Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

The past isn?t what it used to be?and the future of arcade-style flight games may never be the same.

When Crimson Skies came out for the PC back in 2000, a lot of gamers who tried the arcade-style, action-oriented gameplay immediately said, ?Wow, this would make a good console game.? They were wrong?High Road to Revenge makes a truly great console game, easily one of the best console games of the year and an absolute must-own for Xbox gamers.

Men of Valor
Based on the tabletop strategy game, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge once again stars Nathan Zachary, the ruggedly handsome, wisecracking leader of the Fortune Hunters, a Robin Hood?style air pirate gang with hearts of gold, flying the unfriendly skies of an alternate 1930s America. The nation has been split into warring factions, and fighter planes and zeppelins battle for supremacy on a daily basis. Every character is indeed a real character, and the game overflows with melodramatic bravado and a winking sense of humor?thanks in no small part to the superlative voice acting.

Mad Props
While Crimson Skies? idealized look at the past is full of handsome heroes and dazzling dames, they?re not all that?s pretty. High Road to Revenge features some of the most gorgeous Xbox graphics since the mighty Halo. Beautiful landscape textures and intricately designed levels make Crimson Skies as much fun to explore as it is to take a dive into dogfights. Up to 16 players can join in on System Link or Xbox Live games, manning 10 different planes as well as anti-aircraft guns. They?re all extremely easy to control?the game?s not a flight sim by any means. Analog flight sticks and trigger-mounted weapons make navigation and combat as simple as possible, and the special stunt moves?which cause your plane to twist, flip, and roll for surprise attacks and quick escapes?simply make you feel like a badass hero.

Just Plane Incredible
That feeling is really the key to Crimson Skies? appeal. The swelling chase music, idealized world, larger-than-life story, and easy-to-master controls combine to cut through the clutter of some more pretentious games and deliver a sense of majesty and bravery straight to your heart. You can?t help but get wrapped up in High Road to Revenge, and you won?t want to resist. Nor should you?Crimson Skies is escapist gaming at its finest.

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