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News: FACEOFF: Crimson Skies vs. Rebel Strike
Posted: 2003-08-24 13:43:31 |
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FACEOFF
Hello XBOXActive, and welcome to the second edition of Faceoff! The series that?s all about taking the best games and pitting them against each other in a no holds bar battle for your hard earned dollars. Sorry if this edition is a bit behind schedule, due to its length this article is a B*tch to edit and post! Before we get into this editions bloodmatch let?s recap and find out who you guys think one last times Faceoff!
Recap:
Last week, Square-Enix?s Final Fantasy X2 went up against Microsoft and Climax?s own Sudeki; and with more than 80% of the votes, Sudeki is the winner! I sure hope you guys aren?t being biased just because it?s an XBOX game. Come on now, if I can be objective for 20 minutes so can you! Anyways let?s get onto this weeks match up!
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
vs.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike
The Rivalry
Aside for battling it out for the title of longest game names ever, these two arcade flight shooters have locked in a collision course later this year. The Arcade Flight Shooter is such a rare title that you?d be lucky to get one of them across all systems in a holiday; to have two highly anticipated ones coming out for radically different systems is unprecedented! Both of these titles are attempting to break new ground for the Genre and the winner may dictate the course of flights shooters of the future!
Crimson Skies
Publisher: Microsoft Games
Developer: Fasa Studios
Release Date: 10/15/03
Origin: U.S.A
History: First Appearing on the PC in 2000, the first Crimson Skies felt out of place on the PC. With its Indiana Jones style and the almost arcade feel to the gameplay the title seemed like the proverbial bolt in a room full of nuts. Microsoft announced the sequel to this controversial PC title for the XBOX in the spring of 2001. The game didn?t fly well with gamers at E3 2002 however and the title retreated into obscurity for nearly 8 months starting around July of last year! When Crimson Skies finally emerged just prior to E3 2003 it had been reborn as an entirely redesigned game! Now on course for its release High Road to Revenge seems to have all the right stuff now!
Storyline:
If you?re looking for an original game world you?ve found it. Set in an alternate 1930?s America, the U.S. has been fractured into a dozen smaller nations under the strain of the great depression. With no highways or railroads connecting the vast continent air travel becomes the primary means of transportation, hauling cargo in giant Zeppelins, and people in smaller passenger planes. Enter Nathan Zachery, a fearless Air Pirate in charge of the noble Fortune Hunters. Of course thing don?t start out so Merry Men-ish; in fact the game begins with you waking up under one hell of a hangover, with a gun pointed at your head, and a disgruntled Cajun informing you that your prized battle zeppelin, the Pandora, was lost to him in last nights poker game! Of course you?ve still got your trusty Devastator fighter plane, so with a nod to the broad sleeping next to you, you?re off to reclaim your life and your zeppelin!
Concept:
Skies has more in common with a Rare style platformer than your normal linear progression flight shooter. Instead of standard missions there are 4 hub worlds that you will be free to fly around at your leisure. Floating colored icons indicate areas where you can trigger events. The game mission?s range from cargo escorts, to search and destroy anything that flies! The hubs themselves are fully realized environments; with taverns, air traffic, shops, and even air police should you get to gung ho. All of the hubs also feature a huge boss fight at the end; once you?ve progressed the story enough, and every environment is chalk full of unlockable goodies from new planes to color schemes and weapons!
Gameplay:
In Skies it's all about dogfighting! Every plane is equipped with a trick meter which you can use to pull off amazing acrobatic maneuvers like barrel rolls, spin dives, and loops! The environments will also feature destructible terrain, so as you come across a plane going underneath a bridge feel free to take the bridge out. Gamers are also not restricted to just their starting aircraft! Spot a slick looking plane on the ground, hijack it; or jump into a turret and knock some planes out from the ground. There are 11 aircraft in total, all of which can be upgraded and they?ve even got a gyrocopter for you sniper addicts to enjoy!
Multiplayer:
16 player Lan check, 4 player splitscreen check; all the basics are here but it?s the 16 player Live play that catapults Crimson Skies into the Stratosphere! With Six game maps and six game modes from Capture the Flag to Chicken the fun is definitely on Live come release! Plus each environment will feature secret planes hidden on the ground that are more powerful than their standard cousins! Adds a nice bit of insanity doesn?t it!
Graphics & Sound:
DAM! That?s the word that always accompanies Skies? graphics! Whether it?s the amazing water affects or the stunning weather this game has XBOX exclusive written all over it. Particularly impressive is the shear number of fighters that can assail you at once all without taking a hit on the frame rate. Crimson Skies takes place in the 1930?s and the music certainly fits the bill. With nice old style symphony tunes and plenty of Indiana Jones flare in it! Zachery himself certainly sounds like a sauve Air Pirate, he truly is Doctor Jones in a Flight Jacket!
Biggest Strength:
Any XBOX game with 16 player Live support automatically has a following. The fact that the game is both gorgeous and the only one of its kind on XBOX gives it a big edge too!
Biggest Weakness:
With a rocky history behind it and the fact that it?s a new series to console gamers. Crimson Skies still has an uphill battle when it comes to getting casual gamers to give it a chance! Flight Shooters aren?t exactly mainstream stuff anymore either!
Rebel Strike
Publisher: Lucas Arts
Developer: Factor 5
Release Date: 10/22/03
Origin: U.S.A
History:
In the waning years of the N64, Factor 5 released the first Rogue Squadron! The title was critically acclaimed for its intense gameplay and excellent recreation of the Star Wars Universe; unfortunately by the time the game was finally released the N64 was fading into the PS1?s shadow! In 2001 Rogue Leader, the second title in the series, kick started the Gamecube by becoming the must have launch title for the system! The new Rogue Squadron demonstrated amazing graphics and delivered the epic scale of Star War?s space battles like never before. Now, Rebel Strike intends to build upon the series solid foundation and give gamers a new perspective on this classic trilogy!
