The enemy has your flag. An explosive match hangs in the balance as he sprints away amidst laser blasts and the rattle of your bullets. In such desperate times, why not drop a building on his head? In Starhawk , you have that luxury -- assuming you can afford it.

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Starhawk continues the quality "hawk" tradition started in Warhawk. That means spectacular multiplayer matches filled with a variety of weapons and vehicles. But traditional weapons only go so far in the wars of tomorrow. In Starhawk, you can spend Rift Energy to call down supply pods from orbit which construct buildings right before your eyes. These buildings serve a wide range of purposes, from delivering much-needed supplies to walling off critical strategic points. With this addition to an already complex combat system, Starhawk evolves into an interesting blend of third-person shooting and real-time strategy (RTS).And so, the sweet building of bases begins.Something about construction provides a special sort of reward. In a shooter, nothing satisfies quite like returning to your base to resupply before heading back out into the fray. Just like coming home from a long day at school or work. In Starhawk, the wonders of base-building await you. By spending Rift Energy, you can call down different structures on almost any flat, clear surface where they'll come to life within seconds of landing.During a few games of Capture the Flag, trends quickly emerged. Skilled players would surround the flag with walls, supply bunkers (Brimming with explosives!), and turrets. With enough Rift Energy, certain structures can benefit from real-time upgrades, like turning a static wall into a motion-activated gate that drops into the ground at the presence of friendly troops but rockets back up when trouble starts brewing.My favorite structure comes in the form of a powerful laser tower, which invokes War of the Worlds with gusto. Battles really come to life when shafts of destruction streak across the battlefield and incinerate the opposition. These towers automatically target the opposing team when vacant, but you can climb in and man the tower yourself if you want more hands-on time with the carnage.Some of the available structures can deploy on top of pre-existing structures. Certain walls, for example, have slots on top that accommodate extra turrets. This gives you the opportunity to fortify certain positions with even more defenses, especially if you see the enemy team continuously approaching from one angle.For those of you more interested in offense, Starhawk has plenty to offer. Vehicle platforms with jeeps and mechs can drop in and dispense powerful tools to pilot. Because every player spawn means dropping out of the sky in an orbital pod, you can expand your team's drop zone with special pod beacons and help your fellow soldiers push forward into enemy territory. Even if you fall from a stray (or not so stray) bullet, your team can continue the assault where you left off.With so many fun toys, Starhawk's multiplayer looks beyond impressive, even in its unfinished state. Dynamic base management adds a fascinating layer onto any competitive experience and allows for both offensive and defensive play, depending on your preference. Even though an empty transforming mech is tempting, I'd rather stay behind and build things. Someone has to hold down the fort, after all.Starhawk is currently in closed beta with a public beta scheduled early next year.

This article is based on a 60-minute demonstration of the Starhawk beta conducted by Sony representatives. 20 minutes of hands-on time was allowed during the demo.Ryan Clements writes for IGN's PlayStation Team. You can follow him on myIGN and Twitter.