Crimson Skies

"Wanna play Indiana Jones with a plane!? Come here..."

To those who like flight sims and whose like Christmas decoration because they make you think of the cockpit of a 747, Crimson Skies is for you...Well...Only if you spend your time trying to fly above New York's buildings or trying to fly between a group of birds without disturbing them...Because that's where Crimson Skies hurts! It isn't like any normal flight simulation and you can believe me, I've played a number of flight sims since the day I've discovered that I have 2 hands.

OK, a little game for you if you're still reading...Imagine the USA in 1937 with all its worth; the bikini babes; the big leather jackets, the Harleys but with a weird history. As a result of an economic crash, The United States are united only by the name and is divided in weird countries like the Free State of Colorado or the Republic of Texas. The Russians are still here and thankfully, haven't changed a lot from what they really are...By the way, they are the only ones I've recognized while playing the game. So, as usual, they want to destroy the American, united or not...

In Crimson Skies (now, that's what I call a game name!), you're none other than a bandit, an outlaw or a pirate, whichever way you want to call yourself. Your aeroplane is your home and is a very weird one indeed. Needless to say, your missions are very, very varied. Basically, you need to shoot everything that is in the air and shoot everything that is on the ground you can spare the rest. You'll also have to free a beautiful (that's what it says in the game...) girl, steal another plane on the air, and so on...

You've got it, Crimson Skies is nowhere near reality. And that's what make it different from the rest because Crimson Skies is just plain funny and is packed with an amazing gameplay. Just check out the briefings and you'll be able to have an idea of the whole game. The briefings are excellent and are really the best I've seen so far. The big boss can't stop with his order and is always asking you questions, the others are always joking...!

You can perform different types of actions throughout the game like choosing between several planes, choose their weapon and even build them like you want. But Crimson Skies shines when you're carrying out your objectives. Like I've said at the beginning, there is no simulation...or if there is, I haven't noticed it after playing it for more than ten hours. You are just asked to shoot at everything and that's all. No taking-off, no landing, nothing that makes a flight sim...And your plane is as simple as can be! A speed meter (which is pretty much of no use), a gauge which shows how much damage you've taken, and a couple of bars, one for the bullets and the other one for your rockets.

Crimson Skies also shines in terms of difficulty. And if I wasn't so persistent, I wouldn't be writing this review...Not after having crashed more than 20 times in my first game. Luckily, you have the option to save your game quite often and I'm thankful to the developers for this. To those who've been wondering, rest assured, you really get the feeling of other sims in Crimson Skies. As an example, your weapons are not that accurate and you must think about your enemies' motion when you're aiming them. You can also choose your view: from the cockpit or in the cockpit and some others which are really worth it. The best one is of course from the cockpit which basically represents what you see when you stick your face to the glass.

The graphics are excellent and the animation is top-notch and very smooth. The enemy planes are a bit lame though but the backgrounds really make up for this. The details included in these is simply great and will make you wonder! But not too much, or you will find yourself heading straight in a forest or in the sea...The battle system is great, particularly the developers' idea to separated your plane in four parts. These change from green to yellow and red depending on the damage they've taken. Whether red or yellow, you don't have to worry, your plane will still fly like a hi-tech Russian plane.

The funfactor in Crimson Skies is surely the game's greatest point. The missions are plain fun and very varied, which is something quite rare in the genre. In the first mission, you must already fly in a very narrow cave and you'll be asked to fly through a hangar afterwards. The paths you'll be asked to take are terrific and you'll even wonder how you've completed the mission when you're reading the next mission's briefing.

24 missions in Campaign mode and another 20 missions, just imagine how much time that will take you. And don't forget that Crimson Skies is fairly difficult and you'll take some time to get used to it. I haven't tried the Multiplayer mode yet but considering how the game is fun in Solo, I already have an idea of how it may look like!! Crimson Skies is a must-buy for anybody who loves these types of games where your only objective is to have fun and to laugh...Be bright and don't miss it!!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/26/01, Updated 11/09/02