An unimaginative and short-lived take on vehicular warfare.
If the success of last year’s surprise hit, Rocket League, is any indication, it’s clear that there’s still life in the competitive multiplayer car game arena. Hardware: Rivals attempts to capture some of that same lightning in its bottle, with missiles rather than oversized soccer balls. But after only a few minutes, I realized Hardware: Rivals was out of its league.
We want to hear it.
Watch the Hardware: Rivals Launch Trailer above.
Just like its predecessor (2002’s Hardware: Online Arena for PlayStation 2) Hardware: Rivals is a 10-player, team-based vehicular combat game similar to the Twisted Metal series, but without the over-the-top attitude that makes those games memorable. And if you’ve ever played any vehicular combat game, there won’t be any surprises or innovations for you here. Offering a sleek and sharp interface, Hardware: Rivals is easy to navigate and get directly into the action, a strength which can’t be overlooked in an online multiplayer-only game. However, there are only four basic game modes, none of which is all that impressive: deathmatch, team deathmatch, team domination, and team elimination. Special timed events are planned for the future, but were not live at the time of review.
Aiming those weapons while driving is difficult.
Hardware: Rivals is also lacking in vehicular variety, with only four to choose from: two tanks and two buggies. And while each vehicle handles just as you’d expect, and the difference between the two types is large enough to demand different tactics, the awkward controls make them feel unresponsive and unsatisfying. The slower, lumbering tanks, for instance, feel incredibly clunky, but they can soak up a lot of damage, giving you the time to aim its slower, but more powerful main weapon. On the other hand, the buggies are fast and nimble enough to reach hard-to-get-to places, but they’re more vulnerable and have a weaker main weapon. Aiming those weapons while driving is difficult, because while Hardware uses the standard R2 to accelerate and L2 to brake, for some reason the two weapons are mapped to R1 and L1. Since shooting while driving is the whole point, I was forced to handle the controller in an uncomfortable claw grip.
In addition to main weapons, power ups are scattered throughout each of the maps – largely run-of-the-mill stuff like homing missiles, lasers, and disabling EMP blasts. Homing missiles are only interesting in that they’re one-shot kills, but at the same time they feel overpowered and require next to no skill to use effectively. My biggest frustration with power-ups was only being able to carry one at a time, which led to situations where my lock-on missile would accidentally be replaced by a weaker weapon that I accidentally drove over.
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There are also hidden weapons, unique to each of the four forgettable stages. If you’re able to find it, a short countdown will start and then annihilate anyone on the map that couldn’t get to cover in time. It feels sort of tacked on, yet can swing the momentum one way or another in a close battle. In a sense that’s good, as it keeps things unpredictable and allows big comebacks, but it does it in a way that feels unearned.
Perks just weren’t enough to keep me playing for the sake of unlocking them once I’d gotten tired of the basic gameplay.
Every match you complete gives you XP, which allows you to level up, earning upgrades and cosmetic items for your vehicles and characters. But perks like locking onto opponents faster, unlocking new skins, or having better visibility on the map just weren’t enough to keep me playing for the sake of unlocking them once I’d gotten tired of the basic gameplay.
In terms of Hardware: Rivals’ look and feel, there isn’t much to write home about. The pleasant, colorful cell-shaded art style does an adequate job of masking muddy textures and bland scenery, but the sound quality is the obvious weak link. Generic and monotonous electronic music fades into the background, begging to be ignored. After a kill, your character will sometimes smack talk the other team, but it’s scarce and without personality. Even firing weapons and destroying vehicles sounds flat, making each kill feel that much more anticlimactic.
The novelty of driving around in this tiny selection of tanks and buggies while shooting at other players wears thin pretty quickly. The lack of any original modes or meaningful progression prevents Hardware: Rivals from having any chance at longevity. Aside from the awkward controls, everything works well enough, but nothing is memorable or satisfying.
