This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360 and tested on the PlayStation 3. No significant differences were noted.

Dane Cook's stadium tour came to an abrupt end Thursday.

Tom Clancy's HAWX is war porn -- a realization of the fantasy that kills can be clean and that differences can be resolved with force. It could be that we need this kind of fantasy right now. With the horrors of war hovering in the background like the subliminal buzz of an impending migraine, there's a certain satisfaction to be gained in this kind of pretend. Most interesting is the game's choice of villain -- a rogue PMC that gets carried away in its search for profits. And when the time comes for comeuppance, the reward is juicy. Justice is meted out by guided missile, the good guys get the girl, and Los Angeles suffers only slight radiation poisoning (it's not like anybody goes downtown anyway, right?).

Much of the satisfaction to be gleaned from Tom Clancy's HAWX comes from the way it ably straddles the fence between simulation and arcade action. For a game that aims to put the player in the cockpit of a zillion-dollar death-mobile, there's a surprising simplicity to the controls. There's no need to invest in a flight stick (unless you have a fetish for this kind of thing). And still there's a lot to juggle. The ranges, effectiveness and uses of different kinds of missiles must be digested. Wingmen need managing. And most importantly, flight paths must be considered.

Thankfully, Tom Clancy's HAWX will suggest the most efficient way of dodging a missile, intercepting an enemy, or taking out a hidden ground target from above. These on-screen flight paths are optional -- a push of a button projects a tunnel of twisting blue triangles onto the HUD. Or you can just fly in a circle and hope for the best.

"Luke, your targeting computer is off!"

Also appreciated is the game's approach to pacing. Complications to the controls are peppered throughout the game. It's not until midway through the game that players are taught how to cast off their aircraft's piloting assistance and fly by the seat of their pants. The late introduction is welcome, because the shift can be jarring -- especially if you've been playing from the cockpit. That's because the game shifts to a dramatic, but sometimes disorienting, third-person view. Here you can push your fighter to the limit, sliding into aerial drifts that can quickly turn the tables of a dogfight. Such maneuvers are insanely risky, though -- slowing too much can put your vehicle into a stall and send the pilot plummeting to earth. And even if they manage to pull out of their fall, all that time wasted wrestling with the flight stick made them a juicy target. There's a good chance they'll be rewarded with a missile in the afterburner for their efforts.

As edifying as Tom Clancy's HAWX is as a single-player experience, there's a good argument for taking the air show online. Many of the game's missions can be tackled cooperatively, with three other online pilots serving as wingmen. Team deathmatch dogfights are balanced with support powers that players can call in to summon repair drones or block enemy radar.

Where did I put that Van Halen CD?

These fights are probably the best fun to be had in the game because there's a living, breathing enemy behind that windscreen. The anticipation is palpable when you're approaching a fight, watching your friends and foes tangled in a dogfight, spewing loops of vapor trails in the sky. When embroiled, the tension is heavy like pulled Gs. It all comes together when your quarry finally settles into the crosshairs. First there's the insistent nagging tone of a "lock-on." Then that feeling of release as you thumb the controller and a pair of rockets drop loose and jet forward. Finally you're rewarded with an explosion of debris (that's not to mention the pocketful of experience points you take home for each kill). It feels good to win a fair fight. It feels even better when the guy had it coming.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.