I’m not enough of a gun guy to be able to name any firearms more complicated than a Desert Eagle or AK-47, but every weapon that I used felt responsive and had a hefty amount of kick, just like DICE’s staple series. In fact, there’s a lot about Hawk Ops’ Havoc Warfare mode that reminded me of Battlefield, from its use of vehicles (which I wasn’t good enough to unlock) to its bigger and more destructible maps.