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Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X

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Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (logo)
Developer(s)Ubisoft Romania
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Designer(s)Thomas Simon
Composer(s)Tom Salta
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ReleasePlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)Arcade / Air Combat
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. ("High Altitude Warfare eXperimental squadron") is an air combat video game developed by Ubisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[4] It was released in United States on March 6, 2009.[1]

The story of the game takes place during the time of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. H.A.W.X. is set in the near future where private military companies have essentially replaced government-run military in many countries.

The player is placed in the shoes of David Crenshaw — an ex-military elite pilot who was recruited by one of these corporations to work for them as one of their pilots, fighting whoever and whenever he is told to. Crenshaw later returns to the US Air Force together with his team, trying to prevent a full scale terrorist attack on the United States which was initiated by this military company.

Also, a demo of the game for the Xbox 360 was released on February 11, 2009, PlayStation 3 on February 27, 2009 and Microsoft Windows on March 2, 2009.[5] H.A.W.X. received mixed reviews from critics.[6]

Gameplay

Enhanced Reality System

The game features an Enhanced Reality System (ERS) — an in-game technology that helps turn novice aviators into elite pilots of the future. The ERS includes radars, incoming missile detection, an anti-crash system, damage control system, tactical map, information relay, aircraft interception trajectories and weapons trajectory control. ERS also allows players to issue orders to their squadron and other units.[7] When fully activated, ERS provides a great deal of assistance to the player.

Assistance mode

Players can fly missions at a peace of mind and gain a level of comfort with the use of the assistance mode. Some or all of the ERS features can be turned off to make the game more difficult and give the player more manoeuvrability.[8] This mode comes with increased risks, but allows the player advanced dogfighting manoeuvres and stunning third-person views.

Multiplayer

Players are able to complete campaign missions in co-op mode. There is also a deathmatch mode where players can challenge each other. Winning players are rewarded with experience points to unlock more weapons.

Realism

Players have the opportunity to take on enemies with of over 50 famous aircrafts. Each mission also plays of at real world locations in photo-realistic environments created with the best commercial satellite data on the civilian market. A cockpit, first person, and third person view are selectable. Many were skeptical about the success of the simulation after developers first refused to mention the existence of the cockpit view.[9]

An additional distant third person view is supported that gives the player an external view of both their plane and the target.[8] This view is obtained when the player disables the ERS systems, which is called ASSISTANCE OFF MODE.[10] The Ace Edge flight stick and throttle control, designed for the limited edition Ace Combat 6 package, is fully compatible with the game on both Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360.[11]

Background

Set above the skies of a near-future world increasingly dependent on private military companies and elite mercenaries who have a relaxed view on the law. As these non-governmental organizations gain power, global conflict erupts with one powerful PMC attacking the United States.[12]

The game is set in the same universe as Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter; as Captain Scott Mitchell, the Ghost leader, is featured in two of the missions.[13] Plot elements are carried over from other Tom Clancy games such as the missile defense system found in Tom Clancy's EndWar.[13]G4's interview with H.A.W.X.'s lead designer Thomas Simon reveals that the game takes place in between Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and Tom Clancy's EndWar.[14][15]

Plot

The player begins the game in 2014 as the player assumes the role of former U.S. Air Force pilot, David Crenshaw, who is part of an elite unit called H.A.W.X., provides fire-support missions for the Ghost team carrying out covert operations in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. However, shortly after the mission, the Air Force decides to deactivate the H.A.W.X. squadron and its pilots, including Crenshaw, are recruited into the PMC Artemis Global Security. Over the next six years, Crenshaw and his squadron perform various missions for Artemis and its clients, including defending valuable facilities and attacking insurgent bases. In 2021, Artemis signs a lucrative defense contract with Brazil, making it one of the most powerful PMCs in the world. However, shortly after the contract is signed, Las Trinidad, an alliance of anti-US South American states, launches an invasion on Rio de Janeiro. With the help of Crenshaw and his squardon, Artemis and the Brazilian military are able to push back the assault. The United States then sends in forces to help pacify the area and stages joint operations with Artemis. However, during one mission, Artemis breaks their contract with Brazil and betrays the United States, stating that Las Trinidad had offered them a better deal. Unwilling to turn on their own country, Crenshaw and his squadron side with the United States and help them destroy the Artemis forces in the area.

