Top Gun - Hard Lock

Top Gun: Hard Lock is an action flight game developed by Headstrong Games and released in March of 2012. It features an intense aerial dog-fighting combat style wherein the player controls the weapons and aiming, while the computer takes over the flying. It is a single-player game made up of 15 missions – the player assumes the role of Spider, a new recruit. The user-friendly controls allow players to easily change from guns to missiles to buy the guns time to recharge. In order to evade enemies, players are supposed increase speed, spin, and twirl past them.

Among the available playing modes are Danger Zone and Multiplayer, which include 14 licensed fighter jets that showcase such names as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the legendary F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. In each mission, the player not only defends the skies, but also bomb ground targets in the Middle East. Other multiplayer modes include aircraft escort, base defense mode, carrier strike, and team deathmatch. Top Gun: Hard Lock is a tribute to the Paramount Pictures movie of the same name as it features several character cameos and the same theme music. The pilots also engage in light banter and occasional mentions of “do a barrel roll”.