Starhawk Release Date Announced

By Matthew Bennett, Associate Editor
Posted on January 17, 2012 AT 10:22am

THE BUZZ: Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the official release date of Starhawk.

The game will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 on May 8, and the public beta begins today for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The beta offers:

Classic Arcade Flight-Mode: Private Beta players asked for it and we’re happy to include the classic arcade flight from Warhawk.
Host Migration: When the host leaves the game, the hosting duties transfer to another player and gameplay will continue, provided the option is checked.
Language Support: European and Japanese languages are included. Korea, China, Latin America and Brazil will be in English…but these will include the appropriate languages for the full game.
Skills: Players will be able to collect unique Skills to use in gameplay based on their performance. Playstation Network Friend Integration: Friends status, messages, and friend requests.
Bug Fixes: Lots and lots of bugs have been addressed.

EGM’s TAKE: Being the spiritual successor to Warhawk there’s a lot riding on the game, and now fans will finally get a chance to really sink their teeth into it. This is where things get tricky for developers. If fans love the beta then great, everything is brilliant. However if the opposite occurs and fans slate it that can really damage the game’s chances at success.

Matthew Bennett finally got his big break with EGM three years ago, following years of volunteer work for various sites. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.