Meet the Hero

Once again, you assume the role of Nathan Zachary set in an alternate universe after the Great Depression. Air piracy is still the craze it was in the first game, and you’re the good guy out to stop the bad guys. Actually, you’re not all that good since you one of the air pirates out to steal planes, blow up the competition, and rob zeppelins… but everyone else is far more evil than you, so it’s all relative!

Much the game’s story is told through narration during gameplay and CGI sequences between levels. The plot is well paced and is interesting enough for you to care about the single player missions. While there’s a general, linear path for you to follow to unravel the storyline, there’s a small degree of freedom within each map. Taking a page out of Grand Theft Auto, you can fly around and find miscellaneous missions to complete to earn extra cash. Such missions usually involve destroying an enemy or defending/escorting cargo. There are also opportunities for races where you can bet money on whether or not you can beat the best ‘lap’ time. Cash and reward tokens are used to upgrade your plane(s).

Missing features

For the sake of simplicity (for better or worse), the level of plane customization from the previous Crimson Skies PC game is nowhere to be found in High Road to Revenge. Instead, you’re only given the option to purchase pre-set upgrades.

Also missing in this console Crimson Skies is the cockpit view. While we liked the ‘third-person’ just fine (nothing like sweating it out in the heat of battle seeing your engine catch fire), those accustomed to seeing things from the pilot seat may be unhappy.