Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.

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Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. ("High Altitude Warfare eXperimental squadron") is an aerial warfare video game developed by Ubisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was released in United States on March 6, 2009. It was officially announced on July 15, 2008 at E3 2008. Prior to this, Ubisoft issued a press release about the game under its working title Tom Clancy's Air Combat. A version is planned to be released on the Wii.

The story of the game takes place during the time of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Ubisoft's Associate Brand Manager Shane Bierwith told X-Play that in Ghost Recon 1 and 2, the player asks for a bomb drop and the player is able to play those drops in HAWX.


Developer Ubisoft Romania
Publisher Ubisoft
Composer Tom Salta
Platforms Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Release dates
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
NA March 6, 2009
Microsoft Windows
NA March 18, 2009
Genre Flight Combat Game
Modes Single player, Multiplayer
Ratings
ESRB: T
OFLC: PG
Media
Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL, Digital Download - Steam



Background and Plot

H.A.W.X. is set in 2012 above the skies of a world increasingly dependent on private military companies (PMCs) 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.

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 one of the missions. Plot elements are carried over from other Tom Clancy games such as the missile defense system found in Tom Clancy's EndWar. G4's interview with H.A.W.X.'s lead designer reveals that the game takes place in between Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and Tom Clancy's EndWar.

The player begins the game as a former U.S. Air Force pilot David Crenshaw who provides fire-support missions for the Ghost team as part of an elite unit called H.A.W.X. 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 Crenshaw's help, 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, citing that Las Trinidad had offered them a better deal. Unwilling to turn on their own country, Crenshaw and his squadron sides with the United States and helps them destroy the Artemis forces in the area.

Unfortunately, Artemis' actions in South America are only a diversion. The PMC stages a massive surprise attack on the United States. Though Crenshaw 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 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. Crenshaw, along with the Ghost Recon team and the US military, manage to restore the SLAMS missile defense shield (which is 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. Crenshaw is sent to find it and he manages to destroy the warhead, ending the Artemis threat once and for all.

In the epilogue, which takes place several weeks later, it is revealed that Artemis has been completely destroyed, and Dewinter and other Artemis executives managed to escape and are now international fugitives. The conflict between the United States and Artemis also caused over 40,000 civilian 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 is sent on a secret mission to assasinate Dewinter and his subordinates. Thanks to intelligence provided by Third Echelon, Crenshaw destroys Dewinter's hideout, killing him and his entire inner circle and ensuring he can never endanger the world again.

Gameplay

The game features an Enhanced Reality System (ERS), which can include radars, incoming missile detection, an anti-crash system, damage control system, tactical map, information relay, weapons trajectory control and the ability to give commands to an AI squadron. When fully activated, ERS provides assistance to the player. Some or all of these assists can be turned off to make the game more difficult and give the player more maneuverability. ERS can be disabled by a double-tap button press which gives more direct control over the plane. A cockpit view, 'first person', and 'third person' views are selectable. Many were skeptical about the success of the simulation after developers first refused to mention the existence of the cockpit view. An additional distant third person view is supported that gives the player an external view of both their plane and the target. The Ace Edge flight stick and throttle control designed for the limited edition Ace Combat 6 package is fully compatible with the game.

Voice Commands

Like in EndWar you can play the game using voice commands.



Demo

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.

In the demo, the player learns how to fly the aircraft with assist on and off. The demo has two missions, both based in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

* "Operation: Off Certfication": The player learns how to switch the assist mode off and must then shoot down training aircraft and dodge incoming missiles.
* "Operation: Glass Hammer": The player must use the skills learned in the first mission to protect Rio De Janeiro from an attack. This mission provides an example of air to air combat with both fighter jets and bombers and air to ground combat with landing crafts and tanks.

+ YouTube Video

[ghost]

This is a must buy, for me. Though after some of the reviews I'm waiting till it hits the second price tier.

[m0nkey]

This game is awesome. I saw a review of this game on tv and it looks so great. Nice graphics, nice gameplay and they said it isn't very hard to control the plane.
If I had a Xbox 360, I would buy this game for sure.

[ghost]

I heard the in game voice is a pain in the arse, but the rest of the game is enough to make you forget it.