Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is fast paced aerial warfare with realistic looking planes and high resolution satellite image backdrops set in a story line that ties in with other Tom Clancy's titles including Ghost Recon and EndWar.
In 2012, 191 countries ratify the Reykjavik accords giving PMC's (Private Military Companies) the same rights as government militaries and the ability to purchase fighter aircraft. In 2014, the military starts to outsource it's manpower including the H.A.W.x. squadron (High Altitude Warfare eXperimental squadron) to private military companies (PMC's). H.A.W.X. pilot David Crenshaw and his team agree to take on the huge paycheck's of the upcoming PMC: Artemis Global Security.
After being contracted by NATO and the UN in several conflicts, Artemis takes on a huge contract to protect the US backed Brazil, instantly making it one of the largest militaries in the world. Things start to go awry when Las Trinidad, an alliance of anti-US South American states attacks Brazil and offers Artemis Global Security a larger contract.
Starting campaign mode you have the choice of difficulty before each flight. A quick debrief before selecting your plane and armament. H.A.W.X. works on a point system that advances levels when you receive enough points. When you advance a level, you unlock new maps, aircraft and armament. You start the 19 missions in flight with a video of your commander on the top right of the screen telling you the mission and how to accomplish it. The bottom right of the screen shows the available weapons each with different reactions when fired. Rockets, Air-to-ground bombs, air-to-ground missiles air-to-air missiles and radar guided missiles each with several different types. Once you have a target within firing range you will lock on and the selected target will change from yellow to red, aircraft with little speed armour and handling abilities will be taken out rather easily, a single missile should be enough. Dodging missiles involves aerobatics and using flares. On the bottom left of the screen is your map, with a tactical map and radar map available showing friendlies as green, your team as blue and enemies as yellow which will change to red if they are within firing range of a target your protecting. At the top left is the simple command controls, ordering your team to break off and attack the selected target, or group together and defend your rear against attack.
The main feature of the game is the Enhanced Reality System (ERS). This prevents you from stalling the aircraft, allows you to evade radar detection, shows the best flight path to evade missiles or lock onto the selected target. After several missions you will undertake aircraft training with this switched off, which displays the aircraft in a third person view allowing you to take sharper turns with the aircraft at dangerously low speeds to evade locked on missiles or aircraft often stalling causing you to free fall to the ground. This is compensated by pulling back on the controls, leveling out, then hitting the thrust pushing you back towards the sky.
The aircraft looks life like with small details and the control movements followed through on the screen. From a height, the real IKONOS Earth satellite imagery brings realism to the game but low level flying shows obvious imperfections that are instantly noticeable, but easily ignored when your in the middle of a dog-fight or bombing run over famous landmarks and cities. The sound is excellent with believable radio traffic, explosions and Sonic Booms that make you feel your right in the cockpit.
The one area the game seriously lacks thought is multiplayer. Eight people can take in Deathmatch, and it can be more fun than flying against the AI, but more modes would have been great.
While the game at times looks life like, the controls are not. It's very easy to fly from the first mission which only adds to the fun factor, but all the aircraft handle themselves rather similarly which is not what you'd expect from the wide range of planes available. There is many obvious areas for improvement, but at the same time there are many great ideas. An investment in a flight stick will make the game much more enjoyable, but keyboard controls work fine. This Clancy title is worth buying for the limited enjoyment you'll get.
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