H.A.W.X. 2 falls Below Altitude
posted by biggyDx (DOVER, DE) Sep 7, 2010
Member since Feb 2008
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I will admit I had high hopes for this sequel. I enjoyed the first since it introduced newer elements (such as Enhanced Reality System and Over-the -Shoulder flying), which really made combat more visceral, trilling, and accessible. In the sequel, however, things have changed and not for the better.
Much of the original game is still intact, with improvements in AI and graphics. New additions include piloting a UAV and AC130 gunship, use of precision guided bombs, and takeoff/landing and air refueling. Players can level up by completing missions and challenges which will allow you to purchase skills(perks) and planes for multiplayer, as well as earn side missions. Multiplayer includes 4-player coop and the standard 8-player deathmatch.
The story is pretty cliche. Players battle Insurgents and Separatists with nuclear weapon capabilities and its up to the player to fight them from either the US, Russian, or British point of view. Characters are now fully modeled into cutscenes although their detail is somewhat blocky. They also are bad at lip-syncing. Some portions of the game are done at night, while some missions require the use of UAV's, which brings me to the bad part of this game.
The first game prided itself on fun, fast, hard-hitting action but with new additions and removal of certain elements, the game loses some of that flair. The ERS system has been taken out of dogfighting and is only utilized in landing and refueling. Missions involving UAVs and the AC-130 also; while fun at first, slow down the action to a crawl and only distract you from being involved in real aerial battles. Unfortunately, these portions are mandatory as both standalone and midplay during missions. Intense moments that made the first game are mostly sparse and in half the missions you are required to keep a certain target alive, hampering the enjoyment.
While I was hoping for this game to blow me away once more, I found myself taken aback. This is a rental, but not so much a buy.
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