Tom Clancy's HAWX Demo

Tom Clancy's HAWX presents a not-so-distant future a couple of years from now, in which war is still going strong and people have developed even more advanced weapons to use in combat. The most expensive of these happen to be the next-generation fighter jets, which are the main focus of the game as well.

To start off with, it must be mentioned that HAWX is not exactly a flight simulator, since the simulation part is only half-present. Thus, while the planes do respond in a somewhat realistic manner to the various forces that are exerted on them during the flight, the handling is very arcade-based and it doesn't do any justice to the real planes, which require a lot of experience just to be kept in the air, especially without auto-pilot.

However, the game at hand is definitely not about realistic plane controls, since every part has been designed in order to provide you with the maximum amount of action and adrenaline. Thus, from engaging cutscenes and unexpected plot twists during the missions, to the intense campaign scenarios riddled with conflict, everything is aimed toward the actual dog fights up in the air.

Admittedly, the game does a very good job at depicting atmospheric aerial battles, especially since you are always joined by a support team, whose members are constantly communicating with you. Thus, the skies are always filled with missiles, whether they are yours, or they are coming straight at you and must be avoided by taking evasive maneuvers. You also get to destroy ground targets, such as vital buildings, bunkers or tanks.

Another great aspect of the game is the graphic quality, since every plane has been carefully modeled to contain a staggering amount of detail and geometry. The special effects are a real delight to watch whenever a battle takes place, in the form of explosions, smoke and debris flying all over the place. The ground has been also modeled after real locations, thanks to the exclusive satellite imagery used to render it.

In the end, Tom Clancy's HAWX achieves its purpose and features more than enough content to keep you busy for a few hours, as well as a wide variety of multiplayer modes that can be played on the Internet against people from all over the world.