Tom Clancy's Hawx 2. Photo / Supplied
There are things you can almost guarantee in a Tom Clancy game - convoluted plot lines, Middle Eastern terror threats, dodgy Russian arms dealers and an abundance of hyper-tech toys. Hawx 2 is no different, offering an arcade take on fighter planes that will have flight sim addicts shaking their
heads.
But those who aren't up for the highly complicated flight simulators should enjoy it, with high velocity dogfights and challenging ground attack levels making up the bulk of play.
Thirty planes - including everything from old Harriers to F18s and the awesome F22 Raptor - are pitted against similarly armed enemies as you progress through a reasonably predictable story mode.
The learning curve isn't too steep - although landing and in-air refuelling take a bit of getting used to.
Multiplayer options are tighter than the original Hawx, with co-op for up to four players taking on missions from the campaign mode, or Arcade mode levels.
Online play puts up to eight wannabe Mavericks in the sky together for dogfight fun - and it runs pretty cleanly considering the number of ompetitors.
There are a few less flightly levels built in - including tedious work tracking cars and marking buildings with a UAV, and a very Call of Duty level where you're pulling the trigger on various ground targets in an AC-130.
Obviously just added to break up the flight mission monotony, some of these sidelines are entertaining; but generally they're an unwelcome distraction from the game proper.
Friend and enemy AI is fairly inconsistent and can prove particularly annoying when attacking a mixture of ground and air targets.
The satellite-mapped environments look superb from the air, but break up when you get too close to the ground - but that's not where you want to be in a fighter jet travelling at Mach 1, anyway.
Verdict: Nothing to see here for flight sim fans, but engaging for the rest of us. Those who dug Namco's ageing Ace Combat series will appreciate Hawx 2.
Rating: 3/5
Format: Xbox 360, PC, Wii, PlayStation 3
Classification: PG
