Tom Clancy's HAWX

But even fantastic graphics can't elevate H.A.W.X. beyond a simple weekend rental.

The multiplayer likewise suffers a bit from a lack of variety.

As the first episode of a brand new series, Tom Clancy's HAWX is not bad at all: the gameplay is solid, there's a good number of missions and the online multiplayer works good though its limitations are certainly noticeable. The game shows some nice locations, too, while the planes aren't as good. If you like arcade shooters, you may enjoy it.

We love H.A.W.X. and we hate H.A.W.X. For every good thing there is something bad. We’ve played it for a long time, but never got really excited. Collecting experience points and unlocking stuff is cool, but the gameplay gets repetitive. H.A.W.X. looks really good, but has a bad storyline. The game is good, but at the same time disappointing.

It's tempting to see this as a metaphor for the game as a whole: beautiful from a distance, but disappointing when you really open your eyes. Still, I find that I have a certain affection for this game - one that I never expected to develop. If Ubisoft decide to make a HAWX 2, I'll certainly be in line to take a look.

Nicely produced, consistent but with a few flaws and some silly wingmen mechanics that often threaten to get in the way of the fun, but there’s nothing else like this on the PS3 and for that reason H.A.W.X stands out more than perhaps it might if it were a FPS, for example.

Rolling and tumbling through the sky in a supersonic aircraft is converted into pure awesomeness in H.A.W.X. Its fast-paced arcade gameplay and stunning graphics offer lots of joy for all kinds of players, but the thin online content and lack of a cooperative mode is a huge disappointment.

Handsome-looking. [May 2009, p.83]

If you’re looking for a realistic aerial combat simulator, you’ve flown into the wrong combat zone. Tom Clancy’s HAWX ignores the minutiae of reality and focuses on the mission at hand—exaggerated aerial maneuvering, shooting enemies down and causing massive explosions. For me, that’s enough.

Solid, but not quite what we expected. [Apr 2009, p.70]

It’s competent but bland, lacking the imaginative missions of Blazing Angels, the glorious melodrama of Ace Combat, and the joyful air ballets of either.

The mission design is lacking, the combat is unimaginative, and the multiplayer is shallow. Still, there are plenty who will be able to enjoy soaring 40,000 feet above the earth destroying dozens of enemy planes. All the while belting out lines of Danger Zone. That’s not weird, is it?

A dull and uninvolved dogfight sim that never lets go of your hand. [Apr 2009, p.66]

H.A.W.X. does little to add something new to an almost dying genre. But it's still a pretty entertaining flight sim if you're looking for some dogfight action on your console.

Solid flying, familiar mission structure and some new ideas that don't work out. [Apr 2009, p.90]