Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.2 (also written H.A.W.X 2, H.A.W.X. 2 and HAWX2) is an arcade-style combat flight simulators developed byUbisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft. The game is the sequel to Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X, released in 2009, although their storyline has very little in common. The game was announced in May 2010 and was scheduled to be released on September 3 in UK and September 7 in Europe. However, Ubisoft delayed the release date for the PC, PS3 and Wii, while the Xbox 360 was pushed back to its new September 3, 2010 release date. The PS3 version was released one week later on September 10. The PC and Wii versions of the game were released on November 12.

Gameplay

PC version

The game features a story campaign which can be played solo or with cooperation of three other players. The player is often in control of Alex Hunt, a pilot from High Altitude Warfare – Experimental (HAWX) squadron but gets to play one or two missions as other pilots, including Dimitri Sokov of Russian Air Force, Colin Munro of the British Royal Navy and David Crenshaw of HAWX squadron. In most missions, the player pilots a combat aircraft, but occasionally, the player gets to remotely control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Also in one mission, the player assumes the role of a guns operator in an AC-130 Spooky.^[4]

The gameplay experience has significantly changed from that of the previous game. Unlike the previous game, the player is no longer given an option of a plane or weapon load-out for the story missions. In addition, the player assumes the role of a wingman while flying as part of a flight, as opposed to a flight leader; therefore, it is no longer possible to issue orders to other wingmen.

The game adds takeoff, landing and occasional aerial refueling. Landing allows the player to rearm. According to G4TV, they are not implemented in a compelling way, since it is easier to just crash and retry the game with full health and ammo.^[5]

The game has changed focus from fire-and-forget missiles towards operator-guided or unguided ordinance. New weapons includeStand-Off Missiles, Precision Missiles and Precision Bombs,^[5] all of which are forms of operator-guided weapons with slight differences. Joint Strike Missiles, anti-air and ground missiles which were available in all planes and configurations of the previous game are no longer available in the story campaign and have their damage and range reduced. Multi-Target Anti-Ground Missilesare no longer available. To further discourage the player from using guided missiles, some enemy planes constantly dispense an endless supply of flares, making guns the only option.

HAWX2 puts more emphasis on co-op games. According to G4TV, "it feels like the game is primarily intended to be a co-op game."^[5] The game adds a new class of electronic warfare planes designed specifically for co-op games. These planes carry ECM devices but do not have guns. The game also features a multiplayer deathmatch in which up to eight players can play against each other.^[3]

The game supports mouse and keyboard for controlling planes. However, only keyboard may be used to control AC-130 guns or operator-guided ordinance.

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows versions

The game begins with Colonel David Crenshaw piloting a routine patrol mission in the Middle East. After stopping an insurgent attack, a volley of cruise missiles is fired at the Prince Faisal Air Force Base where Crenshaw was stationed. After one of the missiles disables Crenshaw's aircraft, resulting Crenshaw being in enemy captivity and the deaths of his comrades from the previous game. A joint strike force, coordinated by Lieutenant Colonel Simms and composed of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and a Ghost Recon squad executes an operation to rescue Crenshaw. They are supported by Major Rebecca Walters, who pilots an AC-130 gunship during the rescue. In Scotland, Royal Navy Pilot Colin Munro encounters an unidentified passenger aircraft that explodes from an on-board bomb when undergoing a training exercise. In Russia, an air force squadron led by Colonel Denisov and Captain Dimitri Sokov engages separatist aircraft but is ordered to retreat from the region after numerous Russian military installations have been attacked.After the events of the first game, the H.A.W.X squadron is sent to Middle East, where a high level of violence is taking place, and the appearance of various insurgents leaders in various hotspots is becoming common. The team also has to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Russian nuclear weapons.^[4] The player can control three groups at different points in the game: one American (Alex Hunter), one British (Colin Munro) and one Russian (Dimitri Sokov), each with its own pilots and supporting characters.^[4]

Shortly after his rescue, Crenshaw stays on board an aircraft carrier due to an injured arm and conducts a remote surveillance operation with Voron agent Drachev. Drachev was originally undercover inside the Middle Eastern insurgent cell for Russia, only to have his cover blown. A large scale military operation composed of Drachev and the U.S. military is undertaken to secure the region. Shortly after, Drachev executes a joint-operation with Russian Spetznaz and the Russian Air Force to recover stolen nuclear warheads from Separatists in Romaniskhov. However, only two out of the three warheads were recovered, and Drachev's transport is shot down during the middle of the extraction. Colonel Denisov and Captain Sokov provide air support to the best of their abilities, only to be ordered by General Morgunov, to blow up the Nevskaya Dam in order to prevent the warheads from falling into enemy hands. This presumably kills everyone on the ground, but Drachev survives. Despite their efforts, a nuclear warhead is detonated in the Romashkino oil field, crippling Russia's energy supplies. As a result of the attack, Russian Ultranationalists seize control of Russia under the leadership of President Alexander Treshkayev.

While Sokov pilots a UAV to kill the separatists, Drachev covertly calls him in a command center, revealing that the events in Russia had been a ruse for the Russian ultranationalists to sabotage Russia's energy industry and seize control of the Russian government. As a result of Ultranationalist control, Russia would then create war to gather much-needed resources and the government would be declared as heroes. Drachev has Sokov trace a call with one of the Separatists members to General Morgunov, Sokov's commanding officer. After being privy of the truth, Sokov escapes from a military base with Drachev and retreats to Crenshaw's custody with the incriminating evidence. Drachev and U.S. pilots Hunter, Simms, and Walters undergo a joint operation to secure one of the remaining warheads in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, Munro and the Royal Navy repels an assault by the Russian Navy. The Royal Navy then undergoes a joint operation with the U.S. military, Sokov, Drachev, and Norwegian forces to attack Morgunov's forces and assault Moscow. During the final stages of the operation, Morgunov reveals that he and Treskayev did not act on their own, but were "following orders" from a "mysterious organization." He intends to launch nuclear missiles at a captured ICBM launch facility to attack the organization. The H.A.W.X squadron proceeds with the final assault and destroys the underground command bunker, with Simms and Walters being killed by orbital laser attacks, Colonel Denisov being killed in an engagement with Hunter, and Morgunov being killed by Hunter during the assault on his command bunker, leaving only Major Alex Hunter, Captain Dimitri Sokov, and Agent Drachev's entire ground forces.