Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

"Stunningly Good Game"

Introduction - One of the few games that has been in development forever and actually surpasses expectations. This is the sequel to the pc game, not a port, and it far surpasses it's predecessor.

Gameplay - 9.8
This game, simply stated, is an absolute blast to play be it by system link, xbox live, or it's very well done single player campaign. The game uses both sticks to control it with the left one controlling direction and the right one for roll and special moves. These ''special moves'' add a very cool twist to flying in the game allowing you to pull special aeronautical maneuvers quicker than you could without them. The game is not a sim and controls more like a mixture of a sim and an arcade flying game. On live, the game lags less than any other live title I've played which is an amazing feet considering it allows up to 16 players all flying around at quick speeds.

Single Player Campaign - 8.6
The single player campaign is extremely well done but fairly short. It offers a wide variety of planes to fly and upgrade as you progess thru the game. It has a good story to it told mostly thru cutscenes and while your doing various missions. The game probably won't take but 10 hours to get thru give or take, I don't recall the exact amount. Basically, I'd put this games single player up there with any other game of a similar length.

Graphics/Sound- 9.9
The graphics in this game are breathtakingly beautiful. The maps are absolutely huge and for a game to have such great draw distance, smooth framerate, and be absolutely gorgeous is no small accomplishment. The sound is very well done from the voice acting to the chatter of your machine guns.

Play Time/Replayability - 8.4
While the campaign is short it is one of those games that is fun to go thru multiple times. The live play imo is the best seen on xbox. The game supports lan play and as such is a perfect game for lan parties. One of the problems with the game is that though the maps are all excellent, it only has five of them. It has been said that there will be more maps for download in the future but this is something that needs to be pointed out as it limits the replayibility of the game to some extent.

Final Recommendation - 9.1
From amazing graphis to addictively good gameplay Crimson Skies is a game every xbox owner should pick up at some point. Those with live or those capable of having lan parties can rest assured it is worth the 50bucks. Those without these options would be best off waiting for a drop in price. If you want a game that is just loads of fun to play and don't mind a relatively short campaign than Crimson Skies does not disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/03