massively multiplayer

I preordered this game and received it the day it was released. Let me say this - WOW. I have been playing flight games since the days of the old Apple II, and I am a former Navy Pilot myself. This game far exceeded my expectations and the live play is astounding. If there is a clipping problem, you won't notice it whatsoever. The live play is seamless and faster-paced than MechAssault. The flight controls do not have as steep a learning curve as some have previously said. My 8 year old daughter was up and running in minutes.
The game's true appeal is variety. Even if you don't have Xbox Live, this game still holds virtually infinite replayability. The premise is simple: you're an air pirate in a post-depression world. (use your imagination) The controls are very responsive and the flight-dynamics are extremely well done. While it is true that the programmers have eliminated low-velocity stall, any pilot can tell you that stall is nothing you want in an entertaining game anyway. Stall sucks, simply put.
If you have Xbox live, this is the game to have. More players are allowed to enter each game than you were allowed in MechAssault, and this makes for a more chaotic battle. I have to give this game 5 stars for its overall graphic detail and as I mentioned earlier, the infinite replayability.

I originally bought this game because it offers two free months of xbox live with it. This alone is a great bargain if you really want to try out xbox live without purchasing the $70 kit. I began playing it, and it was a whole lotta fun. I've become extraordinarily bored by first person shooters, because it is what the Xbox library is dominated by. Everyone's making first person shooters because they saw how successful halo was...Well, here enters Crimson Skies.

It's a third person shooter in a sense. It is more a dogfighting game than a flight simulator (it hardly simulates anything close to reality, which is a good thing!). Single player consists of an almost GTA-like storyline...There's a main plot, but you can go off and do your own thing (to an extent), too. As you go along, you earn tokens, and money, which are what you need to upgrade your planes. The single player experience makes this game rent-worthy, while the multiplayer (like so many other games) is what makes this a keeper.

If you don't have xbox live yet, that's fine. The game comes with an activation code that gives you two free months. You take 5 minutes to sign up, then you're off! You pick quickmatch, which automatically searches for an open game of the type you desire. You get in, and you pick your plane. Everyone checks in, and you're now beginning your first xbox live experience. You may be playing dogfight or team dogfight (equivalent to deathmatch or team deathmatch), flag heist (capture the flag), keep away or team keep away (you grab "the booty," and everyone else tries to kill you- basically kill the carrier). Or you might be playing the best of them all...Wild Chicken. This is a game much like football, but with a chicken. You start out on your team's side, and everyone rushes to the middle of the map where there's a chicken falling from the sky. The goal is to take the chicken to the enemy's base, through a set of four goal posts. You earn seven points for every chicken-score, and 1 point for every kill. Sound fun? You have no idea.

Instead of looking just in front of, to the sides, and behind you, you have to be aware of above and below as well. While this may seem obvious, you cannot truly understand its significance until you play. Because it has a light learning curve, the game is easy to pick up. This allows it to be a great party game, or just something you play by yourself. The single player is fun, but nothing compared to multiplayer.

*For those without xbox live: the game is a lot more fun in multiplayer if you have the headset (you can purchase it alone for about $30). the headset made all the difference for me, and got me hooked on xbox live.

ENJOY!

My family bought an Xbox and picked out this $30 game. (they aren't cheap) We read the manual and started multiplayer in the mood for action, rambo, and violence. Wishfull thinking. we went back to the store and returned it for Halo. One of the greatest games in the world. (see my review on Halo)It makes a great air combat game with the option to hijack (is that how you spell it) planes, get in AA (anti-aircraft) guns and gun down the enemy, pick up power-ups ect. But it does not make a great melee game. If your in the mood for high speed air-combat it's great! Some of the airplanes include fast speed and low gun power planes, slow but heavy gun power planes, and somewhere in the middle. The downsides of the game for my family was that your airplane emblem consists of four tarot cards, (some families may have "issues" with this, some may not)you are a air "pirate," (once again some families may have "issues" with this, some may not) and it MAY (we didn't get that far so it MIGHT have it)have language and inmodist dressing in the films (once again some families may have "issues" with this, some may not)so it all depends on your family, but, as far as air-combat goes, it is GREAT!