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Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is one of those games that seems like it was made primarily based off of how cool it might sound to describe. A 1930s alternate history where planes and zeppelins become the de facto personal vehicle, and you play as a sky pirate who must avenge his fallen friend by way of epic aerial combat? What's not to like? There's a good chance your inner child felt more than a twinge of excitement from that synopsis. And while it's actually a sequel to the little-known PC exclusive Crimson Skies, High Road to Revenge is almost certainly the game people will think you mean if you mention it without its subtitle.

That is, if people even know what it is at all; it's one of those games that you'll always see on "Best Xbox Hidden Gems" lists but rarely ever hear anyone actually talk about. Its status as a cult classic is well defined by now, though, and it's a deserving one, as one of the most conceptually unique and frequently engaging exclusives on Microsoft's original console.

Players coming into Crimson Skies expecting a more flight-sim-leaning combat experience might be surprised, but they shouldn't be disappointed. It certainly feels more like an arcade title, heavily favoring simplified controls and questionable physics. But it feels liquid smooth, and it makes for one heck of an experience. The battles in this game are excellent, streamlined to maximize enjoyment while still feeling like they reward skillful gambits or impressive maneuvers. There's a decent variety of planes to try out that suit a number of playstyles, even if customization is practically nullified compared to its predecessor.

But when you're in the middle of a massive sky battle, trying to take down an enemy in front of you while avoiding the one behind, it handily delivers the kind of adrenaline that its premise implies. It's very simple but absolutely effective, and suffice it to say, it fares just as great in its split-screen action as it does in its single-player campaign.

Level design, though it is pretty limited in quantity, helps a great deal in creating some fantastic set pieces for your engagements. There's always building or canyons to weave through, and the tight controls allow for some precision movement that, when done successfully, feels fantastic to pull off. The only diminishing factor of this type of satisfaction is that the game's plane collision system is far too generous; it just doesn't feel right to crash head-on into the face of a mountain and have your aircraft remain upright. A harsher penalty for crashing—for both you and your enemies—would have made precise movement a lot more thrilling and given players an additional way to dispatch their rivals.

Crimson Skies absolutely had personality, though, and it's a rare case of a game that can absolutely be judged by its cover—and where the judgment is "Okay, that's awesome!" This game has all the DNA of the perfect action summer blockbuster that you used to love as a kid, from its larger-than-life characters to its over-the-top, pulp magazine-like world. Its soundtrack is, albeit somewhat repetitive, perfectly characteristic of its tone and would not be out of place in an Indiana Jones film.

Its brilliant mix of steampunk and 80s action movie aesthetic makes it instantly appealing and, to this day, shockingly unique. There just isn't anything quite like High Road to Revenge. And it's still a great-looking game too, with a lot of subtle touches that show the investment of the developers, from the game's impressive array of sky and weather effects to the drops of water that appear on your windshield as you fly close to the ocean.

The story is, as in a lot of the works it was inspired by, basically just there to facilitate the action, which is fine. What could have used a bit more investment, though, is the variety of gameplay in single-player mode. Other than a couple of (completely non-challenging) time trials, every other mission is combat-based. And even though it is well-designed, it feels like Crimson Skies had room for a bit more different game modes, or at least a bit more combat applications—especially as it's an arcade-style game with more relaxed flight controls. It also should be said that one-on-one combat here can be pretty lackluster, as it often resorts to you and your opponent flying in circles until one of you gives up.

When people say, "They don't make games like this anymore," it's usually a thinly veiled attempt to mention retro game superiority. It's generally not true. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge might be one of the rare exceptions, with an added caveat: did they ever make games like this before? Even in a world where video game history is instantly and infinitely researchable, it still feels like there's nothing out there quite like it. Which, hey, makes sense, since it didn't sell very well. But a creative game with style, character, and great-feeling gameplay? We could always use more of them.

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