Crimson Skies (video game)
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".
| Crimson Skies | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Zipper Interactive Aces Game Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Games Tsunami Visual Technologies (Arcade) |
| Designer(s) | Jordan Weisman John Howard |
| Series | Crimson Skies |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Arcade |
| Release | Windows
2002 |
| Genre(s) | Action, arcade flight |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
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. 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. 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. The game was later ported to arcade games in 2002.