Ported from Facebook Group



So the most recent of game series to bare the Tom Clancy name is H.A.W.X a combat flight simulator game set in the future starting in 2014 AD. You start off as part of the US Air Force, which after the first level you move on to Artemis Global Security a PMC (Privite Military Company). You are David Crenshaw the leader of squadron throughout the game.

The game's storyline seems alittle lack luster, the first few missions you can say are alittle random they allow you to get used to the controls and the enviorments you fly in. The more complex comes alittle later when you have to fight against training drones without the aid of your Enhanced Reality System (ERS). The ERS system is the computer controled system which monitors inegerty of the plane, weapon payload, some ant-crash, and missle lock detection and target information. When playing the system can be turned off allowing the pilot more control over their plane allowing for higher manuverability and increased risk. After the training of the ERS is when the game's story seems to pick up, which is unfortintate as you do not get a sense of envolment in the game's storyline. As well you do not get the squadron feel as you are only flying with 2 wingmen, and you're orders over them are limited to attacking your selected target, or defending you. Which to me seems like a let down and a missed oppertunity for the game as having more team members and better ability over direction of your members could have set for a better gaming experience

As I played the PC verson much can not be said about the controls for the game as it allows for customization throughout. I personally used my Logitech Chillmaster Xbox 360 styled controler and tweaked the controls for my prefrence. The in game controls would have to be split up into 2 catagories that with the ERS turned on, and that without.

When the ERS system turned on the controls work very well, although the ERS system limits the plane, depending the craft you are flying the controls respond well. Most of the game can be played using the ERS system as it has your Head up Display (HUD) as well as map and missle/lock detection allowing you to better defend yourself.

When playing without the ERS is where the game becomes slightly fustrating. It reminded me of the days when I was younger playing Rouge Squadron on the N64 loving the game until I had to use a land speeder to take down an AT-AT with the tow cable as the camera angle made the craft harder to control. The controls of the game with the ERS dissabled have the same feeling. When the ERS is enabled you have a choice between a cockpit view, 1st person, or 3d person view. With the ERS disabled many of the computer systems are now turned off including map, missle/lock detection, the plane's hull intgerity and payload count. The controls while in this view are the same, but what makes things hard is the camera angle changes to an outside perspective of the plane in the air. It is helpful yet very fustrating as you have no control in the camera's angle. With the ERS disabled you are able to preform stalls and other more tight manuvers which can be fustrating as with no computer system you have only prespective to judge your altitude and keeping a close eye on how your thruster burn looks to guess at your speed. If your speed falls to low you stall the plane into a uncontroled fall, which luckly is easy to recover from. I found the agravation of the camera to be more annoying then it was worth when attempting to use this mode of gameplay so I usually stuck with the ERS system turned on.

H.A.W.X's graphics are quite beautiful using GeoEye's commercial Earth-imaging IKONOS satellite system which produced some wonderful landscapes. Which can be viewed alone as an extra in the game. The planes themselves look great very detailed giving a wonderful experience, the effect in the afterburns as well is nice when you can see the plane cause the air effect as it breaks the sound barrier when you accelrate hard which helps add to that experience, although you get to see this happen to your own plane when controling the plane with the ERS disabled, but can be seen during the camera replay.

Overall I found the game to still be a good fun experience, despite some issues I had with the ERS. The game overall has a online co-op mode which can make playing with friends fun. As the Friendly AI can be annoying at times, one the things I always found strange about them though was the Friendly AI's ability to move faster then I could yet we were using the same planes.

Over all I'd give this game a 7.5, I think one of the major flaws was when flying without the ERS, something I wish I could have enjoyed more if had a better control of the actual camera angles. I would recommend this game to anyone who feels like getting their combat flight simulator fix.