Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

"It's been 3 long years since the original..."

On September 17, 2000, Microsoft released a little known game by the name of Crimson Skies. It was a unique flight simulator/arcade shoot-em that, despite some significant bugs, won over audiences quickly. With a deep single player experience surrounding an alternate universe rich with colorful characters and a robust multiplayer component that pitted pilots against each other in intense dog-fighting, there was little to dislike about Crimson Skies.

Now, approximately 3 years and 1 month later, Microsoft has done it again. Only this time it was done perfectly. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is the stunning follow-up to its 2000 predecessor. While all of the wonderful atmosphere and characters return (along with some new ones), Microsoft has taken a bold, new approach to their single player campaign, and b/c this is an Xbox only release, MS has also included some of the most amazing Xbox Live content around.

Gameplay
Truly the heart of CSHRTR is its addictive aerial combat, both off and online. The single player game offers a loose kinship to GTA 3 and VC in that while completing certain areas, the player has the ability to freely explore each area and choose which missions they want to do and when they want to do them. This is a refreshing evolution over the linear mission based style of the original Crimson Skies. Not to mention it's simply jaw-dropping to fly around in beautiful environments that CSHRTR offers. The variety of the missions is also excellent. From simple shoot and destroy to weapon smuggling to escort, they all offer something fun. Add to that the ability to jump out of one plane and into another or a turret as well and you've got some great variety. Sidenote: this feature actually offers a bit of strategy to the game as some of the turrets are more effective than others as well as some of the planes.

Then there is the multiplayer. OMG! My first experience in MP was on the Chicago map with 15 other people in a free-for-all dogfight. The easiest way to describe this is to say that it was like the first time I ever played Counterstrike. I was simply blown away (figuratively and literally as i was so busy taking it all in that someone blew me out of the skies. Good shot GrkFrk!) The maps are amazing. The game-types are amazing. The thrill of dodging around these amazing maps in amazing games with so many other people at once with no lag is amazing! Get the drift? It's amazing! If there is any Xbox Live game to buy this year, CSHRTR is certainly it.

Graphics
Breathtaking, simply breathtaking! How MS managed to create these environments, drop some super detailed planes into them and keep the game running smoothly is beyond me. Add to that the fact that they did it in multiplayer too is astonishing. Explosions are great, bullet trails are fun to see zipping across the sky and watching your enemy come zooming past you at break-neck speeds and clipping part of your wing is all too much to absorb at one time. Cover your eyes in clear scotch tape as they will most likely pop out of your head when you see this game in motion.

Sound
The sound effects are extremely good. Bullets, missiles, propellers (sp?), engines and Nathan Zachary's witty comments as he shoots down his adversaries all sound magnificent. If the graphics don't immerse you into the Crimson Skies universe, the sound definitely will.

Music
It wasn't until the first hour of gameplay had ticked away that I noticed the music. Don't think, however, that that is a bad thing. The music, like the sound, is just so good at seamlessly bringing the atmosphere of CSHRTR together that you just accept that it's there b/c it seems natural. MS has really done a great job with the music for the period the game is set in. You really feel like a dashing air pirate when the music kicks in. I hope they release the soundtrack!

Final Comments
Go buy this game! See you in the skies above.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/23/03