Crimson Skies (video game)

Crimson Skies
Developer(s)Zipper Interactive
Publisher(s)Microsoft Games
Tsunami Visual Technologies (Arcade)
Designer(s)Jordan Weisman
John Howard
SeriesCrimson Skies
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Arcade[2]
ReleaseWindows
  • NA: September 18, 2000[1]
  • EU: October 13, 2000
Arcade
2002
Genre(s)Action, arcade flight
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Crimson Skies is an arcade flight video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published in 2000 by Microsoft Games. Although a flight-based game, Crimson Skies is not a genuine flight simulator, as the game is based less on flight mechanics than on action. According to series creator Jordan Weisman, Crimson Skies is "not about simulating reality—it's about fulfilling fantasies".[3]

The game is loosely based on the 1998 board game of the same name, set in an alternate history of the 1930s in which the United States has fragmented into a number of smaller sovereignties, and in which air travel has become the primary mode of transportation in North America. The game centers on Nathan Zachary, an adventurous air pirate seeking to rob the affluent of their wealth and power.[4] Throughout the campaign, Zachary leads his gang of air pirates, the Fortune Hunters, on a quest to gain fame and riches.

The game received generally favorable reviews; it had been noted for its high-quality voice acting, gameplay, and atmosphere.[5][6] Notable technical issues, however, were known to plague the game, the most notorious of which was the tendency to delete saved game files until a patch was released.[7] The game was later ported to arcade games in 2002.

  1. ^ Fudge, James (September 18, 2000). "Crimson Skies Trickles Into Retail Outlets". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on August 21, 2003. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Crimson Skies". Tsunami Visual Technologies. Archived from the original on May 25, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference IGN Interview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Zipper Interactive (ed.). Crimson Skies Instruction Manual. Microsoft Games. p. 5. I attack the rich and powerful of any nation and take what they treasure most—their money. In doing so I may bring them down a notch and show them they are not untouchable.
  5. ^ Butts, Steve (September 22, 2000). "Crimson Skies". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Geryk, Bruce (September 22, 2000). "Crimson Skies Review". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on November 9, 2000. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  7. ^ IGN staff (September 28, 2000). "Crimson Skies Patch". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 18, 2022.