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WE HAVE RECENTLY HAD the opportunity to beta-test Crimson Skies from FASA and Microsoft. The lastest version we have is Beta2. Crimson Skies is definitely not a hardcore sim -- in fact, it's an action/adventure sim one could say. Flight sim fanatics usually wouldn't touch a sim like this with a 40 foot barge-pole, but there is something about this game which just makes it plain fun to play!

Crimson Skies is set in an alternate 1930's America where planes and Zeppelins now rule and cars and trucks have gone the way of the dodo. You take on the persona of the dashing gentleman and air-pirate Nathan Zachary. Everything about the game reeks of a pre-WWII era feeling, and the opening cinematics are particularly well done, as is the music used. If you have ever seen any of the old Movie Tone news clips from WWII then you will know what I'm talking about.

From the main page there are options aplenty. You can try an instant-action mission or a campaign, play online or even make your own airplane (of course, you can change the settings for the game as well). Instant action is pretty self-explanatory. It's you against the world, but you can choose which aircraft to fly and customise the load-out as you see fit.

The campaign though is where this game starts to rock. The missions are fully voice-narrated and you are told exactly what you need to do. The voice acting has been really well done in regards to the briefings, and there is plenty of interaction between characters which draws you further into the game.

Once you get airborne though things start to heat up. There is in-flight music but this is queued to the action going on around you. If you find yourself in a furball with six other enemy aircraft then suitable action music is played. This helps to add a bit of excitement to the fight! Also, on special missions such as the capture of an enemy bomber (while it's in the air!), the action cuts to an outside view of your aircraft, and you can watch as your character climbs out of your plane onto the enemy aircraft, jump in and throw the enemy pilots out!

At the end of each mission you are taken to a scrapbook where you can read a mission debriefing. There are all sorts of little things in here like newspaper clippings, photos and medals. You also have the option of re-playing the mission if you failed it first-time. Another feature is that if you perform particularly well in a mission you might receive a cash bonus. Earn enough money and you can start to build your own plane. Although all the airframes, guns and load-outs are hard-coded into the sim you can still mix and match to your heart's desire (as long as you stay within certain airframe weight limits).

Finally the graphics in Crimson Skies are outstanding! On our machine with everything on the highest settings we didn't experience any slow-down at all. Keep in mind that this is beta software which makes it even more impressive. The graphics in the game are great. There are things like volcanoes and waterfalls, and if you hit an airplane smoke will start to stream from the damaged engine. Also, get close enough and you can hear the engine coughing and spluttering.

For beta software the game was surprisingly stable. We did not have one crash to desktop with this version while Beta1 would crash constantly after the first mission.

The people at FASA have done a splendid job with Crimson Skies. It has been well designed and looks like a hell of a lot of fun to play. Also, there is a large online presence with a number of excellent websites already being developed by keen supporters. All in all, Crimson Skies is looking like its shaping up to be a good arcade flight sim. While it's not hardcore it certainly is a great deal of fun to play. Look for our full review soon.

Show me the screenshots!