Ubisoft have tried to justify the rather worrying "X" in the title by creating the acronym "High Altitude Warfighter Experimental Squadron". Someone in marketing probably wanted the X to be X-Treme but thankfully Experimental (or presumably X-Perimental) is slightly less cringe-worthy. As a member of said squadron, the player blasts through the sky in what can only be described as Burnout in the clouds with homing missiles. The game's conceit is that modern jet planes utilise a tremendous amount of automated computer control in order to keep them in the air. In the near future, pilots are allowed to turn off this assistance to pull off high risk combat moves to dodge enemy missiles and quickly intercept hostile fighters. This essentially means that when assistance is turned off, pilots can do what feels like a hand brake turn in the air, allowing them to almost flip 180 degrees whilst flying high over Rio de Janeiro.

The player can switch between 'On' mode and 'Off' mode at any time with a double tap of either trigger. 'On' mode provides a first-person cockpit view and a standard third person camera that sits just behind the plane. In this mode the fighter jet has slightly limited manoeuvrability compared to 'Off' mode, but this is compensated for by the Enhanced Reality System. ERS gives the player the equivalent of racing lines in Forza and can be turned on or off when trying to intercept a bogey or dodge an incoming missile. Hitting ERS pops up a series of gates which will ensure that, if followed, the player will either line themselves up behind the enemy plane or dodge the approaching rocket. HAWX is at its best when the player is dispatching hostile planes quickly and efficiently. Whilst the gates may seem like training wheels, ERS actually helps to eliminate some of the frustration of air-combat games that usually descend into obnoxious turning-circle fights. By keeping the dog fighting focussed, and players on track, Ubisoft are opening up what could be a niche genre.

In 'Off' mode, the spectacle of HAWX comes to the fore and combat becomes a uniquely thrilling experience. 'Off' mode places the camera way behind the player's fighter jet and then pivots around it as it locks on to enemies. Although initially this is completely disorienting and confusing, after a few minutes it feels natural and fluid. The main advantage of 'Off' mode is the increased freedom of movement it allows and this in turn leads practised players to zero in on enemies and dodge incoming attacks far more quickly and satisfyingly. By executing what looks like a hand-brake turn, the player can rapidly change direction as an enemy streaks past and achieve and almost instant lock. It also lets the player nimbly dodge missiles at the last second rather than going through the ERS gates, which can sometimes send the player way off course or eat up valuable time. 'Off' mode is how the game is 'meant' to be played, as it gives the player full control and shows off the rather beautiful world.

Ubisoft has licensed Geo Eye technology which gives them high-resolution ground images that look far better then similar scenes in Ace Combat. Buildings and landmarks are built on top in 3D and, coupled with an expansive draw distance, vistas stretch out for miles and provide views that are often breathtaking. The lighting is excellent throughout and when played in 'Off' mode the game is a visual delight. HAWX also flies along at 60 frames a second and this is something of an achievement when the large number of active planes, tanks, ships and large environments are taken into account.

It feels like HAWX achieves what is intended but nothing more. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; as it stands it is a pretty well-crafted game with few flaws, and is certainly fun to play. Single player is of a decent length and the game features four-player coop and an accomplished adversarial mode, so it is certainly as fully featured as most games are expected to be, but it does require very little skill to get through. Outside of the few minutes it takes to learn how 'Off' mode controls and trying out weapons with interesting targeting mechanics, there isn't much to learn or hone. The dogfights are satisfying, but only really on a superficial level. Sure it may look amazing and the player may feel like Maverick as they scream into an intercept, lock on to a target and blow them out of the air, but there is no satisfaction from scraping through a tough fire fight in a blaze of glory on the 'Normal' difficulty. Ubisoft have scrapped the 'Easy' difficulty mode and have instead lowered normal difficulty down to what is basically 'Easy' mode. Whilst there are higher difficulty levels available from the off, players that are used to picking 'Normal' will most likely stick with this difficulty out of fear of difficulty ramping and spikes, but will instead just breeze through the game.

There is also the unavoidable problem of the repetitive nature of killing enemies. Due to the way fighter jets naturally are, all kills will involve flying into targeting range, waiting for a lock and then launching a missile that is controlled by a computer. Some weapons provide variations on this, but the neutralising of hostiles can feel empty and shallow at times. There are some great levels with interesting mechanics that involve some compelling manoeuvres through radar zones or daring bombing runs and this variety goes some way to keeping the player interested throughout the campaign.

HAWX does what it does admirably in most cases. It provides an enjoyable and entertaining diversion in a rarely explored genre with just enough content to keep gamers with friends busy. It certainly isn't a phenomenon and won't set the world on fire, but it is a well rounded experience that lovers of Clancy military jargon will definitely want to try.