05-02-2008, 03:02 PM
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#3
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Bang-bang! Down-down!
OVR: 28
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 16,781
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Re: Tom Clancy's HAWX
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HAWX seems to have found a solution to the problem that has, ahem, dogged the dogfighting genre since the beginning of time. Make it too realistic, and all you're doing is shooting dots in the sky. Go too far the other way, and you've got yourself Sega's After Burner, something so arcade-like in nature that in practical terms you can't call it a flight sim at all. HAWX's answer isn't to find itself a halfway point between these two extremes. Oh no. Instead, it has a damn good go at doing both. This it does by allowing you to switch your Enhanced Reality System - a hi-tech pilot assisting tool - on or off.
When switched to 'on', as is the default, the camera positions itself directly behind the craft and acts as your in flight guide. Your movements are restricted so you can't deviate too far from your flight path, and if you wish to bring down an enemy craft, you have to position yourself behind them and follow the proper lock-on procedures.
On the plus side, having your ERS on saves you a hell of a lot of brain-ache. The ERS system will regulate your speed, preventing slowdown or stalling, will warn you of any imminent crashes, and will read the trajectory of any oncoming missiles and provide you with a safe flight path to follow.
What's more, you've got access to all your intel, and can communicate with your wingmen and supports (again, via the d-pad or through voice command). Through your ERS, you can gather intelligence from your reconnaissance units, talk tactics with your squadron and orchestrate close combat strategies with team mates. It sounds like a pretty cushy deal, and in many situations it is. However, when the enemies draw in close, you'll find the ERS' way of doing things far too restrictive. It's time for the ERS' rulebook to go out the window. |
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Turn the ERS system off, and the camera will zoom out, allowing you to get a better view of the battlefield. You're now in free-range mode, and dogfighting - the most intense stage of combat - can begin. With assistance set to off, movement is unrestricted and you can drift (or slide) through the air, allowing you to pull off incredible maneuvers.
One quick turn and you can find yourself directly behind the craft that was ready to pull the trigger on your life. In this mode, the only restriction to the lock-on capabilities is the skill of the pilot. On the downside, you don't get all that intel guff, but who needs all that, anyway? Er, you do actually - at least if you don't want to peel yourself off a mountain edge at some point in the next five minutes. Without any way of knowing when you're going to crash, stall or spin-out (aside from your instincts), it should be known that turning your ERS system off isn't a decision to be made lightly.
On the other hand, running the ERS is a real drain on your craft's resources. Although you can replenish it by 'cooling down', energy is in limited supply, so playing with the assistance switched on will hurt your firepower as much as your manoeuvrability. It's all about risk and reward - how long do you dare go without the ERS as your crutch? |
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Go Noles!!! >>----->
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