I've been waiting for years for a decent dogfighting game to come on to the market and I can't believe that it's only just happened (on the XBox at least.

GameCube owners did get the excellent Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2 and (the rather less impressive) Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3. However XBoxers - Crimson Skies "High Road to Revenge" has been well worth waiting for.

My first introduction to it was via a demonstration on XBox LIVE which you can read about on this site. It really worked well online and as far as I can remember, played as well as one player.

As a one player game it immerses you with its entertaining opening F.M.V. story sequence, which is the best I've ever seen. Then the game starts and doesn't stop again for a really long time because it's so damn good. Everything is simplified control-wise so that we non pilots can concentrate on shooting straight and really enjoy ripping the planes around.

Dave Vague rates the XBox flying entertainer.

There are 10 fictional planes to fly in, an alternative version of 1930's America, which allows perfect gameplay via a lot of artistic licence. You fly down volcanoes, through tunnels and around some breathtaking backdrops.

The fighting is constant and varied. There are plenty of ways to complete each level and you can even park your plane and get behind the controls of the A.A. guns mounted on Zeppelins or on the ground. Some of these AA guns have a superb guided missile with a mounted camera and everybody loves those.

The only thing I could find wrong with Crimson Skies was the two player mode, where it is virtually impossible to find each other.

This can be solved by making some more friends and playing four player. So I would have to sum up by saying that this game is the best at what it does since Starfighter on the 3DO, if anybody remembers that.

9/10

Dave Vague