Product ReviewsCrimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Microsoft Xbox, 2003)

A pretty swell game after all

"High Road to Revenge" is the sequel to the first game in the series, “Crimson Skies” (2000) The setting takes place in an alternate reality in which the United States disbands and forms seperate nation states which are always at war with each other, so instead of land-based commerce, we switch to air-based commerce. This leads to glorious advancements in aviation technology allowing for the creation of super zeppelins and non-traditional airplane designs. You play the role of Nathan Zachary, a merciful "air pirate" with your own crew and zeppelin to boot. High Road to Revenge takes place within the same universe as the first game, but sadly, things are just different enough for me to notice.

First-off, the flight simulator feel of the first game has been abandoned for a second-rate console-based flying game. I've played other flying games on the Xbox before, and I wish HRtR embraced similar physics, flight dynamics, and realism (all things that were stronger points for the first game).

Secondly, I felt like there was an abandonment of realism in this game. The first game truly made it feel like this alternate universe was a possibility with zeppelins that looked like they could hold up the weight they were carrying, planes that seemed to have a wide enough wingspan to keep them aloft, and there was no such thing as a power-up. Again, all of these things and more were abandoned for HRtR. Then again, I'm somewhat of an aeronautics buff, so when I see things like a zeppelin that's covered in steel plating with what's easily a 10 ton electrical transformer on top, I know that something like that would never actually fly, and something like that never showed up in the first game.

These were my feelings within the first 4 hours of playing this game. Then, I discovered that I didn't care so much about these things, and got into the rhythm of the game. Once I got used to the non-intuitive controls (no rudder? what the hell?), I was able to start liking the game a great deal more.

First, The game is often set up where you have multiple missions that you choose from while in flight, similar to a sandbox game setup (like GTA games). I love that.

Second, unlike the first game the cinematics actually help coherently bridge the plot between missions (although whomever likened the animation quality of the cut scenes to that of "The Last Flight of the Osiris" from the Animatrix has obviously not seen one of the two). As far as the story goes, I thought it was an interesting story that takes you around the globe and back again with missions that have varying difficulty so as not to make things dull.

As for the multiplayer, I wish I could review it, but I'm playing this game on a 360, so the game doesn't recognize the new version of Xbox Live, and won't connect. I have not looked for a remedy though, so there might be one out there.
Basically, if you are willing to look past the downfalls of the game, then you are in for a treat. If you take anything from this review, I'd recommend you play the first game "Crimson Skies" for PC first so that you know what the game developers were originally after, because it truly is an enthralling series. I would love to see the development of a 3rd game for next-gen consoles that learns from HRtR, but also embraces parts of it as well. I think that with the strong points of both games combined, we could see the Crimson Skies franchise soar once again.Read full review...

New concept and a lot of fun!

I bought this game for several reasons. I was looking for a game that offered a unique twist to the "been there-done that" games on the market and we've all been there, right? This particular game had proven itself thru good reviews and This is my first attempt at a "flying" game. I really enjoyed the game a lot. It has a good story line and the controls are easy to pick up. There's a good mix of just plain fun play and some rather challenging, if not down right hard, tasks to complete. But even the harder play was fun! The only problem I had was making sharp U-turns with the planes which could have been my lack of coordination or, perhaps, the way the game was intended to be played. It was a pain in the rear for me, not to mention time consuming, when in combat or making attempts at picking up upgrade tokens or other items. Even if you aren't into flying, which I'm not, this game is worth checking out. It will provide enough entertainment to make it worth the money. I gave it a 4 out 5 because I simply didn't feel I was able to maneuver the planes as well as I should be able to and there were a few times, during very difficult missions, that I yearned to be on the ground with a sword or a butt burning spell!!Read full review...

This is one of my top 3 of og-xbox games

This game is one of the better og-xbox games ever made for the system. I've played the campaign about 40 times. The story is very cyberpunk but in a "planes are the new flying car" way. The bosses are gigantic and awesome. This game even has very fun multiplayer games that are not boring after a few hours.
The era the game is set in is 50's dogfighters and everyone owns a plane its the only way to live. You are trying to help rescue a scientist friend who is being forced to make kaiju mechanical monsters that take up half or more of your TV-screen. The mechanical centipede and the laser-lightning Hindenburg blimp will forever be in my memories as the coolest and most fun boss fights of a game.
The controls are epic and very easy to use. My friends 10yo sister joined us in multiplayer and she picked the controls up in a matter of a few minutes. You can use thumbstick combo's to execute evasive maneuvers like loop-d-loop and barrel rolls and such. There are also loads of tight spots you can squeeze through in cave systems and buildings. There is a ceiling and the game wants you to get in the small places and become a plane ninja.
Each plane has a special weapon from lightning to shotgun blasts and you have AA machine gun turrets and a SAM silo that you fly your plane into and press Y and you can shoot at enemies and other players. The SAM missiles you can steer [very fun]. There are over 8 selectable planes and you unlock more throughout the game.

This game needs a proper remaster.
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Verified purchase: No

A fun game to play with your friends.

Although this game is over 10 years old, it still holds replay value.

The storyline is fun, if somewhat easy. It loops back on itself, so when you finish the game you go back to the beginning with all your upgrades. Earn more points to buy ALL of the upgrades.

The multiplayer is where the fun is at. There are quite a few game modes, but my personal favorite is "chicken". It's similar to football, but with fantasy planes flying and fighting.

Give it a try if you've got a few controllers for split screen, or a LAN connection because this game IS from 2003.Read full review...

awesome game Truthfull discription

CD case great condition. Like new instruction manual. CD looks new and plays great love it feels like My children and my self are going to have fun with this for a long time to come Thank You very much.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: decluttr_store

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (review)

"Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge" is a must have title to add to one's collection of original Xbox games. You play a pilot named Nathan Zacharay who, throughout the game, builds up an arsenal of fighter planes to take down enemy bases and units. The gameplay is addictive and doesn't ever seem to get old. This was one of the original games I owned for my Xbox and was also one of the games that spent a long time in my system's disc tray. The online play is superb as well, giving you the option to pick out what plane you desire to have the dogfight with and allowing you to play in a variety of well-designed maps. Overall, if you owned an original Xbox and never played it, grab it. If you own a 360, grab it. It's worthy of being in your collection.

I bought this because when my original Xbox died on me, I sold it and every game I owned for it to put my money towards a 360. I eventually got the 360 and I'm looking to rebuild my old collection again.

Pros: Excellent multiplayer experience, great controls, well-designed stages, addictive gameplay.

Cons: Can't really think of any. I should probably change my review from good to excellent.Read full review...

A decent game. Still fun

Primarily bought for the split screen multiplayer. Which is fun. Having a good time playing it with my nephews for some old school ish shoot downs.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: lonnsimo-0

Great game

Amazing game with Xbox One backwards compatibility, if you like arcade flying games with good story, get one and play it yourself! :)

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jjgames

Fun old School game

Enjoying re playing the first Xbox I ever owed

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: every_stuff

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Xbox)

I bought this game on eBay pretty cheap. I always wanted to buy and play this game because it was one of the first games out for Xbox Live. The gameplay was good, it was pretty fun, BUT, I had got it for Xbox Live and when I signed onto Xbox Live, there was barely anyone on to play with. I think that was mainly because its a very old game. Anyway, the gameplay was great and so where the graphics. Also the area was very explorable, meaning there were no "invisible walls". I would have enjoyed this game alot more if I had gotten it sooner and there were more people playing it on Xbox Live.Read full review...