Warhawk, released as AirAssault in Japan, is a futuristic arcade-style flight-combat game where the player flies a VTOL aircraft. The player maneuvers with 360 degrees of flight control through six levels. Weapons include fire-off lock-ons, rockets, multi-fire swarmers, and plasma cannons. The game has no multiplayer capabilities and does not feature DualShock or analog controller support.

There are no saving or loading features. Instead, a password is presented each time a level is completed. The game ends after its six levels are completed, or when the player's craft can no longer fly. This occurs if the craft takes heavy damage or the player ejects from their craft. The craft is teleported to base, repaired, and sent back to the stage for the first two times this happens; on the third time, the game ends.

Enemies in the game vary from being tanks and aircraft to massive fixed gun emplacements and futuristic robots. In certain areas of the game, enemies continuously respawn to challenge the player until they swiftly complete the mission objective.