Although flight mechanics such as lift are still present, the game's planes are generally overpowered, allowing them to perform aerobatic maneuvers impossible in reality under similar circumstances.

[8] In this way, the site likened the game's arcade flight model to the "stunt-flying heroics of pulp novel fame", in which "daredevil pilots performed unbelievable (and quite impossible) feats of showmanship and gunnery".

[8] To this effect, the game features select "danger zones"—difficult spaces situated throughout the environment through which the player can fly to dissuade pursuing aircraft.

In addition to the campaign, an instant action mode is available which allows the player to play individual missions or customized scenarios.

A number of independent nation-states form from the fractured United States; hostilities between these sovereignties eventually escalate into outright war.

[14][15] IGN stated that the Fortune Hunters are "wonderfully ambiguous […] in the moral sense", qualifying that "it's always great to see heroes […] who aren't too good to be true.

[18][19] In Cuba, ace pilot Nathan Zachary and his crew of air pirates, the "Fortune Hunters", are betrayed by ally and fellow pirate Lucas Miles following their latest score, resulting in Nathan ordering his crew to open fire on Miles' Zeppelin and seemingly killing him, while the Fortune Hunters flee to safety.

Later, Nathan discovers a treasure map leading to the wreck of Sir Francis Drake’s ship in the Hawaiian Islands, and the Fortune Hunters head there to look for it.

After clashing with rival air pirate gang "The Medusas", who want the ship’s treasure for themselves, the Fortune Hunters discover that British military forces are seeking to colonize Hawaii.

The Fortune Hunters then go to recover Ilse from a Boeing facility in Pacifica, rescuing her from a speeding train in mid-air before stealing an expensive prototype aircraft.

This results in severe public embarrassment for Blake and his private militia, and rival security firm Sacred Trust Incorporated begins rising in notoriety.

After travelling to the 'Nation of Hollywood', formerly Los Angeles, California, Nathan encounters his old Wall Street rival Johnny Johnson, now handling security affairs for Hughes Aviation.

After kidnapping screen actress Lana Cooper in a daring heist, an embarrassed Johnny attempts to save face by showing off Hughes Aviation’s newest accomplishment: the largest plane constructed, the Spruce Goose.

Nathan realizes that the trap was meant to lure him away from the Pandora to give Johnny’s forces an opening to attack it, and he quickly mobilizes the Fortune Hunters to defend their airship.

Acting on the accountant’s information, the Fortune Hunters sabotage attempts by Sacred Trust in getting their loot back to Germany via three cargo Zeppelins; they eventually manage to stop the exodus.

The Fortune Hunters soon learn that the true mastermind behind the conspiracy is Lucas Miles, who has survived and pulled the strings of Sacred Trust from the shadows.

Jordan Weisman, series creator and creative director of Crimson Skies, has said of the game: "Our whole goal is to give the player the kind of role of being Errol Flynn in a 1930's, 1940's great pirate adventure film of the air.

When FASA later became a part of Microsoft, Weisman was given the opportunity to work on a new project; his choice was to restart production of the Crimson Skies PC game.

[7] Microsoft later released Update Version 1.02 to address other issues, including multiplayer game stability and mission load times.

The unofficial patch is available at Timeslip's homepage,[23] fixes the issue with current graphic drivers and improves the game in some aspects, such as allowing higher resolutions.

[24] Bruce Geryk of GameSpot said that "Crimson Skies does an excellent job of taking the elements of flight simulations that have broad appeal—the shooting and the fancy flying—and embellishing them with a great environment and a good story.

[39] Geryk likewise complimented the arcade flight model, stating that it fit with the game's pulp fiction setting and allowed for elaborate stunt flying and fast-paced dogfighting.

[5][6] The Crimson Skies universe was also well-received by critics, who found it highly original and described it as an "alternate history that is rare in being both compelling and believable".

"[6] Edge stated that gameplay is directly affected by these problems, as long loading times force players to "play it safe" and avoid the "improbable stunts that should be the signature of [the] game"; the review concludes as "a shame, because in its variety of missions and sheer panache, the dashing Crimson Skies almost steals your heart.

The staff of Computer Games Magazine nominated the PC version for their 2000 "Sci-Fi Simulation of the Year" award, whose winner remains unknown.