H.A.W.X. Brings New Perspective To Tom Clancy Series 27
This week saw the addition of aerial combat game H.A.W.X. to the Tom Clancy franchise by Ubisoft. Shane Bierwith, brand manager of the project, sat down with Student Life to discuss the game and some of their developmental decisions. "... we have four-person jump-in/jump-out co-op, which is a first for the air combat category. As far as competitive multiplayer is concerned, we have eight-person Team Deathmatch. It's a really fresh take on multiplayer in-air combat. As you level up and get kills in succession, you'll have access to support units, which range from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) — you'll shock the other planes out of the sky — to altitude limits." Eurogamer's evaluation of the game calls it fun, but also "a victim of the high standards set by the other titles in the Clancy franchise." IGN says it's "very close to being a great game," but criticizes the combat and the mission design.
Nothing to do with flying (Score:3, Informative)
I tried the demo on my PS3, and I have to say, this game has as much to do with flying as Out Run has to do with driving.
Ie, it doesn't feel like flying at all. Pure arcade.
I am of course not saying this in itself is a bad thing. But for me, the game was a disappointment.
Disclaimer: I did not RTFA.
The big issue (Score:5, Informative)
The game only allows you to fly properly (that is, without the assist cutting in and screwing things up, and with full maneuverability) in a horrible third-person view that can not move, does not sit behind your aircraft, and never seems to be aimed to show the enemy you're interested in. If they just fixed this, it would be a perfectly acceptable arcade flight game, even with the ridiculous air drifting and stuff.
Re:Nothing to do with flying (Score:2, Informative)
It's just an Ace Combat clone. Nothing more, nothing less.
Torrent for the PC demo (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Name Rec. (Score:5, Informative)
It's not even an endorsement any more. Ubisoft bought his name [ign.com] for $30 million USD. They now own the name "Tom Clancy" and can slap it on anything and everything they want to, including things that aren't video games. There's no longer even a token endorsement going on, it's just a brand name now.
Presumably he gets to keep his name for use in any future books, but anyone else wanting to make something "Tom Clancy" has to license it from Ubisoft.
Re:what's with these arcade simulators (Score:3, Informative)
Go get yourself a copy of IL-2 Sturmovik [ign.com] and you will be in Nirvana. It's probably the best serious combat flight sim ever made, and you can set it for anything from moderate realism to full-out, hard-core "I want to adjust the engine mixture myself, thank you very much" realism. Based on your comments I predict you will love it - and as a bonus, you should be able to find it priced at about one-fifth the cost of HAWX.
IL-2 has been expanded and updated many times over the years, so to make sure you get the total package, look for the compilation titled IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946. It includes the core game, all its expansions, the sequel (Pacific Fighters), and a bunch of Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe-style late-war wonder jets. Earlier compilations will lack some of these and will require patching to bring up to date, so 1946 is the version to buy.
Ironically, Ubisoft is the North American distributor for the IL-2 series; if you live there, you can buy 1946 as a digital download from Ubi's Web store [ubi.com] for USD$10. It's also available on Steam at the same price [steampowered.com], and if you prefer physical media, Amazon has the DVD version for $15 [amazon.com].