Diversions

When something like what I'm going through happens, diversions are an absolute necessity. My wife and kids are absolute magic for me right now, keeping me sane. But the weight I am putting on them is starting to show, especially in my wife, and it's killing me to see it. So I'm looking for anything, looking in everything, for something to get my mind off the current state of affairs and bring my mood up even a small notch - if not for me, then for them. Well, fortunately just before the shit hit the fan, I found one that's been working pretty well...

The game is Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., an arcade flight game that takes place in the relatively near future, in a world where private military companies are free to operate bidding themselves out to the highest paying country or military faction. The story follows a typical Tom Clancy line - terrorists + nuclear weapons = bad, and you're the good guy who'll stop them. Anyways...the game isn't about the story...it's about the action.

And it delivers. I'll be honest, I tried the demo and wasn't floored. However, a few people over in 2o2r had picked it up, and were touting a lot of fun with the co-op (which I wasn't aware it had - 4 person co-op through the entire campaign), so I figured why not? And I'm glad I did. The game is first of all gorgeous. The satellite data they used to recreate the theaters of operation makes for a realistic, stunning environment to fly in. Add to that great effects from the planes, with spectactular explosions and persistent missle trails that light up the sky against sunsets, and you have something where the Free Flight mode is actually of value. There is absolutely no lag whatsoever in the co-op (tho' I have heard mixed reviews of the TDM...but haven't tried that myself yet) which is pretty stellar given how much is going on at any given moment, and the speed at which stuff is happening. Finally, with over 30 planes and tons and tons of achievements and unlockables to be had and a ranking system which works both online and offline...and it seems to have a bit of staying power for me. It's one of those "throw it in for an hour, fly around, blow shit up, and then play something else" type of games...and I don't mind that.

So, give the demo a try, but take it with a grain of salt. It's no simulator, but lets face it - blowing up fellow clanmates is always a good thing - doing so with rockets from a jet is even better.