Dogfighting has never looked so snappy

Storming the fantasy land of Tatooine and the reality of Baghdad are both good options for gamers, but only a few brave games try to create an alternative version of actual history. Microsoft's long-awaited Crimson Skies does just that and to great effect.

The story goes that after the Great War and depression of the 1930, the US was split into a clutch of regional, estranged fiefdoms. This has caused a state of almost permanent in-land fighting leading to the destruction of the interstate railway systems. With no other effective land-based transport, the people have turned to aircraft for both commerce and travel. And so Crimson Skies introduces the player to a beautifully populated skyscape filled with huge zeppelins and punctuated by gun-mounted fighter planes.

You take on the role of air pirate Nathan Zachary, an entrepreneur who has jumped on the pirating bandwagon in plundering the nouveau rich skies. The game opens with Nathan's pants literally down while a rival pirate steals his beloved plane. In true Bond style, Zachary dumps the girl and heroically manages to retrieve his plane. From here on you're in the sky, and that's mostly where you'll stay as the light-hearted opening tone soon gives way to more sinister dealings with a super-weapon.

Crimson Skies is lush to look at, with shiny good-looking graphics and planes that handle beautifully. The wonderfully implemented visual effects such as exhaust heat, propellers and wreckage augment the joy of the sunset-filled graphical vistas.

The game places its loyalties firmly in the arcade school of handling, eschewing the flight simulator pacing so beloved of bearded PC types. Each of the ten attainable planes has a primary and secondary weapon handled by the Left and Right triggers, and all-important boost and brake buttons allow precision player control. Boosting as well as the host of available aerobatics all use the equivalent of a constantly refilling MP gauge whilst your plane also has a refillable life bar. Collect health packs for your plane by shooting down enemy planes or drop by a hangar for a quick tune-up.

In terms of missions, Crimson Skies' gameplay is very open-ended. Undeniably, there is an over-arching plot that you follow, but in terms of individual missions you can fly around and pick and choose which NPCs you approach and help. Successfully completing missions earns you money and tokens which you can use to upgrade your plane. There's a range of missions to select, varying from protecting a small ship to taking on a fleet of enemy incomings. This variety is simply delightful and the fast-moving action makes the game extremely hard to put down.

Multiplayer options are extensive with six different types of game, and the ever-welcome promise of Xbox Live bodes extremely well. Crimson Skies is a quality package and a very important title in Microsoft's pre-Christmas campaign. It will hit all the right buttons for pretty much every type of gamer, and you should reserve a space on your shelf for what will certainly become an enduring and endearing title.

1. So beautiful it could be a film!
2. Deadly playability
3. Stacks of variety in both gameplay and missions

1. Bad voice acting
2. Tough aerobatics

Power
One of the best and fastest-looking titles on Xbox, It all moves along perfectly.

Style
The front end is slightly dated but get stuck in and it's better looking than Jodie Kidd.

Immersion
The non-stop action draws you in and shakes you around like a kite in a thunderstorm.

Lifespan
Unlockable difficulties and extreme multiplayer both on and offline make a full package.

Overall A great package that's been well thought out and play-tested to death - and it looks gorgeous too.