Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge - Review

Added November 2nd, 2003 by Joel Kownacki

Introduction:

I’m not much of a flying game fan. Only flying games I have ever played and liked were Battlefield 1942, and that’s not really a flying game but rather a huge online orgy with planes. When I first heard about Crimson Skies, I didn’t really thing anything of it. As it got closer to release, I read up on the game through previews and hands on impressions. My interest in the game started to grow and with the addition of Xbox live play, I was pretty sure this game would be huge. Well, I was right; this game is huge in every way.

Gameplay:

Crimson Skies doesn’t really have any weaknesses in the gameplay. The story grabs you’re from start to finish even though it can be a little goofy at times. Menus in the game achieve the essence of the game. Everything is well organized and easy to get to. The game doesn’t really play like your average flying game. It feels more like a shooter/action hybrid. The plane you start off with is the Devastator. While in the game, each level has its own plane you can get into. When you get into this plane, it will be added to your collection inside of your zeppelin. Objectives range from races for money to protecting people from flying bandits. I never got bored with one of game objectives during any point of the game. While making your way through the game, you earn tokens. Once you have enough tokens, you can upgrade one of your planes. While I was playing through the game, I only earned enough to upgrade 3 of them. But once you beat the Crimson Skies, you can start over but with all of the planes you have stored in your zeppelin. Every plane has its own weapon layout, some better for different levels; it lets you choose which one you want to use. You aren’t just limited to flying around and shooing the bad guys, you can also hop out of your plane and go into a wide selection of different AA guns. This keeps portions of the game from seeming repetitive.

Graphics:

There is one word that describes the graphics in this game, and that word is WOW. It looks like the extra year of development time paid off big! Never before have I seen some much attention to detail in a game. Everything is beautifully textured. The partial effects are a site to be scene. The smoke effects as well as the fire effects are the best Xbox has to offer so far. The explosions in this game cant are in a class of their own. The environments are huge and lush. The atmosphere that the levels produce in the game, are second to none. The water effect is the best on any system ever. When your grace your plane right next liquid, it sprays up onto your screen and the wind seems to whip them away. The only weakness is the Cut scene CG work. While the motion capture is top notch, the actual graphics could be a little better. The game supports 480p which helps the visual department nicely. Overall, the best looking game on Xbox.

Audio:

The voice acting in this game is also top notch. The voices fit perfectly with there faces. It seems more like an interactive movie then a game because it’s done so well. The music is beautiful; it always fits the atmosphere the graphics create. It reminds me of Indiana Jones. The ambient sounds are always keeping you in the world and add much realism. When I turned on my 5.1 DD Home theatre system, popped in the game, and started a dog fight, the sound put my back in my chair. The game always used my 6 speakers at any given time. The end result is a great sounding game.

Controls:

This is a great game for anyone. It’s totally a pick up and play game but if you want to be the ruler of the skies, then you’re going to have to learn controls, and learn them well. This is what each button does:

A Button – Zooms when in the AA guns
B Button – Breaks
Y Button – Boosts speed but drains fuel (regenerates)
X Button – Action button, activates prompts
R Trigger – Primary fire, Machine/shot gun
Left Analog Stick – Maneuvers plane
Right Analog Stick – Performs rolls
Black Button – Locks camera on target (SP only)
Directional Pad – Changes view
It doesn’t take long to get used to them. If you’re decent at flying around a banshee in halo, then learning these controls will be a cake walk.

Replay:

If you want a game that will keep you busy until halo 2 comes out, then this is the game to get. The single player part took me about 12 hours so it isn’t that long, but if you have Xbox live, well then you’re in for a treat! The game supports 16 players via Xbox live and System link. It also supports 4 on a single box. There are 6 different modes to play online or off with some friends. They are the following:

Dogfight: Destroy the other planes to score. First person to get the necessary number of points wins.

Team Dogfight: First team to obtain the necessary number of points wins.

Keep Away: Hold the loot for a specific amount of time to win.

Team Keep Away: Your team must hold the loot for a specific amount of time to win.

Flag Heist: Think Capture the Flag.

Wild Chicken: 1 point for every plane you shoot down. Earn 7 points if you return the chicken safely to the enemy base, the most points win.

There are a total number of 5 multiplayer maps. Each map has a certain theme from a different level in the single player part of the game. Downloadable Content is supported. Later on you should be able to download new maps and planes for free via Xbox Live. Statistics are also supported in case you want to see how badly you own your friend at this game. All in all, this game is perfect for anyone that has Xbox Live. For those you don’t, system link is very fun as well.

Summary:

Before I played this game I really wasn’t much of a flying game junky. But after spending a long time with this game, it changed my views on how a game can change and improve a certain genre. Everything from the presentation to the live play is top of the line. With that said, I can totally recommend this game to anyone that has an Xbox.