Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

"Multiplayer Makes This a Great Game"

When I first heard of Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, the first thing to really catch my attention was the fact that it was a first-party title. When a company releases a first-party game, it usually has a lot of money and reputation riding on it. Nintendo is the perfect example with its near-flawless string of franchises. And of course, who can forget Halo for the Xbox. So when I saw that Microsoft Studios was involved, I was intrigued. I picked up the game and haven't put it down since.

Story
The story here is a fictional account taking place in an alternate universe where Texas, for whatever reason, secedes from the United States. Following their lead, other states begin to withdraw from the Union and federal law soon disappears. This leads to the forming of militias, pirates, and ''Fortune Hunters''. The only safe way to travel is by plane, since roads and bridges have long since been destroyed. The story and the cast of characters all have a lot of personality and flavor. The story unfolds much the same as would a comic book. Nothing is meant to be taken too seriously, and there is a lot of humor thrown in for good measure.

Control
There is only one control scheme for this game, with the option to invert the thumbstick. It is an intuitive setup, and it works well for the game. There are a handful of special moves to perform in this game, but none of them are any trouble to pull off. Both the original ''Duke'' and the S-type controller work well with this game, and the trigger buttons are very sensitive. The game also makes use of the controllers' vibrate function, which just adds to the gameplay.

Sound
The music in this game sets is really well done. It is exciting and fast-paced at times, or menacing and slow according to the situation, but it never gets in the way. The characters' voicing-acting is also very good. The each character has their own style and flavor that never sounds cheap, and they all have witty things to say that help sustain the atmosphere. The sound effects are also very good. The game supports Dolby Digital in-game, and it's great for hearing planes that are behind you or rockets exploding off in the distance.

Graphics
This game looks great on my roommate's widescreen component television. The graphics in this game are top-notch, and the game supports HDTV 480p. The game has virtually no fog, if you know what I mean. You can see very far into the horizon, and it's really something to see. All of the buildings and structures are highly detailed, and have a variety of textures. The planes are also modeled very well, and each one looks unique and interesting.
Gameplay
The game has a very decent single-player campaign. The story is good enough for keeping you engaged, and all the characters are interesting in their own way, though some of them seem like blatant stereotypes. But the real reason to get this game is for the multiplayer. All of the arenas are unique and look great, and there are a lot of different planes to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The game also comes with a free trial subscription to Xbox Live, which is amazing. As long as you have a broadband internet connection and a credit card, you are all set to play on live whenever you want. There are a variety of games to play online, and there is no lag whatsoever. It's a great way to meet friends and hone your skills against some of the best players.

Overall, this game is distilled plane combat. The battle mechanics are quite simple and work very well. There are not a whole lot of options for this game, but there are a handful of different modes of play. The main reason to own this game would be for the Xbox Live enabled games, as they are very addicting and very just a few clicks away.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/20/04