Tom Clancy’s HAWX is here, with its mission being to try and bring us console owners a decent Jet Fighter game. Much like the maligned RTS, flight games have never quite felt quite right on the console, so does HAWX change this pattern or does it crash and burn?

 

One thing you will notice the minute you get behind the cockpit in HAWX is that the game can hardly claim to be a real flight sim, there are no instruments to confuse you, the aircrafts pack more weapons than is possible and the game also comes packed with a ERS system which helps you get out of sticky situations, which is probably not available for real pilots unfortunately. Still this is a flying game on a console and it seems that these differences are necessary to make the game more accessible and fun to play.

 

 

The campaign mode in HAWX is where you will probably spend most of your time and with around 19 missions (all of which can be play co-operatively online) to complete this will probably take you a while to get through. The main draw in the campaign is that you are able to gain XP every time you complete an objective or destroy an enemy, then at the end of the missions your XP will accumulate, allowing you to reach new levels and gain in rank. This system obviously gives you added incentive outside of the Trophies/Achievements that you will unlock whilst playing the game and seems to be a good addition by the developer. It is also worth mentioning that the higher in level you become, the more you will unlock and with new jets to be had (which can also then be used in multiplayer) you certainly have all the incentive you need to play through the game.

 

As briefly mentioned the game comes with a built in ERS (Enhanced Reality System), this basically helps you when you lose orientation (the sky can be a confusing place I guess) when looking for an enemy by showing you the best flight path to get a lock and fire your missile, or it can also help you escape the pesky missile that is about to blow your tail end off, by following the same pattern. Another addition to the game is the OFF mode, which basically allows you more control over your jet by taking a third person view and although this will take some getting used to, it does become quite necessary to use. Other abilities in the game include being able to order your wingmen about, obviously this is a lot more fun if you play co-op though as otherwise the computer controlled pilot is only able to attack your target when ordered or watch your back, though that’s not to say this won’t come in handy.

 

The aircrafts of course all come packed with weapons, although you will probably not use your guns as much as your missiles, given that once locked on you can usually dispose of an enemy with the press of a few buttons. On the defence side, the aircraft also comes loaded with flares, this will allow you to lose any heat you have on your tail, although flying around erratically seems to do the trick just as well.

 

Graphically the game is pretty impressive, I can’t say I have ever seen jets dog fighting in real life, however the action looks pretty realistic to me and given the sense of speed the game has, it still seems to run pretty smoothly. The presentation is also backed up with great effects such as the powerful explosions and ear bursting gun fire that are a constant presence in the background. It has to be said that the action does look better in the third person view than in any other, however overall it’s still pretty impressive.

 

 

The game also comes with the usual multiplayer modes built in, therefore as well as teaming up with a friend in co-op mode, you can also take to the skies against others online and test your newly found skills against them, which let’s face it is usually more of a challenge than facing up to anything the computer has to offer. The multiplayer side seemed to run fairly smoothly in all the games I played on both consoles, which was probably helped by that fact that the game limits the amount of players which can take part at any one time.

 

HAWX is a very inviting game to play, especially for those who like their action in the air. Having played all of the other games of this type released for this generation of consoles such as Ace Combat and Blazing Angels, I can honestly say that this is the best of the bunch. The action offered here should be enough to keep even the most hardcore gamer satisfied, and while the game is not perfect, it’s still worth picking up if fighting in the sky is your thing.