Storyline:
This title once again takes place within the original trilogy of the Star Wars universe; but if you think everything?s going to feel the same well you?re only partially right! Factor 5 wants to immerse gamers in the films like never before by recreating movie scenes not normally found in games. Aside from following the trilogy?s pace and plot developments gamers will have the option of playing from two different story paths. You can choose to follow either Luke Skywalker, or Rogue Squadron Veteran Wedge Antiles as they follow their own paths through he trilogy?s story.
Concept:
As far as structure goes, Rebel Strike changes very little from its predecessor! The game even has the exact same mission briefing room where you?ll pick your missions from. The game is totally linear in progression for each of its plotlines, however in each mission you can earn medals by meeting certain criteria and hence unlocking more fighters for that mission or other goodies. The actual missions take place mostly from new perspectives of old favorites. Everyone?s played the Hoth mission before; but not after Luke has crashed and has to go lasso some AT-AT?s the old fashioned way!
Gameplay:
In addition to being able to run around on the ground and fight like you?re in a third person shooter; Rebel Strike gives gamers plenty of new ways to game. While the piloting of fighters has remained virtually unchanged from Rogue leader you can now take control of; ground turrets, AT-ST?s, Speeder Bikes, and lots more! Being able to play from the perspective of Luke as he ascends to the belly of an AT-AT with a little present for it really gives you a new appreciation for the scale of some things in the Star Wars universe!
Multiplayer: As well as a new two player deathmatch Factor 5 has included a very nice bonus for anyone who wants to play with a friend. A co-op version of Rogue Leader that can be played through entirely with a human wing mate! This is a nice gesture from Factor 5 seeing as the lack of multiplayer was one of the biggest gripes against the first two titles!
Graphics & Sound: Rebel Strike ups the ante on its impressive predecessors! Sporting better textures, bigger battles, and even more detail than Rogue Leader! The game has a new Particle system, an overhauled lighting engine and even a bit of the over brightening technique that is becoming quite popular on the apposing consoles. The end result is the best looking Star Wars universe yet! Everyone should know what to expect audio wise! You?re a typical Star Wars tunes and slight variations are everywhere! Along with Dolby Pro Logic II support, at least this time they may sound better, if not the same!
Greatest Strength: Anything with, ?Star Wars? in the title automatically has an edge. The fact that Rogue Squadron is probably the most highly recognized flight shooter out there doesn?t hurt either!
Greatest Weakness: You may be playing from the new perspectives, but this game feels an awful lot like Rogue Leader with a new coat of paint! It?ll be up to gamers to decide whether Factor 5 has made some great changes or not nearly enough! Also I?ve always thought that Rogue Squadrons vehicles felt like lumbering tanks and not nimble fights!
Conclusions:
With 16 player online support we obviously know who rules the multiplayer roost. But Rebel Strike has the all important Star Wars logo on the front and that alone gives it a huge edge over a brand new title just trying to make its way into the market. Both games are taking great liberties with the genre, and it?ll be up to the Reviewers to figure out which one got the formula right! Remember to tell us what you think in your comments gamers!
Preview: Grab your sword, string your bow and get the Dwarf out of his drunken stupor because it?s time to get questing. Next time on Faceoff two parties in the top down action RPG genre hack it out to claim the treasure chest. Be here in two weeks when XBOX?s Dungeons & Dragons Heroes takes on the PS2?s Champions of Norrath!
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Author: SirUltimos :: 2003-10-27 20:52:12
Tough decision... but I'm gonna have to go with Rebel Strike on this one!
Author: CodyM :: 2003-08-26 04:17:13
I have played Crimson Skies on PC, long time ago. The game was a total blast. I defidently look forward to the xbox version. :)
The game will defidently sell by itself. No hype needed. :) Course hype wont hurt either.
Author: Vodoo :: 2003-08-25 16:27:20
Skies gets my vote! Not only because it's on Xbox, but because it's a totally ORIGINAL game. How many Star Wars games have we seen?
Author: Tomcatm16 :: 2003-08-25 10:22:27
Kudos all the way Hedgehog boy for this weeks Faceoff! I may have to go undecided because I never really played any Star Wars games. Upon further review my decision is...Rebel Strike because I may be biased like Razeon but I won't waste a vote on a title that has nothing but hype going for it. Crimson skies could be worse than Brute Force which sold out on the hype which I didn't buy into. Hype doesn't turn my wheels quality does and Rebel Strike has the advantage there. So I vote for Star Wars Rebel Strike Hedgehog Boy.
Author: The1 :: 2003-08-25 10:04:30
I am going with Crimson Skies. I did not like Rogue Leader but I may buy this Star Wars game for my GC.
Author: mr hopkins :: 2003-08-25 01:59:01
ooooh close one! but rogue gets the slight edge by me.but if u got live there is no contest
Author: yza :: 2003-08-24 23:14:13
this is an unfair matchup! give it to crimson skies... the overhauling that game has been giving was well worth it's huuge delay... and it on LIVE!!!??
Author: Razeon :: 2003-08-24 15:40:50
Rogue Squandron was a fun game on the Gamecube, but Crimson Skies has 16 player live support!!! I have to go with Crimson Skies, although I could be a bit biased since I have Live.
Author: w005t :: 2003-08-24 15:40:47
without online, RSIII will be collecting dust after a month. Crimson Skies hands down
Author: Conor Nolan :: 2003-08-24 14:25:16
Crimson Skies all the way!!!
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News: FACEOFF: Crimson Skies vs. Rebel Strike
