One of the features at E3 2012 was a mech-warrior style game going by the name of Hawken. It’s still in development, and the guys and girls at Adhesive Games are still on a mission to find the right balance to the gameplay, whilst figuring out how to make this one of the best free-to-play experiences out there.

When the word free is thrown about, I’m instantly gripped, because that’s my favourite price. But like with most free-to-play games, there will be an in-game store offering up beneficial items that can be bought with real money. So, Hawken will be a freemium game. Free, with the option of Premium.

But by the looks of it, there’s not going to be a massive issue if players don’t opt for the real-money items, because the gameplay looks good enough to keep those players entertained for free play. Kind of like World of Tanks. 

Hawken is a first-person shooter with a twist, because of course, you’re piloting a Mech. The cockpit looks incredibly detailed, as well as everything around the pilot’s perspective. Using a tweaked Unreal Engine, Adhesive Games have so far made a fantastic looking game.

Brad Shoemaker from Giant Bomb sits down and plays Hawken with Jason Hughes from Adhesive Games, and Jason tells Brad all about Hawken, and what they hope to achieve with their free-to-play title.

You can sign up for the Hawken beta right now. To do so, follow this link.