Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X Review
PROS
- High quality gameplay and story for the App Store.
- Immensely varied battle theaters to play through.
- Multiple gameplay scenarios.
CONS
- Local multiplayer only.
- Long distant fights tone down the tension.
VERDICT
For those who haven't already tried HAWX on modern consoles the App Store version is not only a great experience, but manages to be a great flight game on its own.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
There's a danger in porting games from the current generation of consoles to hand-held devices simply because they tend to never capture what made the game so special in the first place. Tom Clancy's HAWX has been brought to the App Store by Gameloft and shatters any doubts about providing an authentic experience on your iPhone.
HAWX is a dog-fighting flight simulator that errs more towards arcade gameplay than it does realism. The game's set in a semi-fictional modern technological war theater and the easy to use interface feels like an upgraded version of After Burner. Tilting adjusts your pitch and roll while buttons on screen modify your speed, yaw and available weaponry. Target lock-ons are available and feed into the arcade-style of the game itself.
From a distance HAWX looks stunning. High-up in the air the landscape which is constructed from satellite photography is beautiful and adds depth to your model accurate jet fighter. Most fighting does occur at long distance and pulling a trigger on an enemy that you literally never get to see except as a radar blip feels too antiseptic. Lastly, with 13 missions and 26 planes to unlock there's certainly a lot to do.
The story is intriguing and what you'd expect of a veteran like Tom Clancy, but for those who have already played other versions of HAWX there's nothing terribly new here to explore. Hardcore fans may be disappointed, but casual fans will get a triple-A experience at a budget price.
Screenshots
$0.99
