If you’ve ever wanted to see what the movie Top Gun would be like in the future, here’s your chance. Ubisoft brings together warfare aficionados and gamers alike with Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., an aerial combat game that begins in the year 2012.

You play as David Crenshaw, former fighter pilot and member of the High Altitude Warfare-Experimental (H.A.W.X.) squadron. The squad’s just been cut by the U.S. military, so Crenshaw joins a private militia named Artemis. But when Artemis turns against the U.S., he returns to his true allegiance. Now it’s up to Crenshaw to take flight and stop Artemis in its strike against the States.

H.A.W.X. has many different modes to choose from that make it the latest in aerial combat games. You can fly solo, grab a friend in Co-Op mode, or just battle each other in online play, to name a few. The game also comes with neat features that enhance the flying experience.

One that makes H.A.W.X. playable by both beginners and fighter-pilot pros is the Enhanced Reality System. The ERS allows gamers to do things such as follow the safest trajectory or lose missiles that have been targeted on them.

One of the coolest things about H.A.W.X. is its visual presentation. Designers used actual commercial satellite imagery to create the game environments, so it looks as real as ever, and the aircraft are incredibly detailed. It all seems so real, you might start thinking about joining a private militia yourself. Just keep in mind that in real life, there’s no Enhanced Reality System to help you out.

By Joe Legato