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H.A.W.X. 2
At a recent event in LA, Ubisoft gave us a closer look at H.A.W.X. 2 – the aerial combat follow-up housed in the Tom Clancy Universe.
The team’s main point of emphasis fell on their desire to play up character development and narrative in this iteration. Hoping to infuse the game with more political intrigue and espionage, the endgame is to insure that H.A.W.X. 2 feels on par with the other interactive titles in the Tom Clancy franchise. The story itself follows the H.A.W.X. 2 team – an elite military squad that takes on black ops missions for the United States government. The game unfolds in the near future when the squadron is deployed in the Middle East to investigate an increase in insurgence activity and violence. Several nuclear weapons in Russia’s possession go missing, making the situation that much more dire.
A new adversary is promised, and we are told that the story will be fleshed out through the eyes of a British Naval pilot and a Russian pilot in addition to the H.A.W.X. 2 team. As before, the story takes place in the greater Tom Clancy universe, so familiar characters may make an appearance.
Placing stock in player feedback, Ubisoft hopes to explore more facets of real aerial warfare in H.A.W.X. 2. This includes taking off and landing on bases or carriers. Other procedural exercises – such as air-to-air refueling – will also be integrated. Players will have a chance to fly through Moscow, the Persian Gulf, the Arctic Circle, and the Indian Ocean, with GeoEye satellite imagery helping to root the game in realism.
Other features include 4-player co-op and diverse missions employing stealth ships, precision bombing, and the use of silent UAV aircrafts. The UAVs are of particular importance in order to spy on enemies and gather intel. Armed UAVs will also add to ground attack capabilities.
Ubisoft aims to highlight cutting-edge technology and firepower through new and prototype combat aircraft. Examples include the F-35’s vectored thrust and Enhanced Reality System. The aircraft roster includes other new and established vehicles, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the F-16C Fighting Falcon, the F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II.
Dogfights will also take center stage this iteration. Ubisoft realizes that dogfighting in real life combat has become somewhat mechanical, so they hope to augment the experience and make it much more up-close-and-personal.
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 is in development by Ubisoft Bucharest and is slated to hit retail this fall for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. A Wii installment is also in the works.
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