Crimson Skies
Fly the unfriendly skies with Bruce Geryk, as he takes a look at Crimson Skies, the action-oriented flight game from the original creators of the Mechwarrior universe.
American history is a lot more interesting around the offices of FASA Interactive than it is in high school textbooks. During the Great Depression, the United States splintered into regional fiefdoms as Prohibition, economic collapse, and isolationism fragmented the union. These regional factions went to war with one another, and before long the land transportation system lay in ruins. The skies became the principal avenue of travel and commerce, and they were soon overrun with air pirates bent on mayhem and personal enrichment. Of course, these pirates were dashing ladies' men who were quick with the wisecracks and wizards with airplane controls. At least that's the story from FASA. And it's the background to Microsoft's upcoming flying action game, Crimson Skies.
Crimson Skies is the brainchild of FASA's Jordan Weisman, one of the creators of the BattleTech universe. The initial working concept was called "Corsairs," although that title was shelved, and the game wasn't immediately pursued. Instead, it was released as a role-playing game, where the highly developed Crimson Skies universe provides a rich environment for play. Microsoft acquired FASA Interactive early last year and gave the go-ahead to a full-blown PC version of the universe. FASA's John Howard is the lead designer, while Zipper Interactive (of MechWarrior 3 fame) is the team working on day-to-day game development of this title.
Crimson Skies puts you in the pilot's seat of various fictional aircraft, from the Fairchild Brigand to the Sanderson Vampire. These aircraft will all have different flight characteristics, although the game is not focused on flight simulation. Rather, these imaginative aircraft designs serve to propel you into an alternate reality where action is very much the name of the game. While the flight physics are not realistic, it still takes skill to fly the planes, especially with the crazy maneuvers you sometimes have to perform. Crimson Skies should appeal to those interested in a game that rewards skillful play without the constraints of the limited capabilities of 1930s airplanes.
Microsoft recently sent us an early alpha copy of the game, and while the game is clearly a work in progress, the work is actually quite far along. While alpha builds are usually still buggy, and this version suffered its fair share of crashes, the shape Crimson Skies is taking was quite plain to see. The game is a true interactive heir to the pulp fiction novels of the '30s and '40s, where daredevil pilots performed unbelievable (and quite impossible) feats of showmanship and gunnery. Crimson Skies will re-create this larger-than-life world in all of its exaggeration and flash and will include an entertaining story that's truly in the spirit of the fiction of the time.
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- Microsoft Game Studios
- Zipper Interactive
- Futuristic Jet Sim
- Release: Sep 17, 2000
- ESRB: Teen
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