Arcade action aerial combat! NOT a simulator.. But definitely the best of it's kind..
Tom Clancy games have allways been the kind to get us right into the thick of strategic assault simulation modes but Hawx has actually taken a bit of a twist away from this style.
I was wowed at first by the fluid flight controls and the fantastic graphical presentation. Even at times when you fly your fighters right near the ground, it still remains impressive. Sound and music is great and adds a brilliant atmosphere especially with surrounds.
Aerial combat is an absoloute blast but it also presents a small but acceptable disappointment when it comes to realism. I am a big simulator fan and the more realistic, the better for me. I just cannot buy the fact that within minutes of playing, you are quite simply the most dangerous fighter pilot in the world.
This could be, because you are outfitted with a monstrous arsenal of weaponry that begs to wonder how the pylons can hold so much armament. This occurs even on elite mode making the experience far from strategic and realistic. Once you accept this, it's all just party time if anything. I truly believe that if the game was designed to be a hardcore simulator, I would have moved the score closer to 10. But then again.. with all this technology, it is set in the future so who knows, maybe this stuff is on the production line as we speak..
One of my favourite features is the assistant mode. This is truly an epic mode. At first and probably for a few minutes, you will not even know what the hell is going on; but once you get the hang of it, you will realise it's benefits. Apart from looking unreal from it's viewpoint, I found it very useful for dodging missiles and for spotting your enemies and of course checking out your totally cool and sexy fighters. (Yes, there is the nightmare Sukhoi Su-47 and every kind of JSF and Raptor variant hehe ;)
The best way to describe Hawx is that it is a god above it's predecessor "afterburner" type combat games. Massively action packed, it is not boring and it is also easy to play even on elite mode once you get the hang of it.
Whether this is a good thing, it is entirely up to you but if you hunger for awesome air combat action with almost every fighter plane ever invented and ones that are about to be, then this is the game that must be in your collection!