After the United States orders Artemis to disarm, the PMC launches a massive preemptive attack on United States soil. Though H.A.W.X. manages to prevent them from taking Washington DC and assassinating the President of the United States, Artemis manages to attack and capture numerous American cities and military facilities. Crenshaw and his squadron then assists the American counterattack against Artemis. However, as the United States begins gaining the upper hand, Adrian DeWinter, the CEO of Artemis, announces that he has stolen some of the United States' nuclear weapons and gives the President an ultimatum, surrender in 24 hours or watch the United States be destroyed. H.A.W.X., along with the Ghost Recon team and the US military, manage to restore the SLAMS missile defense shield (found in Tom Clancy's EndWar) and retake the stolen nukes, but Artemis still has a trump card. Artemis forces managed to smuggle one nuclear warhead into Los Angeles, California and threatens to detonate it. With the warhead eventually located by AWACS Citadel and destroyed by Crenshaw, the Artemis threat was destroyed once and for all.

In the epilogue which takes place several weeks later, it is revealed that Artemis has been completely destroyed, however DeWinter and other Artemis executives have managed to escape and are now international fugitives. The conflict between the United States and Artemis also caused over 72,000 civilian and military deaths all across the United States, prompting the United Nations to begin a crackdown on all PMCs. The PMCs are now either forced to take on small scale support and logistical roles, or they will be dismantled. Meanwhile, Crenshaw alone is sent on a black operation to assassinate DeWinter and his subordinates. Thanks to intelligence provided by Third Echelon, Crenshaw destroys Dewinter's hideout located above a series of canyons. With DeWinter and his subordinates finally dead, they will never be able to harm the world again.

Downloadable content

Ubisoft released the HAWX European Assault Pack on PS3 and Xbox 360 on the 23 April, 2009. The extra content costs 400 Microsoft Points (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.80) or USD 4.99 (European price TBC). The Planes include the Dassault Rafale, Saab-37 Viggen, Two Mirage planes. The delta-winged FB-22 prototype bomber and experimental XA-20 Razorback, From Tom Clancy's EndWar. Lately, two new packs have been released. The HAWX Russian Falcons pack, and the HAWX US Eagles pack.

Development

Official system requirements
Minimum Recommended
Microsoft Windows[16]
Operating system Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1
CPU Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz or AMD Athlon 2000+ processorIntel Core Duo 6320 or AMD Athlon X2 4000+
Memory 1 GB (2 GB for Vista)2 GB
Free space 7 GB of free space
Graphics hardware DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 128 MB RAMDirectX 9.0c compliant card with 512 MB RAM
Sound hardware DirectX 9.0 compatible cardDirectX 9.0 or 10
Network Internet connection required for activation

H.A.W.X. was officially announced on July 15, 2008 at the annual E3 2008 developers conference.[17] Prior to this, Ubisoft issued a press release about the game under its working title Tom Clancy's Air Combat.[18] Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. uses a new high resolution image program. H.A.W.X. uses GeoEye's commercial Earth-imaging IKONOS satellite system. The H.A.W.X. development team worked closely with GeoEye so that satellite images could be used in the game's nineteen-level environment. "High-resolution satellite imaging is moving from the black world of intelligence to the white world of commerce, and Tom Clancy's HAWX will bring that reality to gamers," said GeoEye VP, Mark Brender.[19] However, flying your craft in-game at low altitudes makes you visually aware that the GeoEye imagery is not perfect, with ground textures becoming very pixelated: what would appear to be buildings being nothing more than flat squares on the floor, and what would sometimes appear to be water being nothing more than a blue-colored texture.

