| Hardware Online Arena |
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Hardware: Online Arena is an Online Mutiplayer game that focuses on vehicular destruction using varying means such as ''' Missiles , Lasers ''' and ''' Machine Guns '''. The game was released for ''' PlayStation 2 ''' with the launch of online play for the console and was possibly the first online game for '''PS2'''. However it hardly sold incredibly, not doing too well. However, later the game was added onto the '''network access disk''' that comes when you buy the '''network adaptor''' and during 2005 was one of the three most popular games played online having over ''200'' users on at any one time. GamesMaster Magazine said the game was, "A great indicator of the shape of things to come for PS2 online." FEATURES
IN-GAME Online Arena is a very functional title, eschewing presentation in favour of what it does best, which is to present arcade-style blasting action without letting real-world physics get in the way of a good time. It has to be said that vehicle handling is straight out of the cartoons, with tanks developing the ability the race off of cliffs and buildings and soar through the air before bouncing like a space hopper when they finally touch bare earth. That said, the sole objective of Hardware: Online Arena or HOA is to destroy everything that moves with your weapons. Or at least that's what you do most of the time, using tanks and jeeps to combust rivals or enemy clan members. Some strategy is involved and in modes such as capture the flag it is needed but mostly the player just blows up anything that isn't on their side. This provides a lot of explosions and although the premise may be simple it provides a lot of entertainment and there are many different situations that can occur in the same environment. A game can turn either which way between two warring game clans and the result is not always the same. The main things to do are these:
ARSENAL Laser: Although it isn't the most accurate of weapons, a laser kills on contact and if used in an area where a group of rival players are it can be put to devastating effect. Usage drains the power and the weapon only lasts for a couple of seconds before it dying out. Light Missile: Not very effective unless used in bulk. A number of ''"lights"'' is needed to destroy a vehicle unlike the heavy missile. These use a heat-seeking target mechanism to lock onto targets to track them, this can be achieved from the other side of the level in safety if need be and can be done with the '''heavy missile''' and '''railgun''' too if you are a proficient Sniper . Heavy Missile: ''"Heavies"'' are lock-on missiles similar to the lighter version except for the fact that they pack a much bigger punch. Two can usually be picked up at a time and when locked on they track with the target through the air to reach their destination. Two shots will usually explode a tank. Railgun Primarily the weapon of a Sniper , the Railgun is used for making long-distance kills and destroys anything with one shot. Plasma: A multi-firing weapon that shoots a barrage of blue plasma at an enemy. Damage is medium but can be fatal if used in combination with say a tank's turret. Machinegun: Found only on jeeps it is a rapid-firing piece of equipment that can prove more effective than larger weapons in close-combat situations. Other weapons
NETWORK PLAY HOA is an online game. Although it does have an offline training mode the bulk of the gaming experience is garnered through connecting and playing against real people other than computerized bots used in offline play. It is not all that difficult to get Hardware working online. What you need is a BroadBand connection, Ethernet adaptor for PS2 (not required for the Slimline version) and then you're ready to go. A couple of button clicks, log into the online service and you're off, thundering around a half dozen combat zones with a vehicle selected from the tanks and armoured personnel carriers on offer. |
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