Gaming Tom Clancy's HAWX

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2009/03/19/tom-clancy-s-hawx-pc-review/1

Despite what the title may suggest, HAWX isn't a spitting game made by the acclaimed novelist. Instead, it's a new arcade-styled flight simulator that puts you in the cockpit of a number of futuristic planes. Is it any good? Flip on some R. Kelly, read our review and find out!

 

Have to say I do like this game, its just different.

Certainly deserves its 8/10 in my eyes.

 

Better out-of-the-box on console - you already have flight sticks that way. Can't say I agree with the assertion that the interface is cluttered, maybe at low resolutions it would become so, but at 1080p - what I presume Ubi developers were using to test - it's fine.

 

great game, working fantastic on my xbox360 controller. only issue was the voice control automatically fires missiles when the speaker says "we are under fire". due to my mic is next usually put next to one of the speaker.

it's a shame F22 is unlocked so late, that's the only plane im good at. because i had lots practice in the demo.

on performance, i get small shuttering when playing, but Rivatuner graph reports my FPS is solid 60. anyone know why? (gtx260 216, all max, Dx10, low SSAO, 2xAA) (benchmark: highest: 161, average: 58) the performance is solid when the benchmark actions heat up, it's probably due to cache of the city landscape?

 

I'll down load the demo when i get home, looks good though.

Do you get a cockpit view or is it always over the shoulder tail?

 

i bought the thrustmaster hotas x especially for this game and it is defitively worth it.
great review! i totally agree with 8/10

i love flying without caring about small flight errors that make my plane drop like a stone

 

There's a cockpit view too, yeah.

 

That actually made me lol. The game looks good might get it when the price drops.

 

I enjoy the game but what bugs me is the fact that everytime the AWACS or wingmen talk to me (and thus a video appears on the HUD), my game stutters.

I'm running Windows 7 Beta but my configuration meets the game's recommended specifications. Anyone know anything I can do to rectify this?

 

So this is another Ubi-fk-cough-soft game tryingt to milk some franchise.

I've got enough of that since Far Cry 2, but I am sure I will be able to get this game from some bargain bin for EUR 15 or less rather soon, which should about equal the actual value of the game.

 

I found the PC controls to be perfect. All I use is the arrow keys, a block of keys around WASD (as any good shooter would use anyway), and sapce and shift (which, again, any shooter would use). Would you mind elaborating on why you feel the controls are bad?

The F-22 isn't in the demo (unless I played a different demo). You get the F-16, Harrier and a Su.

 

Does the Assistance-off mode still have the wonky camera?

 

...if I can get my hands onto it for a test flight I'd have a good reason to get out the ol' sidewinder Force Feedback *g*

Does it support force feedback? (the consolejockeys obvously dont't have it)

 

It's not wonky. It is third person but targets the enemy you have selected. Therefore, it follows the enemy and you can see the rear of your plane when chasing, and when being chased you see the front of your jet and what the enemy is doing behind you. It works really well, at least in the air. When it comes to ground targets it is useless.

 

search for a hack, it allows use of a LOT of planes and coop mode.

fixed shuttering: turn off Vsync

OFF mode is useless at ground targets, and also pretty useless without F22 or any other high performance plane. but while flying a F22, you'd be mad not to use the OFF mode.

 

I have voice control off and it still happens.

 

haha, maybe thats the intention but thats not what it does
its useless for everything and is by far the biggest flaw in the game
add the 3rd person camera to the assist-off mode and the game becomes super awesome!

 

Agreed. From playing the demo, the assist-off mode camera is utter crap. Didn't think it would change from the demo...

 

That is exactly what it does for me. With ground targets selected, it sort of screws it up, but in a dog fight 500+ feet up, the OFF mode is easily your best weapon. Even without high performance jets, I find it very powerful. Although, I haven't tried the F-22 yet, so hopefully have even more to look forward to!

 

F-22 is the best in singleplayer, either that or the XA-20 for ground support. those 2 are the best planes.

in multiplayer however, it doesn't matter about the planes, it's about the skills. even though i had F22, my housemate had the starting plane, i still lost to him due to he's an amazing pilot, simply can't get a lock-on in either flight mode.