<s>
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
an	O
arcade	O
flight	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Zipper	O
Interactive	O
and	O
published	O
in	O
2000	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
a	O
flight-based	O
game	O
,	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
not	O
a	O
genuine	O
flight	B-Application
simulator	I-Application
,	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
based	O
less	O
on	O
flight	O
mechanics	O
than	O
on	O
action	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
series	O
creator	O
Jordan	O
Weisman	O
,	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
"	O
not	O
about	O
simulating	O
it	O
's	O
about	O
fulfilling	O
fantasies	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
a	O
cross	O
between	O
an	O
authentic	O
flight	B-Application
simulator	I-Application
and	O
an	O
arcade	O
flight	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
lead	O
game	O
designer	O
John	O
Howard	O
:	O
We	O
're	O
not	O
trying	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
realistic	O
flight	O
simulation	O
,	O
but	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
n't	O
a	O
cartoony	O
,	O
arcade-type	O
game	O
,	O
either	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
claimed	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
flight	O
model	O
in	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
is	O
light	O
on	O
the	O
physics	O
and	O
heavy	O
on	O
the	O
barnstorming	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
through	O
the	O
player	O
controlling	O
an	O
aircraft	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
various	O
environments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
campaign	O
,	O
an	O
instant	O
action	B-Application
mode	O
is	O
available	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
play	O
individual	O
missions	O
or	O
customized	O
scenarios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
is	O
also	O
available	O
through	O
the	O
Reverb	O
Gaming	O
lobby	O
,	O
over	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
or	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
or	O
via	O
a	O
direct	O
serial	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
game	O
modes	O
include	O
dogfight	B-Device
,	O
capture	O
the	O
flag	O
,	O
and	O
Zeppelin-to-Zeppelin	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
universe	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
1937	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
backstory	O
,	O
factors	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
growing	O
strength	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Regionalist	O
Party	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
division	O
between	O
"	O
wet	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
dry	O
"	O
states	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
quarantine	B-Application
caused	O
by	O
an	O
Influenza	O
outbreak	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
general	O
shift	O
in	O
power	O
from	O
federal	O
to	O
state	O
and	O
local	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
Fortune	O
Hunters	O
sabotage	O
his	O
airship	O
and	O
destroy	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
defeat	O
Blake	O
in	O
a	O
dogfight	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jordan	O
Weisman	O
,	O
series	O
creator	O
and	O
creative	O
director	O
of	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
,	O
has	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
:	O
"	O
Our	O
whole	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
player	O
the	O
kind	O
of	O
role	O
of	O
being	O
Errol	O
Flynn	O
in	O
a	O
1930	O
's	O
,	O
1940	O
's	O
great	O
pirate	O
adventure	O
film	O
of	O
the	O
air.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
originally	O
began	O
for	O
Virtual	B-Application
World	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
changed	O
to	O
a	O
PC	O
game	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
Corsairs	O
!	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
original	O
project	O
was	O
shelved	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
prompting	O
Weisman	O
and	O
others	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
board	O
game	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
FASA	O
later	O
became	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
Weisman	O
was	O
given	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
project	O
;	O
his	O
choice	O
was	O
to	O
restart	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
PC	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
Update	O
Version	O
1.01	O
,	O
a	O
patch	O
specifically	O
designed	O
to	O
fix	O
this	O
problem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bruce	O
Geryk	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
does	O
an	O
excellent	O
job	O
of	O
taking	O
the	O
elements	O
of	O
flight	O
simulations	O
that	O
have	O
broad	O
appeal	O
—	O
the	O
shooting	O
and	O
the	O
fancy	O
flying	O
—	O
and	O
embellishing	O
them	O
with	O
a	O
great	O
environment	O
and	O
a	O
good	O
story.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
universe	O
was	O
also	O
well-received	O
by	O
critics	O
,	O
who	O
found	O
it	O
highly	O
original	O
and	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
"	O
alternate	O
history	O
that	O
is	O
rare	O
in	O
being	O
both	O
compelling	O
and	O
believable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
in	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
overall	O
linearity	O
,	O
and	O
Geryk	O
found	O
that	O
multiple	O
playthroughs	O
of	O
a	O
mission	O
would	O
become	O
"	O
tiresome	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
most	O
heavily	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
numerous	O
and	O
notable	O
technical	O
issues	O
,	O
which	O
include	O
choppy	O
framerate	O
,	O
missing	O
textures	O
,	O
crash	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
slowdown	O
during	O
menu	O
screens	O
,	O
flawed	O
wingman	O
AI	B-Application
,	O
long	O
loading	O
times	O
for	O
game	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
unreliability	O
of	O
saved	O
game	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
stated	O
that	O
gameplay	O
is	O
directly	O
affected	O
by	O
these	O
problems	O
,	O
as	O
long	O
loading	O
times	O
force	O
players	O
to	O
"	O
play	O
it	O
safe	O
"	O
and	O
avoid	O
the	O
"	O
improbable	O
stunts	O
that	O
should	O
be	O
the	O
signature	O
of	O
 [ the ] 	O
game	O
"	O
;	O
the	O
review	O
concludes	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
shame	O
,	O
because	O
in	O
its	O
variety	O
of	O
missions	O
and	O
sheer	O
panache	O
,	O
the	O
dashing	O
Crimson	B-Application
Skies	I-Application
almost	O
steals	O
your	O
heart.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
 '	O
2000	O
"	O
PC	O
Action/Adventure	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Computer	O
Innovation	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Story	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Sci-fi	O
Simulation	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
awards	O
at	O
GameSpots	O
Best	O
and	O
Worst	O
of	O
2000	O
Awards	O
,	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Longest	I-Application
Journey	I-Application
and	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Vengeance	I-Application
;	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
Action	B-Application
award	O
at	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
2001	O
Premier	O
Awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Operative	I-Application
:	I-Application
No	I-Application
One	I-Application
Lives	I-Application
Forever	I-Application
.	O
</s>
