Flights of Fancy

With H.A.W.X., aerial combat is getting a Tom Clancy-style futuristic but realistic makeover.
6/10/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2

Simon: We've been influenced by many games. We don't deny that we've been playing a lot of Ace Combat lately. But we also felt that air combat games had, lately, become prisoners of one style, and that it was maybe time to refresh things.

Crispy Gamer: So in the single-player mode, what are some of the different mission types you'll engage in?

Simon: We have all kinds of modern air combat missions: infiltration, close air support, escort, suppressing air defense, etc. We'll have 18 missions.

Crispy Gamer: Are you locked in to a certain plane in each mission, or do you have a choice?

Simon: No, whatever planes you've unlocked, you can use. Though there might be some missions where -- based on the story arc -- you're supposed to use a specific plane.

Crispy Gamer: How many different planes are there?

Simon: Over 50.

Crispy Gamer: Will you be able to customize your plane, either in terms of weapons load-out or aesthetically?

Simon: Yes, though customization will mostly be done through weapons. You'll be able to change the look of some planes, but manufacturers are very picky about what you can change about their planes, so we had to take that into consideration.

Crispy Gamer: Is it safe to assume there won't be any missions where you get out of the plane?

Simon: Well, if you crash... No, the game is about aircrafts.

Crispy Gamer: What about multiplayer, will it be co-op, competitive?

Simon: We've decided to not disclose much today, we'll talk about it more at E3, but I will tell you that co-op will be important.

Crispy Gamer: By the way, what does H.A.W.X. actually stand for?

Simon: High Altitude Warfare Experimental. It's the name of a special U.S. Air Force unit created after World War II, and has been used since then, unofficially, for all types of secret missions.

Crispy Gamer: The game was originally going to be called Tom Clancy's Air Combat. Why the change?

Simon: Actually, that was just a working title.

Crispy Gamer: Oh, okay. The game is being made for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Besides the controls, will there be any other differences between them?

Simon: The PC version will support all types of flight sticks and controllers, the 360 one will support the one for Ace Combat 6 [the Ace Edge flight stick by Hori], while the PS3 one will support the Sixaxis' motion-sensitive controller. The 360 will also support voice commands, which is quite fun. You can give commands, switch weapons, or switch targets, with your voice.