Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - The Closest Thing to Actually Being in the Cockpit

The premise of Microsoft Flight Simulator is simple: to sit down in a virtual cockpit and fly anywhere in the world. But while flight and airport management simulators have offered that fantasy for years, none of them have managed to succeed on anything approaching the sheer scale of Microsoft's 2020 take on Flight Simulator.

The Sky Is the Limit

There are no flu outbreaks, major equipment malfunctions, or freak storms to contend with in Microsoft Flight Simulator. You just pick a plane, choose a departure point and destination, and begin your flight route. The biggest selling point here is the map - a feat of engineering that manages to recreate the entire globe in meticulous detail but requires a PC with pretty hefty specs to properly run.

pick a plane, choose a departure point and destination, and begin your flight route.

Flight Simulator is serious about the "simulator" part of its name. Players get access to everything from single-engine Cessna's to massive passenger jets, and all of them are lovingly created to the last detail. The appeal may be less broad or immediately apparent than what most AAA hits promise, but there's never been a flight simulator built for consumers that offers an experience as detail-oriented and authentic.

Ultra-Realistic Graphics and Audio

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a perfect showcase for the most cutting edge PC hardware, and it will likely continue to be some for a long time. But that comes with a downside too. Without a serious SSD and a state of the art CPU and GPU, you aren't really going to get the most out of the experience.

But if you have a computer that can run it, Microsoft Flight Simulator looks like nothing else on the market. The entire world has been recreated in stunning detail, and peering down as trees, stop signs, and houses grow smaller is frankly stunning even hours into playing.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a perfect showcase for the most cutting edge PC hardware...

The skies look just as stunning. Some impressive generation tech is used to create cloud patterns that are naturalistic and authentic, but that same level of precision is applied to the planes themselves. No matter what aircraft you decide to take for a spin, you can count on it to be accurate in every aspect from the exterior to the cockpit.

The sound is similarly well-engineered, but it takes more of a backseat role for the overall game. The audio cues serve their role well, but that role is ultimately to stay out of the way while still building a sense of authenticity.

Flexible and Breathtaking Gameplay

At its core, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a very Zen experience. The standard mode has you simply setting a pin at your starting airport and a second at the destination. You can then try to reach your target at your own pace and soak up the sights as you go.

But there are some varied modes for players looking for more of a challenge too. Missions with specific advantages give you the opportunity to both learn the basics and prove your proficiency. You can even pick flights that are taking place in the real world and follow along with them.

Despite the overall simplicity of the concept, there's a lot of depth to this simulation game.

Despite the overall simplicity of the concept, there's a lot of depth to this simulation game. While there are three different difficulty modes, the higher levels demand that you really understand the procedure of taking off, flying, and landing. It could take you hours to even perfect the process of getting off of the runway.

A New Standard for Future Simulation Games

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has a whole lot to offer, as long as you can recognize that the pace is slower than the average game, and the hardware demands are high. But the graphical rendering and real-world data usage here is fundamentally game-changing. Fans of simulations and airplane enthusiasts will both find plenty to love.

TL/DR

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 isn't the most action-packed game on the market, but it's a stunning work of technology and art that's also one of the best simulations around.