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

EMAIL PRINT ps3

8.4 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 35 critic reviews
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Based on 20 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Romania

Genre(s): Flight Action

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: March 3, 2009

Summary

Tom Clancy's HAWX (high-altitude warfare) promises to revolutionize the way players think about combat in the sky. The story begins in the year 2012. As the era of the nation-state draws quickly to a close, the rules of warfare evolve even more rapidly. More and more nations become increasingly dependent on private military companies (PMCs), elite mercenaries with a lax view of the law. The Reykjavik Accords further legitimize their existence by authorizing their right to serve in every aspect of military operations. While the benefits of such PMCs are apparent, growing concerns surrounding giving them too much power begin to mount. The Enhanced Reality System is the backbone of the HAWX flight experience: radars and incoming missile detection, anti-crash system, damage control system, tactical map and information relay, and weapons trajectory control. E.R.S. also allows players to issue orders to their squadron, making this system as iconic to HAWX as the Cross-Com system is to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Players can ease into their flight missions and gain a level of comfort with the use of the assistance mode. Once employed, players can take full advantage of their technological support through the E.R.S and gain maximum piloting security. If the situation calls for the player to unleash the full potential of the aircraft, the assistance mode can be switched off and all safety features will be deactivated. For the first time ever in the air-combat genre, players can experience the entire solo campaign in four-player JUMP IN co-op mode. In PVP mode, players can challenge up to 15 friends in intense dogfighting sessions and find out who's the top gun. Winning players are rewarded with experience points and money to unlock more weapons. Players have the opportunity to take the throttle of over 50 of the world's most famous aircrafts, as well as being able to dogfight over realistic modern landscapes that have endured years of post-war trauma. [Ubisoft]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Game Informer

H.A.W.X. is the best flight game so far this generation, and a worthy addition to the best in the Clancy stable.

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Gameplayer

H.A.W.X feels more like a Top Gun movie than Ace Combat ever did. It mixes in some refreshing new innovations that keep the missions exciting, and the appeal of that four player online co-op mode simply cannot be denied. If you’re an Ace Combat diehard, we recommend deviating from your usual flight pattern to acquire this target. Alternatively, if you’ve been ground-based gamer all these years and you’re looking for an accessible game that looks and plays great, we recommend you grab a copy of H.A.W.X and buzz the counter at your local game store.

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ZTGameDomain

Even with the small targeting issues, and the lackluster multiplayer Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is an excellent newcomer to the air combat/shooter genre that has been dominated by Ace Combat, I for one hope that they continue to build on the wonderful ideas that this game has shown, if only to make H.A.W.X. 2 an even better.

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Gamervision

The incorporation of satellite imagery, a leveling system, and new control mechanics are enough to make this most recent Tom Clancy title soar over the competition.

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XGN

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is a game every fan of the dogfight genre should buy. But other gamers that are not into air planes, will find a very nice game as well.

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Cheat Code Central

Missions are incredibly narrow, leaving almost no room for improvisation. But, the flying and fighting in the jets is good fun, especially when done with or against other players.

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Vandal Online

Tom Clancy's Hawx is a very welcome game because of the current shortage of this kind of title (none on PS3) and the good ideas it brings, which are implemented well, in a natural way, and in a few hours it would seem as if those "virtual ways" would have been part of the genre's gameplay since its birth.

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3DJuegos

HAWX is the enjoyable debut of the new Tom Clancy franchise from Ubisoft. The french company makes a risky bet by developing a game for a hard genre like the flying arcades, but this game achieves sensational results.

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GameDaily

HAWX features multiplayer dog fighting that runs smoothly over Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Hokey dialogue mars the otherwise stellar presentation and flight sim fans will balk at the simplistic controls.

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G4 TV

It’s disappointing that the multiplayer doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities established by the rest of the game’s design, but the four-player co-op is a very welcomed addition.

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SpazioGames

H.A.W.X. is without a doubt the best title of its genre on this generation of consoles. Despite a classic gameplay, some missions push the edges of simple missile fighting. The versus mode is funny and will keep you busy for a long time. If you like a good blend of arcade a simulation, you're going to have a lot of fun with this last "Clancy's" title.

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Cynamite

Flight Simulation? No. Action? Definitely!

