Evis T Reviews Tom Clancy's HAWX for the xbox 360.

Many games try to push the envelope when it comes to development. They push graphics, they push game play, and they experiment with new ideas.

Most of them suck.

However, I am always very grateful to those developers who are not afraid to experiment with new ideas, to explore new shores and bring us to new areas of game play. For every 10 screw ups we get, we get an idea that works. And that my friends, is evolution. Survival of the species most responsive to change (Incidentally, this is why the Point and click adventure went the way of the dodo).

But sometimes I don’t want to be part of a bold new experiment. Sometimes I just want to play something that I know will not surprise me, that I know has been approved by the masses for years. Something I know is not going to enthral me, but certainly won’t disappoint me. Enter the game of the hour, Tom Clancy’s HAWX.

For those of you who are unaware, HAWX is basically your standard arcade style flight game. I say flight game as flight sim is just totally the wrong word. In the word of HAWX, aircraft carry upwards of 70 missiles, unlimited chain gun ammo and powered by an American sense of self satisfaction- truly an unlimited resource. Oh and trying to get through their armour is like trying to convince a Tory to acknowledge a hobo.

This has two major impacts on the game play. First of all, it’s straight forward and easy to learn. No altimeters, no gyroscopes, no fuel lines, no complicated radar, no laws of physics… Just pick a plane, pick a payload and then blow shit up. So if you’re looking for a warplane version of Microsoft flight simulator, I’m sorry but you won’t find it here. HAWX is all about constant intense action, penis waving American bravado and pure videogame fun.

I have to say though, that Tom Clancy’s name on the front of the cover seems misplaced. I am a big fan of Tom Clancy, and while I don’t particularly like the man himself, I love his work. His books are well researched and well written, he knows his target audience and plays to them, and generally, he is very entertaining. His videogames have followed this trend with very interesting politically driven stories that go beyond ‘see terrorist, shoot terrorist’, and while they are very pro American gun waving ‘lets-all-liberate-the-middle-east’, they do it in such a way that somehow doesn’t wind me up.

Long story short, Clancy’s a damn good writer. So it begs the question, what the hell happened with HAWX? Clancy’s videogames have never been his best work (not even splinter cell, my favourite), but HAWX’s story is pretty appalling. It starts out interestingly enough, in that near future almost sci fi way that Clancy pulls off so well. The governments of the world have decided that maintaining their armies is too much hard work. So they hire out international security to Private Military Companies or PMCs. You play David A Crenshaw (For some reason I could never get out of my head Rich Hall’s Alter Ego Otis Lee Crenshaw when I was playing), a USAF pilot and member of the elite HAWX unit. However, as the US is now employing PMCs, he gets kicked out of his job.

Fortunately, a PMC called Artemis global security gives him large amounts of money to work for them and ask no questions about who he kills.

If you’re worried about spoilers, skip the next paragraph.

However Artemis decides to take on a contract AGAINST THE FUCKING USA, and somehow still thinks it can win. Needless to say, Crenshaw and the rest of HAWX saddle up, wave the flag with pride and leave behind large piles of money to go and fight for their homeland. Then win. The end. As for you people who don’t like spoilers, I knew you’d read this anyway.

This is pretty damn weak for Clancy. The idea of the PMCs is great, but is never really explored in the game. I hope he continues to use this idea though as the political ramifications, ethics and economy of this set up could lead to some very interesting stories.

So what’s HAWX left with? It’s not a flight simulator, it’s not got a good story and the game play is pretty basic. What does it have? I’ll tell you.

It’s got a selection of about 50 aircraft, lots of targets, lots of explosives and  a couple of dozen vague excuses to blow things up (called Missions). And best of all, the graphics are gorgeous. When my neighbour walked in on me playing it, his first response was “Fucking hell that’s pretty!” And we was right, the light effects are wonderful, the landscape sculpted beautifully, the explosions are starry eye inducing and don’t even get me started on the aircraft themselves.

HAWX’s trick (every game needs one), is that you can turn the limiter on your aircraft off and on. Turning it off lets you have much greater control over your plane, pulling tight turns, moving faster and flipping stunts to gain an edge on your enemies in a dogfight. It also makes the game look more cinematic.  The system itself is quite well done, but takes a little getting used to due to the funny camera angle and the fact the analogue controls alter around.

In summary:

There’s not much more to say about HAWX. It’s a run of the mill game, but I don’t think it’s trying to be anything other than that. It’s not bad, in fact if we rate it by fun, it’s pretty solid. If you’re expecting a revolutionary gaming experience though, you won’t find it here. But if you just want some mindless entertainment, some jingoistic banter and a fuckton of explosions and shrapnel, you’ve come to the right place. This is nothing more than arcade style enjoyment, and God bless the game for it.

Evis T refuses to score reviews. Like Ben ‘Yahtzee’ Croshaw he believes that you should read and make up your mind rather than making a choice based on nothing but numbers.