Crimson Skies puts you in the role of airborne Indiana Jonesalike Nathan Zachary, leader of a band of sky pirates called "The Fortune Hunters" who suffered after the big crash (the financial one that is) and set out to recoup some of his losses in the only way he knew how - by flying by the seat of his pants and liberating cash from other people's pockets (and airships). Along with his faithful side-kick bird "Brooklyn" Betty Charles and Big John (who pilots their massive mothership Zep (that's short for Zeppelin) called the Pandora he sets out to right some wrongs. The Pandora has room for Nathan to store up to ten planes that he collects during the game. I saw at least 11 on my travels and the various designs have imaginative but realistic looking airframes, different weapons: machine guns, shotguns, lightning guns, rockets (unguided and semi-homing) - but noticeably no long-range heat seeking missiles. This means that nearly all the dogfighting is close-up seat of the pants stuff - Crimson Skies lets you be Biggles… No, the Red Baron… No, the Red Baron on acid with his arse on fire.

   

You start off with your faithful Devastator (a rear-propellered twin-winged mean machine) and also get to fly this lot: Dauphin (sea plane), Mini Gyro (Auto gyro), Dust Devil (Biplane), Bulldog (fast all-engine lump), Brigand (slow but tough Zep-destroyer with rear gun turret), Coyote (incendiary rockets - lovely!), Piranha (nasty enemy plane with a electro-lightning gun), Doppelganger (weirdo twin fuselage design with powerful weapon), Constable (good solid all-rounder), Desert Fox (fa-ast speed machine with swarming rockets). Flying is easy and Betty gives you a quick refresher course on the fancy moves that can be performed with a click of the right stick. The handling of the planes is sublime - both simple enough to be enjoyable and with a generous amount of resistance to collisions and convincing enough as you find yourself in a stall or a terrifying flat spin.

Crimson Skies' graphics are quite gorgeous - detailed planes, excellent link scenes and scenery that is easily the equal of the gorgeous but boring Yager. The unlikely plot sucks you in with its top voice actors and comic-book plot. You can't wait to see what happens next, and without gushing too many spoilers there are loads of planes, airships and massive mechanical aerial and land-based war machines to destroy. You aren't confined to the air either, there are times when you'll have to take over Anti-Aircraft guns on land, on a train, onboard boats, onboard airships, or even on a truck - it adds some real variety to the action and looks great too. Shoot down a Zep from the ground and anyone who's seen the footage of the Hindenburg disaster will know exactly how good CS developers Fasa Studio are.

   

CS's multiplayer games are great too: Dogfight, Keep away, Flag Heist, Wild Chicken (you catch a cartoon chicken on your wing and try and get it to the enemy base) most of which have team modes and can be played via the amazingly detailed and slick 4 player split screen, or system linked with up to 16 players. Xbox Live games are also amazing, and you have to see 16 planes all going at it to believe it - no lag, no slow down and no dodgy collision detections, even when playing against our American cousins (who've had CS for a while now).

If Crimson Skies has any weaknesses (and it does) then it's the length of the solo game (like a lot of the best things it's over too soon), and the criminal lack of a co-operative mode (the story really lends itself to one too). Despite a couple of grumbles CS is a lovely game, and essential for budding Red Barons and Xbox Live subscribers - you even get a two month free Xbox Live trial certificate in the box if you have Broadband and fancy giving online gaming a try.