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Game Revolution

A fun ride. It doesn't bring very much new to the table, but it also works just fine and doesn't make you take your shoes off at the security checkpoint.

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Gaming Age

HAWX was definitely a fun shooter, and while it's not something that I would see appealing to every FPS/third-person shooter fan out there, it's certainly worth checking out.

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Play UK

A fresh direction for combat flight, focused more heavily on all-out action, thanks to simplicity of control and an insane story. Thoroughly entertaining, if a little brainlessly so. But then, a little fun never hurt anyone.

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Playstation Universe

HAWX isn't going to win any awards for innovation, but it does bode well for future iterations of the series. While it could certainly be improved on both visually and in terms of depth of gameplay, it's a fine debut for the franchise and as enjoyable a flight combat game as we've played in recent years.

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GameSpot

This arcade-style aerial-combat game has plenty to offer those flying solo, but it doesn't offer much in the way of competitive multiplayer content.

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1UP

The online play -- particularly co-op -- gives HAWX significant replayability. Everything from the picture-perfect planes to the stunning real world environments looks great, even after multiple passes.

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GamingExcellence

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is not the greatest flight combat game on the market. That said, however, it's a well polished title that can bring some fun.

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DailyGame

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

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NZGamer

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

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PS3bloggen.se

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.

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GameZone

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.

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Playstation Official Magazine Australia

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

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

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

TheSixthAxis

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.

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VideoGamer

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.

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InsideGamer.nl

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.

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Multiplayer.it

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.

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GameTrailers

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.

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IGN

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?

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PSM3 Magazine UK

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

Playstation Official Magazine UK

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

Gamer.nl

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.

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GameShark

I think what bugs me the most about this game is that I had my original expectations set pretty darned low before it came out in the hopes of being easily-impressed, and sadly, it ended up meeting many of these low expectations.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Roberto R gave it a7:
Some missions are hectic enough to get the adrenaline pumping. New threats emerge when you think you can't handle any more. The thrill makes it a lot of fun. The Assistance OFF mode, which take a far 3rd person view of the plane, takes a bit getting used to, but it's a pretty neat way to dogfight.

David G gave it an8:
CONS - Short story line; lacks missions. PROS - Graphics are top-level. Online play is alot of fun w/ few server issues.

Taliesin C gave it a10:
This is a very fun and thrilling flight combat arcadish game. Perfect for pick up and play with a wide range of planes, missions and weapon combination. Sure the leveling is really slow but this only adds to its replay value. Multiplayer however is deserted.

Dallas G gave it a9:
Very good game. While not a sim thats not really a bad thing Its fun which is what really we should all want. The graphics are amazing. GeoEye was worth the money. I mean who dosnt like crahing into a building while your snezzing at mach 2. Also CO-OP is fantastic but the main problem was that in co-op you ere always disconnected after a game. But that can be fixed in a patch. Multiplayer isnt very deep. But hey your blowing crap up and if you want really deep multiplayer go play Killzone 2. The planes looked real nice. And the VIP/Forum Account thing for 2 exclusive planes (Including the XA-20 Razorback from EndWar) was really nice. Also I liked the references to EndWar being a fan of that game.

Andy H gave it a10:
This game is awesome! I used to be an Ace Combat lover, until they jumped ship over to Xbox. But now all my dreams have come true, with the return of the flight sim to Playstation. HAWX is a little different than say, Ace Combat, but not in a bad way. And I really hope this is a sign of things to come.

Pete D gave it a9:
This is the most FUN flight game I have ever played. I have many PC Flight Sims and this looks miles better and whilst its not an accurate sim it flys well and its easy to drop bombs on ground targets with massive explosions. There are loads of planes and they all look good. This is much better than Ace Combat on X360.

Pete B gave it a7:
I gotta tell you, as a PS3 fan i feel betrayed by the fact that ace combat left us completely, why not do both platforms? anyway i digress...i was really looking forward to this game, because i enjoy flight sims, but one thing i'm immediately turned off by is the "external view camera" that activates once you turn off computer assistance....fuggin lame...i don't want to play with my own skills in a crappy "replay-like" camera view. Let me maintain the same camera view i once had and allow me to maneuver better from that point of view as an option too.

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

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Summary

What The Critics Said

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