Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
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| Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge | |
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| Developer(s) | FASA Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Game Studios |
| Series | Crimson Skies |
| Release date(s) | October 2003 |
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | ESRB= T (Teen) |
| Platform(s) | Xbox |
| Media | DVD |
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is a 2003 Xbox game. It was originally announced in March 2002 for a fall release date of that year, but was not released until October 2003. The delay was partly due to Microsoft deciding not to use any of the development team from the original PC game (Zipper Interactive), and starting from scratch with a new team.
Nathan Zachary returned as the hero in Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. After an opening cutscene in which Zachary steals back the plane he lost in a drunken poker game the previous evening, the game gets under way.
This game retained some of the atmosphere of the series, but designers attempted to make more an arcade-style game, with power-ups and CGI cut scenes. The planes and weapons available are much less customizable than in its predecessors, but the split-screen, system-link and Xbox Live modes provided many more game type options. Up to 16 players can compete in six different games on five different multiplayer maps. The game also has support for downloadable content, which has included four new planes, two new maps and two new gametypes.
The game's soundtrack was also released separately, featuring 54 tracks from composer Stan LePard on CD, and a bonus DVD with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mixes of the game trailer and two cues from the soundtrack.
The game was won many awards, including Best Action/Adventure Console Game of 2003 from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Best Graphics of 2003 from both TechTV and IGN, and was named GameSpy's Breakout Game of the Year.
[edit] Synopsis
In an alternate 1930s, the Great War and the Depression tore apart America. Once the federal government dissolved, the United States broke up into many smaller nation-states. These factions are constantly at war with each other, and roads and bridges linking the states were destroyed. Therefore, the only way to traverse the formerly United States became the sky. With the wealth of America airborne and with no government was left to enforce any laws, piracy took to the skies.
Nathan Zachary leads the Fortune Hunters, a gang of sky pirates who are the Robin Hood of their era; they take only from the rich. Members include "Brooklyn" Betty Charles, Nathan's wingmate; Big John, who pilots their zeppelin base, the Pandora; and the unofficial Doctor Fassenbinder, a brilliant scientist who has developed powerful technology for the Fortune Hunters. They are currently stationed at Sea Haven- a locale in the Nation of Hollywood known for being the resort for many rich and powerful celebrities.
The primary villain in the story is a mysterious evil force called Die Spinne, and its leader: an enigmatic character named Dr. Nicholas Von Essen. He is a fascist WWI scientist who wants control of one of Fassenbinder's inventions: the wind turbine, a weather control machine that can, in the wrong hands, produce devastating storms that can demolish entire cities. Over the course of the game, Nathan Zachery will have to battle Die Spinne, keep the blueprints of the wind turbine safe, and unravel the mystery surrounding Von Essen and his plans.
Along the way, many enemies will try to stop the Fortune Hunters, but it's their mistake. Nathan is a character who makes vengeance very personal. His numerous adventures will span many locales in the Disunited States, and include organizing a "Jail Break," unlocking "The Puzzle of the Sun Circle," unveiling "The Mystery of the Mine," escaping "The Darkness Within," and "Finding Brooklyn in Chicago." The game features all the suspense and thrills of an action movie, all in a third-person video game.
