Crimson Dragon has a tendency to be overshadowed by the Xbox One's big guns at launch like Ryse and Forza, but sleeping on this downloadable throwback to a forgotten genre might be a mistake.

If you're like me, you probably have quite a fondness for classic rail shooters like Star Fox 64, Rez, and Panzer Dragoon. That last one in particular is important, because Crimson Dragon is ostensibly a spiritual successor to Sega's incredible series of adventures.

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Crimson Dragon is broken up into two distinct sections. First you have your traditional rail shooter levels, where the game takes care of steering your character while you only have to worry about moving your reticule around the screen, tagging various enemies, and unleashing a barrage of devastating projectiles. The two traditional levels I played were quite fun, and unfolded with a welcome bit of cinematic flair that brought a nice amount of tension to each moment.

The other half of the game takes place in open free-flight levels. These massive spaces give you full control over your dragon, much like some of the boss encounters in Star Fox 64. The stage I played tasked me with taking down an absolutely gigantic enemy dragon in a set amount of time. Flying around the city-sized beast, surveying its weak points and attack patterns, then eventually making a series of quick strikes was a joy.

One thing Crimson Dragon definitely won't do is wow you with visuals that scream "next gen." The game was originally set to be a 360 title, and though it doesn't look bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's certainly not going to win any beauty pageants. But while the tech might be a bit lacking, the dragon design is quite neat. Each of the creatures has a distinct, fantastical, and often terrifying look to them, especially some of the more massive beasts that dwarf your airborne buddy.

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Also speaking of what Crimson Dragon was originally supposed to be, I'm grateful that Microsoft has removed a majority of the Kinect features from the game. Crimson Dragon was originally slated to be controlled via motion gestures, much like how you could play Child of Eden back in 2011. Since this feels so much like a throwback to a classic genre, I'm personally glad that they decided to keep a more traditional mode of play and allow us to use the Xbox One controller instead.

Playing about an hour of Crimson Dragon also got me thinking if this $20 digital release is indicative of the future of the AA game. Are things like this and Powerstar Golf, two games that are bigger than indies but smaller than AAA blockbusters, going to become standard in this upcoming console generation? I for one would love to see this trend continue, but only time will tell.

Marty Sliva is an Associate Editor at IGN. Writing this preview made him immediately want to go home and play Rez. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty and on IGN.