HAWX 2

[Stark]

The sad part is that I finished the game and don't remember any of that. I remember the ludicrious fleet mission triple-cross and the microwave laser altitude limits, but that's all.

[Vendetta]

Artemis has to be the dumbest enemy in the history of video games. I mean Christ - a PMC attacking the USA so that they'll be left alone to pursue military contracts, and then pissing off every other country (like Japan) in the process. Clearly, the CEO of Artemis is a GENIUS.

I don't mind evil PMCs (let's face it: they ARE pretty bad), but...this sounds awesome. In an Ace Combat sort of way, of course

The last mission of the first game has you flying through a canyon to attack a super-secret base at the end where the Artemis CEO has gone to hide.

It is never elaborated what the shareholders thought at the business strategy meeting where the future of the company was presented as:

1. Declare war on United States.
2. ????
3. Profit!

The last mission of HAWX 2 has you flying through a tunnel to blow up a hueg missile, after being shot at by orbital doom lasers.

HAWX is Ace Combat fanfiction.

[Shroom Man 777]

Jesus Christ. That is a piss-poor, cheap and unoriginal imitation.

[PeZook]

Its biggest flaw is that it probably takes itself really, really seriously.

[Shroom Man 777]

Ace Combat benefits by having really outrageous and ridiculous stuff in it that takes itself seriously but is so ridiculous that you know they really don't take it seriously, because that's what the Japanese like doing (while Americans suck so badly), with loads of over-the-top plot and overacting and weirdo storylines. I mean, where you have epic duels and become battlefield legends and stuff and have to engage in knightly duels in the sky. While nations with ridiculous names wage war on each other! Sapin! Ustio! YUKTOBANIA! Now imagine saying that with a General Grievous voice.

[PeZook]

Ace Combat is still tongue-in-cheek, even when they pretend it's not. But you know anything with "Tom Clancy's..." is trying really hard to treat itself seriously and aspire for others to treat it seriously!

[Vympel]

Its biggest flaw is that it probably takes itself really, really seriously.

Oh definitely. There's not a hint of tongue-in-cheek about it.

I just love the point about Artemis' investors:-

"Clearly, the best way to ensure the continuing health of our company is by launching a full scale invasion of the United States, stealing their tactical nuclear weapons, disabling their missile defence systems and blackmailing them with their own nukes!"

[Mr Bean]

So what your saying is HAWX 3 will simply be a re-branded port of Metal Wolf Chaos?

Awesome

So yeah Vympel for the enjoyment you got out of HAWX 2, is this a $10 or a $20 bargain bin game?

[Vympel]

I enjoyed the original HAWX, which I just finished last night- but only because I got it for a song on Steam. However, if HAWX 2 is worse, there's no way I'd buy it. I thought it'd be better. The reviews have not been encouraging.

[Zaune]

"Clearly, the best way to ensure the continuing health of our company is by launching a full scale invasion of the United States, stealing their tactical nuclear weapons, disabling their missile defence systems and blackmailing them with their own nukes!"

That's what you get if you let the Marketing department make your important business decisions, I suppose.

[Cykeisme]

The first HAWX was all right by my book. Not a great game, just mindless fun, especially on coop play with a friend.
Now they managed to make the sequel worse somehow? A shame, it could have had potential.


Also, what I'd like to see is a flight sim lite like Ace Combat or HAWX, except with the rate of enemies and explosions as Raptor: Call of the Shadows

[Edward Yee]

Personally I'd rather wait for Ace Combat: Assault Horizon -- even the first HAWX felt too much like Ace Combat unless you were using Assistance Off, and I never did get the hang of that... much less trying for guns kills (believe it or not) while doing so.

[hongi]

To be fair the Tom Clancy games haven't really had Russians as bad guys in a while. His (and by "his" i mean whoever is writing the stories while Clancy sits on his fat ass and collects a royalty check, 'cause we all know he isn't doing it anymore) new fetish seems to be Latin america. The last two Ghost Recon and R6 games have had Mexican/South American rebels as opponents, and the original H.A.W.X. had an EEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIILLLLLLL PMC.

Isn't the upcoming Ghost Recon game about Russian ultranationalists (*YAWN*)?

[Darksider]

apparently so. from the descriptions i've seen it looks like they're just re-hashing the plot to the first Ghost Recon only ten years into the future.

[Vendetta]

To be fair the Tom Clancy games haven't really had Russians as bad guys in a while. His (and by "his" i mean whoever is writing the stories while Clancy sits on his fat ass and collects a royalty check, 'cause we all know he isn't doing it anymore) new fetish seems to be Latin america. The last two Ghost Recon and R6 games have had Mexican/South American rebels as opponents, and the original H.A.W.X. had an EEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIILLLLLLL PMC.

Isn't the upcoming Ghost Recon game about Russian ultranationalists (*YAWN*)?

Considering that the upcoming Ghost Recon is actually the same batshit insane story as HAWX 2, that's unsurprising.

[Oskuro]

To be fair, if you are trying (and failing) to make a semi-realistic plot there aren't that many options for bad guys.

Really, the tacticool genre needs an injection of Power-Armour wearing POTUS.

[Stark]

Make game about non-US threatening world war 3 = plot fixed.

In HAWXworld PMCs are doing something in low intensity conflicts all the time.

[PeZook]

Can you blame technothriller authors for making stupid shit up? The only other option is to set the plot in 2040 and manufacture a fascist Belgium or something

Or yeah, we could do low-intensity conflicts with a large and a decently powerful nation interfering that doens't threaten the entire planet. Or makes all enemies into carricatures. But Clancy clones might not be able to do that...

[Darksider]

one of the things I liked about the original Ghost Recon is that the almighty resurgent Russia wasn't a colossal threat to the entire world. There was no ZOMG SURPRISE INVASION of the U.S., all they're doing is re-conquering the old Soviet satellite states. the entire game takes place in Eastern Europe, and at the end of it all the Russian gov't gets fed up with the ultranationalist whackjobs and helps you give them the boot.


On the other hand, it does have the traditional Clancy wanking of the U.S. military. One armored regiment and a team of Green Berets are apparently enough to launch a massive assault into the heart of Russia

[AniThyng]

Can you blame technothriller authors for making stupid shit up? The only other option is to set the plot in 2040 and manufacture a fascist Belgium or something

So, Front Mission then

UCS (American empire) vs OCU (Unholy union of Australia, Japan and SEA) vs EC (Europe) with bit parts by Greater China and Russia

I'm not sure I agree with AC7 being set in our world and not some silly fantasy world though. Unless they somehow manage to recapture the feel of 04 and not everything that followed it.

[Oskuro]

Isn't part of the point of Tom Clancy stuff to wank the US by making them save the world every other day? I really feel for the writers who have to come up with decent plots within those constraints.

[Srelex]

Why not do a game where the US is the evil imperialist aggressor? It'd make a nice change.

[Darksider]

Why not do a game where the US is the evil imperialist aggressor? It'd make a nice change.

Even if Clancy would allow it, (assuming he even reads the story outlines anymore) you'd have to make changes to make it palatable to a U.S. audience. A game where the United States is the aggressor probably wouldn't sell well here, and you'd have to make it a game where JUST and NOBLE U.S. citizens fight against the CORRUPT American government. Which is arguably a more annoying cliche than evil Russians.

[weemadando]

Just get it over and done with and make an Oliver North game where the US can be both evil expansionist aggressor and benevolent happy fun-times neighbour.

[Oskuro]

Or cut the crap and have HAWX 3 pit you against space Nazis from the dark side of the moon.