14 DAY TRIAL // H.A.W.X. 2 is a mix between an arcade and simulation flight and warfare game created by a Romanian studio for French publisher Ubisoft, aiming to create a Tom Clancy branded experience that appeals to a wide number of players and mixes classic air to air combat with some stealth missions.
The first mission in H.A.W.X. 2 ends with a tremendous explosion, cruiser missile made, which leads to the crash of the main character, who is then kidnapped by insurgents, questioned in what seems to be pretty brutal manner and then prepared for an execution before being saved by Ghosts.
It could as well be a sort of a metaphor for how the early stages of the game play out.
The first missions is classic training fodder but the needs of the narrative crash into in and lead to the downed pilot and his kidnapping, meaning that a new missions is needed to complete the training, this time inhabiting the jumpsuit of a British pilot.
Interestingly that mission also features a close encounter with an explosive device which could lead to a crash but apparently the Brits are more capable at avoiding such incidents that the elite American pilots.
Then the game moves on to questioning a gamer's faith in flight simulations, by introducing a very boring mission which involves listening in to interrogations and checking out safehouses from the emotionless point of view of a drone pilot.
But then it's all rescued via a return to the skies as a Russian pilot in a classic dogfight heavy engagement and by one of the most interesting escort and turret mission combinations I have seen in the last few years, involving the armament of the AC-130, a huge number of insurgents and one truck full of Ghosts that needs protection.
So far H.A.W.X. 2 is a mixed bag, with the story wholly unattractive but with very solid flight combat, although nothing in the class of true sims like Su-27 or Falcon 4.
Let's hope the game delivers more fighting and less drone action from now on.