Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2: game review (PS3/360 & PC/Wii)

Being a big fan of the original game i really wanted to place this and so i snapped it right up on the release date. the first game centred around around high-tech air combat with a plethora of planes to choose from, this time around the formula hasn’t changed but does it still work.

The short answer is of course yes it does, it really does. the story takes place just after the original game with the team being deployed to the middle east where terrorist attacks are on the increase, this changes when three Russian nuclear weapons go missing and they are tasked with tracking them down. tracking nukes down in planes may sound a bit ridiculous but the missions are set up in a way that the player can and does influence what happens with the nukes.

The original game relied on planes to get the job done and though there was nothing wrong with that the developers have added a little twist to the game play this time in the form of UAVs. you will of course be tasked with take out strategic targets and installations but this time around you can recon the area with a UAV and in some cases destroy targets with armed UAVs. along with this of course comes the use of a gun-ship which can fire 3 different ranges of heavy artillery, these are evident the most in the rescue mission where you have to provide air support for your allies on the ground. there have of course been other improvements such as being able to land your aircraft but that also raises the difficulty when it means you have to land your plane on an aircraft carrier at night. the combat itself is high octane driven with a steep enough learned curve but once you enter the zone you will gain air superiority over your rivals.

One of the features that really stood out too me is the upgrades system which in many ways reminded me of modern warfare 2. my finishing in game challenges you gain experience points and with these xps you can upgrade your planes, the upgrades themselves come in all shapes and sizes with all kinds of categories from evasion to damage. the reason this system works so well is because by having a tough plane if you do play through the story missions again you will have the upper hand on the enemy. another feature i enjoyed was survivor mode which just like it sounds involves waves of enemies coming at you with everything they have, once the timer reaches zero the game ends but its no walk in the park.

Graphics wise the game is quit impressive but my main gripe with the game is this, the video clips are sometimes awful and i’m talking playstation one awful. the reason for this i’m sure is the connection between HAWX 2 and the new future soldier game yet to be released, the footage is just lazy and really made me wonder if they rushed the release, luckily nothing else is lacking detail. this time around planes will take damage more realistically from the new damage system and the AI is greatly improved giving a more challenging game experience. if it were not for the sometimes ugly video clips (there are a few, about 30% of the video) i’d give this a higher rating, the graphics/music and of course game play are all top notch but the difficulty may not suit all gamers. if you were a fan of the original its a must play but if you are a casual gamer i’d say maybe rent it first. 8 out of 10, its losing a mark for the video and for some of the missions not allowing some of the unlocked planes.

my favourite aircraft the russian SU-47 berkut makes an appearance.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey: game review (PS3/360 & PC)

Il2 is as you would imagine a flight simulator with the main focus being on combat, there have been previous instalments of the series on the pc but i have never played them so i won’t be referencing any differences between them and this new one.

The game takes place during world war 2 with the player controlling the side of the allies. a wide range of battles are rein acted beautifully from the battle of Stalingrad to the battle of Britain and many more. the game is not just confined to the major battles as it also includes many lesser known operations all testing your skills of both flight and combat.

Graphics wise the game has some of the best visuals i have seen to date at times they even rival other flight combat simulators such as Tom Clancy's HAWX. one level where the graphics particularly shined included search lights piercing the dark clouds of an aerial battlefield, everything looked and sounded ultra realistic. there is no doubt the visual work of the game won me over from the start with the incredibly accurate plane interiors but even the sounds are authentic, sometimes loud and bombing while you get torn up from a flak unit bellow – sometimes screeching while a dive bomber gets you in its sights.

The game play is solid, the missions though sometimes a little bit repetitive are both fun and engaging. there is certainly a lot of life to this title too as you unlock more and more extra single player missions along with a whole host of planes. as a combat flight simulator it has everything you would expect so it wins there but as a pick up and play game it has more than enough here too. trophy hunters will be glad to hear there are a satisfying enough amount of trophies to pick up and you will be earning them in no time. IL-2 impressed me so much in every way i’m giving it a 9 out of 10 – if you are a fan of aerial combat simulators its a must buy.

YLOD - PS3 yellow light of death strikes again...!

A year or two ago if someone told me the ps3 could fry up like the 360 i would have not believed them, surely Sony wouldn't ..couldn't allow such a thing to happen but yes they can and they did.

Two weeks ago while playing a game (R.U.S.E i think) the ps3 gingerly turned itself off once.. then twice after which there was no third time just a annoying yellow light with no way to get the console going again. naturally i freaked and started Googling what to do, contacting Sony was out of the question for the simple fact that the stories of refurbished consoles/tech support were the stuff of nightmares so i started looking for a business that specialized in console repairs. i quickly found said business and once the work was done (new parts were ordered and the chips were re-applied) she is back working like a dream, as for price it was only 50 euro's - the price of a new game here. in the past i had seen many red lights of death on various 360's but i didn't think it was possible with the ps3. i kept the console in a well ventilated area being careful to never overheat the unit but it seems after two years (turned on the first time on the 29th of april 2008 - GTA IV bundle) it was literally played to death. the fact a console can do that to itself is really annoying and problematic but the positives in my own case are very good - i lost no data/saves/etc, there was no serious damage to the console - i got my own machine back and not a refurbished one, and lastly it was cheap to repair - some people have told me they had to pay 150 dollars they have theirs repaired by Sony.

Now that my on ones been repaired i can get back to playing and reviewing games. coming up will be Tom Clancys HAWX 2/R.U.S.E/Sturmovik/Dead Rising 2/Castlevania: lords of shadow, and of course the next installment of Medal of Honor. my advice to anyone who does get the YLOD of death is to not freak out too much, just see if there are any local repair companies in your area - i found that most places offer no fix no fee and it sure beats buying another console.