I am sad to say that the holiday season is coming to an end...this was a truly great season of discovery for me.

Only a few times in the past have I had the chance to discover a video game that I believe should have been up there with the greats. But for some reason, that game never received its spotlight time...

Crimson Sea is the game' s name...and great gameplay is exactly what this title delivers. You play in the third-person perspective, usually have more than one other member to fight by your side, get to choose your next destination, monsters are either high-in-numbers or HUGE, you can upgrade your choice of weapon, and you acquire psyonic abilities (basically like casting spells).

This is by no means a walk-in-the-park title...you' ll work for every victory in this game! An example of this would be the level where the little-girl, whose the sidekick to your character, has to repair a damaged ship. You and the other members have to provide protection until she completes the repairs. The sheer number of enemies...the semi-humanoid creatures, the bugs, and what appears to be missiles (but I believe is an explained as a flying creature) that you have to face would make most people start screaming for their mommies! The enemies attack you and your protective party, the girl making the repairs, and the ship that the girl is attempting to repair...so the more they are allowed to attack the ship or the girl, the longer the repairs will take.

Though this game does not use the full graphical power of the XBOX, it still looks awesome! I compare it to the first Halo in that it looks good, but could have been better. The environments, the character and/or enemy models and their respective animations all look very good.

The sounds are appropriate...gunfire, sword slashing, people talking...but there are a few points in the game where there is no voice-acting, but rather just text to be read...I have no idea why this was done.

Gameplay is nothing short of awesome, as you are either at the command base preparing for the next mission by visiting/talking/getting briefed, buying/selling supplies, or in training due to a newly acquired psyonic (or other) ability.

Once you select your destination (yes, I said you select where you' ll go), a cut-scene usually plays, getting you more prepared for the situation and enemy you' ll be facing.

Upon encountering the enemy, you' ll find that your entry into combat is as smooth as it gets...either gun ' em down or hack and slash through them. Your gun does overheat, so you may need to hack and slash for a short bit to allow for cooling. I just use the gun for distant enemies and hack and slash the close-up enemies.

Not all missions are hack and slash affairs, as I have encountered an escorting mission to bring the President of this colony back to safety. He was a pain in the arse, because he wouldn' t just run from one point to another. No, he had to be pushed through several areas, one being a very long spiral ramp where the enemies were somewhat numerous. Then, when I did get the President to safety, he basically made it sound like he did me a favor!

But that' s part of the game...


My ratings:
Graphics: 9.0 - very appropriate to this game, but not using the full potential of the XBOX.

Sound: 8.7 - good overall sound, but missing voice-acting in certain instances where only text was made available.

Gameplay: 10.0 - excellent all-around controls.

Replay Value: 10.0 - though I have yet to complete my first-through experience, I am definitely looking forward to re-playing this title!

Fun Factor: 10.0 - I couldn' t have hoped to find a more entertaining game!

Over-all: 9.5 (approximate average) - An awesome game for about $15.


Crimson Sea is a must-have for those who like action/adventures or action/RPGs.

So, were you lucky enough to have discovered that hidden gem? If so, tell us about it...