Product Details
 | Tom Clancy's HAWX |
| List Price: | $19.99 |
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Product Description
“Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing.” - SR-71 USAF base (Kadena, Japan)Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1306 in Video Games
- Brand: UBI Soft
- Model: 68414
- Released on: 2009-03-10
- ESRB Rating: Teen
- Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Format: DVD-ROM
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
Features
- Become a member of the elite HAWX squadron and command more than 50 iconic in-game planes
- Explore real locations all over the world with photo-realistic environments created using high-end satellite data
- Use the PVP mode to engage other players in brutal dogfights for bragging rights and in-game rewards
- Experience the extended campaign as a solo flier or in multiplayer mode with smooth jump in/jump out functionality
- Let unique E.R.S. technology guide you in evading incoming missiles, avoiding crashes, and controlling weapons
Customer Reviews
AFTERBURNING TOWARDS A DRM-FREE FUTURE!
After Prince of Persia and
EndWar, this is the third major Ubisoft retail release to come out
protected not by any intrusive yet ineffective DRM scheme but simply by
gamers' honor. And, on top of that, it is a very good game.
There
hasn't been a similar game released for some time now: simplified
arcade-like action with easy controls, breath-taking cinematics and
impressive graphics - that will run in full even in mid-range PC
systems. My advice: as with any flight combat game, using a joystick
will make things so much more enjoyable and intuitive.
If you are
more of an authenticity buff (and still have tons of free time to
spare) I would advise going with a combat AddOn for Flight Simulator or a
good old Jane's title. You will find no realistic cockpit and detailed
controls in H.A.W.X. So, is this flight combat game dummied down? Well,
yes. But I promise you: you will have FUN like never before!
Hammerheading
over cityscapes and coming in from the Sun over the desert has never
been more easy to master. The electronic aids and bare-minimum controls
will let you enjoy the fights and start mastering them early on.
This
is a 4star game but I decided to give it full marks just because the
Canadians at UBISOFT keep walking the narrow path towards a DRM-free
future. It cannot be easy to take such bold decisions during such a
tight economy. They deserve our support.
RECOMMENDED!
Great Arcade Style Fighter Game!
UPDATE
I have to say that I
continue to be impressed with this game as I play it more. I may have
under appreciated the graphics, I find that the use of the satellite
imagery to be a great thing and probably much cheaper than having
designers start from scratch in a fictional world like Ace Combat
series.
I think the Cape Canaveral map is cool but while playing I
was reminded of an Ace Combat 4 map of basically the same thing, the
Magellan Straits, Caribbean, Afghanistan, Middle East(Probably Arabia),
Central African, and all of the 17 maps are really great. Another thing
is that in the first mission, Juarez, Mexico, you support the Ghosts in
the earlier GRAW games which is a nice tie in and I'm pretty sure you
support the Rainbow Team from Rainbow Six Vegas in the Nevada map. Other
noteworthy planes are the YF-23 that lost out to the F-22, the XA-20
Razorback which I've never seen anywhere else, X-29 demostrator,
Harrier, EA-6B Prowler, Mig-21, A12 Wing, and other curiosities.
Something
I wish was included was fully destructible environments, your missiles
splash in the water but don't effect buildings or trees. Another thing
that would be great would be add-on maps or a map editor in which we
could use google earth imagery or some kind of expansion packs for
helos, gunships or even prop planes. All in all I have to update my
rating to an 8.5, since I'm a non-console player I can't compare it to
the latest Ace Combat but I'm sure it more than holds it's own against
it.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
Yeah this is a fun game that reminds me
very much of the Ace Combat series for consoles of which I have not
played since I became a PC only gamer. It's not a sim by any means but
if you want that get the Microsoft flight sim or any of the other ones
available on PC. I have to disagree with IGN's review of 6.7, the author
clearly misses a lot of the details, such as the ability to release
flares when an enemy has you locked, the changeable paint schemes and
others, and has an animosity towards this game that is not called for,
for me this game is between a 7.5 to 8.5 depending on how much you like
the arcade modern jet combat game. I would say for me it's an 8 and
that's 4/5 stars here.
The novelty of this game is really what is
cool. I'm not much of a sim player and outside of that ,at least for PC
gamers, there's not much in the way of cool jet fighter games. Who
wouldn't want to fly one of these technological masterpieces but not
have to worry about all the details that the real guys do? Not to
mention the real-world locations, which is not offered in the Ace Combat
series. My review is from a single player offline only POV and not
really using any of the bots you can command, as it didn't really make
much of a difference but I have to say I have not played this game to
the end yet.
STORY
Well it's a pretty minimal story, and
thanks for that I don't really follow that much in a game like this or
racing games either. I still remember the silly and embarrassing Ace
Combat 4 story although I did like the art style involved. This has just
an ex-air force pilot(YOU) switching to a private security company that
has no loyalties other than money and when it takes a contract to
attack your country you rebel. That's all I'll get into as you can get a
summary from the official reviews elsewhere. It takes place in 2014,
standard Tom Clancy near future time setting.
GAMEPLAY
Well
like I said this is an arcade game, meaning you can do about anything
with your jet and as long as it doesn't hit the ground you will not be
punished for it with things like flameouts or losing control. The combat
is non-realistic as well, when you are under attack you can use flares
and wildly maneuver your plane in any which way and it always works.
Also it's a little too easy on normal difficulty, I had no trouble
killing Su-27's, Apaches and various ground targets in the older FA-18
Hornet; I would expect and Su-27 to be a bigger challenge.