Reception

H.A.W.X. has received average reviews and has been both praised and criticized. While the satellite mapping has been largely praised as it increases authenticity, it has also been criticized as pixelation becomes very obvious during low-level flying. On Xbox 360, the frame rate dramatically falls during intense battles scenes. A common problem stated in many reviews was the lack of involving online play. Many reviewers criticized it as "stale". IGN said in their review, "The co-op is fun, but the lacking multiplayer is a bummer."[23][24] and X-Play stated "Versus multiplayer is confusingly shallow".[25]

In the PC version of the game, visual differences in many aircraft models with multiple variants like the F-14, F-15, F-16, Su-35 & Su-37 are poorly detailed. For example the visual differences between the F-15C and the F-15E are not modeled, as both aircraft in the game have the same 3-D model with a different weapon loadout. However, in reality the F-15C is a single seat air superiority fighter/interceptor while the F-15E is a two seat multi-role strike fighter with extra hardpoints and Conformal Fuel Tanks. The same drawback is seen in all if not most aircraft with multiple variants in the PC version of the game.

A gameplay element new to flight games called Assistance OFF was positively accepted by critics. Game Informer praised it for its "big thrills".[21] While many aspects of the game were criticized, the satellite-generated terrain was generally accepted and praised by critics.[citation needed]

Yahtzee Croshaw of Zero Punctuation, known for his overly critical and often cruel review style gave it a rare positive review, criticising the story but complimenting the gameplay. He concluded with the comment that it may have sold him on the entire flight simulator genre.

References

  1. ^ a b Orry, hawxgame.com. "HAWX set for March 5". VideoGamer. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  2. ^ Onyett, Charles (March 11, 2009). "HAWX Pushed Back for PC". IGN. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  3. ^ http://www.vgrequirements.info/?p=7774
  4. ^ H.A.W.X Screens and Fictional History
  5. ^ Matos, Xav (February 9, 2009). "HAWX demo barrel rolls onto Xbox Live Feb. 11". joystiq. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  6. ^ a b Metacritic Review "Tom Clans's HAWX". metacritic. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  7. ^ "That VideoGame Blog » H.A.W.X. enhanced reality system". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  8. ^ a b More screens and a different look at H.A.W.X.
  9. ^ Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. E3 Interview (X360)
  10. ^ "How do you feel about Assistance-Off mode? - Neoseeker Forums". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  11. ^ "Ace Edge Compatible?". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  12. ^ Ubisoft Launches An Air Assault With Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
  13. ^ a b Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (X360)
  14. ^ Exclusive Hands On Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
  15. ^ Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. E3 2008 Stage Show Demo
  16. ^ "Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (PC) requirements". VGRequirements. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  17. ^ Hilary Goldstein (2008-04-02). "Tom Clancy's HAWX Flies into the Danger Zone". IGN. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  18. ^ "Press Release". Ubisoft. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  19. ^ Alexander, Leigh (August 26, 2008). "Ubisoft's HAWX Using Commercial Satellite Imagery". Gamasutra. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  20. ^ Anderson, Luke (March 10, 2009). "HAWX Review". GameSpot. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  21. ^ a b Miller, Matt (March 10, 2009). "HAWX Review". GameInformer. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  22. ^ "Official Xbox Magazine".
  23. ^ a b Ahearn, Nate (March 4, 2009). "IGN's HAWX Review (360)". IGN. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-03-10. Cite error: The named reference "IGN 360 Review" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  24. ^ a b Ahearn, Nate (March 4, 2009). "IGN's PS3 HAWX Review". IGN. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  25. ^ a b Sessler, Adam (March 9, 2009). "X-Play's Tom Clancy's HAWX Review". G4TV. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Eddy, Andy (March 4, 2009). "Team Xbox Review of HAWX". Team Xbox. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  27. ^ Narduci, Mikhael (March 13, 2009). "Baixaki Jogos Tom Clansy's HAWX Review" (in Portuguese). NZN. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  28. ^ Leadbetter, Richard (March 5, 2009). "EuroGamer". EuroGamer. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  29. ^ Gamerankings Review
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