Have You Played? is an endless stream of game recommendations. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.
Still the flight sim I think most fondly of, with the possible exception of Stunt Island, but you should probably bear in mind that I'm a dumb-dumb stupid-head without the patience or manual dexterity for full-fat flight sims. Crimson Skies lifts me into the clouds because it's all about the fantasy of being a pilot, rather than the safety-first reality of it. Derring-do and loop-the-loops, otherworldly sights and spirits never lower than sky-high. The alt-30s, historical sci-fi setting is just icing on Crimson Skies' joyful cake.
]]>It has come to my attention that some Flareopaths are not obeying all 1405 tenets of The Flare Path Pledge. I have it on good authority that last Saturday a reader from Leeds watched Battle of Britain from beginning to end without wincing slightly every time an Me 109-impersonating HA-1112-M1L 'Buchon' appeared. Incredibly, I've also heard of cases where FPs have referred to railway stations as 'train stations' and failed to genuflect when Donald Featherstone was mentioned. Most disturbing are the reports that some of our brethren are routinely ignoring Tenet 933. Yes, it seems there are those among us who, on spotting a 'We need a Crimson Skies sequel!' forum post, stay silent instead of pointing out that a spiritual sequel already exists.
]]>Kickstarter is feeling like this quote from Blues Brothers. No, not the God part. The "we're putting the band back together" bit. Jordan Weismen has already managed to set-up a triumphant stadium gig for Shadowrun, and he's told ShackNews that if it's a success it'll have a major impact on the potential for the return of the sky-pirate alternate history flight thing, Crimson Skies.
I don't want to bite off more than we can chew right now. First comes Shadowrun, and we want to make that great, and then we'll figure out where to go after that.
I am making a hopeful face. (What kind of face is that?)
]]>In this week's Gaming Made Me, Brendan Caldwell revisits a time when flight sims could have had it all - and a time when zeppelins still ruled the Earth. This is Zipper Interactive's 2000 alterna-history aerial shooter Crimson Skies, and this is why it matters.
There are clouds above Hawaii. And there are monuments above the clouds. Who could have foreseen either of these things? In the hot wind of a Pacific sky a colossal white Zeppelin lumbers toward the site of a shipwreck, seeking the treasure once held by Sir Francis Drake. They call her the Pandora. Nestled in her belly is a squadron of fighter pilots. These are her citizens. Someone has painted four tarot cards across her sides. Justice. Wealth. Lovers. Death. This is her code.
]]>FASA Corp tentatively blowing the dust off their Crimson Skies licence? Splendid news. I can't think of another interwar-inspired, zeppelin-crammed, fantasy flight-sim that deserves a rebirth more than Zipper's classic. Well, apart from Rowan Software's Air Power, obviously.
]]>Oh my, I really do hope so. I confess don't have much time for flight sims these days, but the greatest love I've ever felt for this most venerable of PC genres is divided equally between Stunt Island (a game I've been deliberating how to best write about for several years now) and Crimson Skies. The latter is a wonderful thing, a out-and-out joyous blend of stupidity, stunts and style in an atmosphere-rich airpunk world of sky-pirates and 1920s derring-do. It was Hollywood dog fights incarnate, and it looked, felt and sounded pretty much as perfect as shallow wee me could possibly wish for from a flight sim. Splendid multiplayer too, plus it was the best partner I ever did find for my beloved Sidewinder 2 Force Feedback joystick. And it might be coming back.
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