Also
there is no need to worry about fuel as it's not even on your HUD as
well as you being armed with nearly 200 missiles for every mission, even
AceCombat5 had limitations that made the game a bit more strategic and
challenging. Missiles can't be instantly fired in succession there's a
bit of a waiting period after firing 2 to fire more. Your
cannon/machinegun is unlimited as well but can't be used continuously as
it get's hot and is a primarily burst weapon. The cluster bombs are
awesome as well as the conventional large ground bombs with the usual
HUD visualizations of trajectory and spread area.
That said it is
kind of interesting to turn off the "assistance(HUD Forward View)" with
left-ctrl and switch to a side view of the plane you are flying instead
of the assisted normal swingman view, it's a little weird and I have
not tried any missions with it on. There are no landing sequences to
worry about either.
Another thing is if you hold down the missile
fire button the camera will switch to the missiles view which is pretty
cool. There's also something called the ERS which takes you step by
step to an enemy kill, it makes it way too easy and really should be
used for training purposes only.
TECHNICAL
I had no problems
with the installation on Windows XP and the game picked up my Logitech
Rumblepad 2 when I went into the controls settings and specified the
joystick. The default settings were fine for my joypad. I have a
midrange system and had no trouble getting 1680x1050 with all high. I'm
using Q6600@2.4Ghz, 4GB RAM, 8800GT512.
GRAPHICS
These were
standard to good, I would say nothing mind blowing but nothing too bad
either. The jets all look like their real world counterparts and the
real world cities look accurate since they are supposedly based on real
satellite images, although they are limited in area. I wasn't hugely
impressed with the Los Angeles area, being a resident of LA, I didn't
see the Hollywood sign or other things other than the main downtown
section. Also the Southern Nevada part is OK I suppose, mainly empty
desert and what I assume to be Lake Mead, I used to live in S. Nevada
and didn't really see much that was recognizable, I don't remember there
being a Hoover Dam but I could be wrong.
The maps that stood out
were Chicago, DC, Tokyo, and Rio. There's about 17 maps. The stars are
really the planes as they should be.
I liked the water on the screen
effect you get when going through rain. The explosions are standard this
generation to look at but the explosions from the ground battles are
pretty neat if nothing special. The way to really get a good view of the
plane and surroundings, if not really all that conducive to play, is to
use the assistance off setting using left-control. In summary the
graphics are good this generation, that's not really a problem though
since it's just cool to have a game like this finally for PC gamers.
SOUND
Pretty
standard, everything sounds right from what I know. I turn off/down the
music since I don't thing most fighter pilots are allowed that sort of
thing in combat anyways and I don't need it to give me a better gaming
experience as this is only a game. Some may like the drama enhancement
you get from it but I'm not one of them. The explosions are pretty nice,
you would of course never hear them like that in a jet but it's a game!
EXTRAS
One
thing you should go and get from a third party is a plane and mission
unlocker. There are massive amounts of real world planes here and I want
access to them immediately, like the SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Nighthawk,
F16, F15,F14,all the migs, Mirage, Typhoon, A10 Warthog, F35 Joint
Strike FIghter, F4, older 60's planes, awesome new looking Russian
planes, experimental planes, F22 Raptor, next next generation USA
planes, Jaguar, F-111, and probably others I've missed. As well as
different loadouts of missiles for each planes specialties like
precision bombs, ground target bombs, cluster bombs, air to air bombs or
a mix of them particular to each plane and it's capabilities. I would
guess there are at least 50 planes here not counting the variants of the
same plane. My favorites include the F-15 Active, F-117, A10, SR-71,
etc.
There are no helos,prop planes, gunships or heavy bombers
here, this is all jets, but you do take down Apaches and other helos in
missions. The planes also have at least one more selectable paint job,
like the F-117 Nighthawk has the standard Stealth Black and also has the
Camo pattern for daytime missions. Also there are multiple variants of
each jet like the standard F16 and the upgraded F16c which I believe is
the non-export USA edition or exported to close allies only as well as
variants with different selectable paint jobs.
All of this stuff
is unlockable only after finishing in the different difficulty settings
or getting better ratings after missions or some online only stuff but
who wants to do all that, search for the Hawx unlock on google and have a
blast right away!
CLOSING
I recommend this to anyone who
likes arcade flying games and doesn't want too much of a challenge. This
game is great if you like jets in general and want the chance to fly
them in a game with a wide variety. It's not a must have game, unless
you are a lover of modern jets, but if you are looking for more variety
in your game collection get this one. Of course this is not a fifty
dollar game by any means so get it used when the prices come down, I'd
say new in the forty dollar range. I'd say if you have the latest
Burnout PC game or miss/enjoy the Ace Combat console series and seek a
breather from the FPS's, RPG's, MMOG's and other dominant game types,
this would fit nicely into your collection.
So-So arcade game.
This is a pretty game, lots
of action, lots of things to blow up, makes a lot of noise and seems to
be a game aimed at kids. It is not in any way a flight sim except that
it happens to take place in airplanes. And thats where any similarity to
a flight sim ends.
The planes fly like they are on rails, there
is no inertia whatsoever. Engines accelerate the planes with vertical
climbs not making much difference to speed. You can jerk a high AOA turn
and the speed stays pretty much constant. You can go inverted and pull
loop a few thousand feet off the ground~ and make it. There is no speed
compression, you can turn as sharp as you want at any speed. You can
target enemy aircraft and ground targets about 2-3 seconds apart and
fire on them from high off angles and speed at close range and still
hit.
Not much of a sim, but fun as a game. EZ entry for people
with no knowledge of flight sims or desire to learn all the stuff that
goes with it. Its a console game adapted to a PC platform~ nuff said.
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