Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17008 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2003-11-07
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
When it comes to stress relief there's nothing better than climbing into a tank and blowing holes in someone you don't know. That being the case, Sony's Hardware: Online Arena should see blissfully contented gamers slumped in front of their TVs across the country.

There's no real storyline here and no frills and sparkly bits to get in the way of the gameplay. 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.

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--strange but oddly satisfying.

It's possible to communicate with other players using a USB headset (not included), which adds massively to the playing experience and paves the way for creative taunting as you blast total strangers into little pieces. It also helps mask the ghastly in-game tunes that are horribly bland and totally dull. Graphically too, the game is very middle-of-the-road, managing neither to sparkle nor to totally let down. The vehicle models do their job, but there's not a lot you can see about eight trucks and tanks that are all decorated in camouflage colours.

The game provides six modes including Death Match and King of the Hill modes, which should be enough to keep the dedicated warmonger happy for quite some time. Online Arena is distinctly average in many areas yet still manages to be incredibly good fun. --Chris Russell

GamesMaster Magazine
"A great indicator of the shape of things to come for PS2 online. 76%."

Play Magazine
"The most addictive online title we've ever played... an essential purchase for anyone with a broadband connection. 90%."

Customer Reviews

button bashin, adrenaline rushin.
the perfect way to describe "hardware online arena" with plenty of opponents online at any given time you'll make general in no time. you have a choice of four tanks or four off road type vehicles. the tanks are slower yet have superior armour compared to the jeeps. however the jeeps have a roof mounted machine gun where the tanks have the usual cannons. the power ups scattered around the various arenas re-appear quickly so there is never a shortage of additional firepower. its a fast and frantic game which truly comes alive online. the training mode is useful to try out different vehicles or explore the arenas however the ai are not too taxing so the gameplay is limited somewhat. this is one of the messiest noisiest onlines games i've enjoyed in a long while. you will not be disappointed if carnage is your thing.

Quality Game!
This is a great game, much better than twisted meta black online and a refreshing change to stealth in Socom. The game features 5 levels; Quarry, Area 51, Mayan City, Arctic and Ruins. There are 4 game modes; Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King on the Hill and Team king of the hill.

The game is throughly enjoyable and once you start, you cant stop ;)

Not Bad
Hardware: Online Arena is a good game however it suffers from one thing games in its genre always suffer from; short longetivity. Whilst it's fun, especially with its online capabilities this, in my opinion, is its saving feature. The action online is mad and hugely consuming. Fast reactions and nimble thumbs it what it takes.

Overall an slightly disappointing game but hughly playable online hence the 4/5.