There's something to be said about a game that loads you up with infinite missiles and a sky full of bogeys; Top Gun: Hard Lock is high on intensity and low on reality and it's rather fun because of that.
The developers at Headstrong Games definitely studied Ace Combat and other
action flight games, because they basically lift mechanics from other series wholesale. That's
not a condemnation of Top Gun: Hard Lock, because they have taken some of the
best aspects of the latest Ace Combat games and implemented them quite well. For instance, the game utilizes a close dogfighting combat system, much like
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. As in Ace Combat, you can draw in close to an
opponent and the computer will handle the flying and let you just take over the
guns and the aiming. I enjoyed this system in Ace Combat because it brought a
ferociousness and intensity to dogfighting and it's quite the same in Top Gun:
Hard Lock.
During the course of the game's 15 levels, you'll defend the skies, bomb ground
targets and spread a kick-ass brand of American democracy throughout the torrid
Middle East and wherever regimes operate from the shadows. Unfortunately Top Gun's combat
is a bit formulaic. You'll draw in close, do some quick-timey stick presses to
either evade and circle your opponent or to stay on their tail and then shoot
missles up their backside. You'll rinse and repeat this same strategy against
95 percent of the enemies in the game, which can get a bit tiresome. If you're
looking for intense combat, this game definitely has it, as long as you can
look past the repetition. Like the combat, levels get a touch repetitive; there
are only so many MiGs you can shoot down and allies you can save before you
realize you're just doing the same thing over and over again.
The game heavily utilizes a rather nasty grit filter over its graphics.
Everything has this rough, dirty haze to it that detracts from the overall
look. I think it's used to distract a bit from the game's bland environment textures,
but I found it rather ugly. It's a shame too because some of
the graphics are rather nice, including some great water texture and lighting.
Top Gun: Hard Lock pays plenty of tribute to its movie namesake, with character
cameos, recognizable theme music and plenty of direct references to the “danger
zone.” It also includes plenty of groan-inducing banter between pilots, a few
uncomfortable boner jokes and even a bit of 1980s action movie chauvinism – oh,
and a requisite “do a barrel roll” reference. I appreciated the mix of
light-hearted banter and overwrought dramatic posturing that the writers brought
to the game - it never swings into pure drama or pure comedy territory.
Outside of the game's campaign, it includes an enemy wave-style game called,
ahem, “Danger Zone,” some co-op and online multiplayer. There are actually
quite a few multiplayer modes, including team deathmatch, a base defense mode,
carrier strike, and aircraft escort. Unfortunately I couldn't test any of the
multiplayer modes out because there were no games going; it seems that there
are very few people playing Top Gun: Hard Lock at this point. If you can
convince a few friends to pick up the game, it could be a fun diversion.
If you're looking for a fun action flight game, Top Gun: Hard Lock is worth
checking out; the campaign is lengthy and provides plenty of action. If you're
looking for something to scratch your Ace Combat itch or are just looking for a
fun shoot-em-up in the sky, this game would serve you well.
Version Tested: Xbox 360
