Ongoing Review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Just as with its predecessor, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 invites players to traverse the entire globe, offering a plethora of experiences. Back in 2020, the first Flight Simulator entry earned my first-ever perfect score of 10, but this year’s sequel encounters some turbulence that tempers its ambitions. Launching with a rocky start and no early review codes, I’m still charting my course in the virtual flight world while crafting this review. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 packs in remarkable features that distinguish it from its forerunner, yet it hasn’t quite matched the awe-inspiring impact of the previous edition. That said, it’s still thoroughly impressive.

Kicking things off, the standout addition this year is the career mode. You select a home base airport, join an aviation company, and embark on your journey to becoming a seasoned pilot. It operates like a classic video game skill tree: start with basic missions, unlock new ones, and gradually open up more paths. For instance, earning a tailwheel endorsement comes after completing a commercial pilot’s license, paving the way for airplane gigs like search and rescue or helicopter duties such as operating a sky crane. Personally, I find this aspect particularly thrilling. Each new certification or endorsement reveals a diverse array of jobs to explore, from straightforward flightseeing tours to intricate, helicopter-based tasks.

As you progress, you earn enough to eventually break free and launch your own aviation business. While I haven’t reached that milestone yet, I’m making steady progress with my fixed-wing endorsements. I’m still pondering my ultimate goal, but the idea of running my own airline and reaping most of the profits is definitely appealing. Those earnings will help grow your enterprise and fund a fleet of aircraft, which I eagerly anticipate.

The career mode starts with foundational flight training to acclimate you to piloting an aircraft. What’s a bit underwhelming is that this training feels almost identical to the tutorials from 2020, set at the same Sedona, Arizona airfield with similar tasks. The main difference? The AI-driven instructions and on-screen prompts are more precise about your mission objectives. I do value the default tips in 2024, given the sheer number of controls, and I used to lean on Google during moments of forgetfulness—like releasing the parking brake. In contrast to 2020, I might stick with these tips longer since they help combat my forgetfulness.

With career mode expanding as you advance, more mission types crop up. One quirky element, though, is that not all of them originate near your home base. I chose a modest airfield in rural eastern Maine—KMVM Machias Valley Airfield—but soon found myself whisked off to Europe for aircraft delivery and skydiving missions. It pulled me out of the immersive career narrative I’d crafted in my head. My imagination could use a little work!

Reflecting on the 2020 release, Microsoft Flight Simulator was genuinely breathtaking. The sensation of hopping into a plane with the liberty to fly virtually anywhere is indescribable. The 20 base game aircraft offer ample variety for aviation aficionados, and the adjustable assists let players tailor the experience to their skill level, making it welcoming for anyone eager to navigate the heavens from their living room. The real-world geography elevates it from an impressive game to the most astonishing simulation I’ve encountered, albeit the load times could be smoother. Flying over global landmarks, touching down at renowned airports, or landing on a secluded South American strip is mind-blowingly cool—a matchless way to explore our planet virtually. – Seth G. Macy, August 17, 2020
Score: 10

Overall, I’m quite enjoying the career mode. Back in 2020, I used to make up personal missions, like delivering pizza via air from Owl’s Head, Maine to Matinicus Island, 20 miles offshore (it’s a thing, seriously). Now, having structured goals gives me a reason to dive deeper into mastering the aircraft and the skies, subtly honing my simulator pilot skills. It’s currently my favorite facet of Flight Simulator 2024, and I eagerly anticipate starting my own airline or helicopter sky crane venture. Maybe even both! Time’s on my side.

Another exciting addition is the challenge league. This mode is the most game-like, yet it retains all the simulation-based flight dynamics we love. Three challenges appear weekly, and being on leaderboards stokes my competitive spirit—I can’t bear the thought of anyone surpassing me.

Of the initial trio, my top pick is the F/A-18 rally race through the Grand Canyon. Navigating Maverick’s jet through canyon gates is all about speed, and it’s deceptively challenging given the genuine flight physics—but man, it’s a blast. I made numerous attempts before clocking a respectable time of around 1 minute 54 seconds, earning a spot in the Bronze league. There’s immense satisfaction in outpacing an anonymous gamertag on Xbox Live, cementing them as my unknowing nemesis. I look forward to tackling new challenges weekly. The prior Flight Simulator had landing challenges featuring leaderboards, too, but racing a fighter jet through a natural wonder of the world definitely ups the excitement.

One delightful aspect of the previous Flight Simulator was its ability to let me virtually visit places I hadn’t seen or might never see again. In Flight Simulator 2024, this has evolved into the photo challenges mode, where sightseeing takes center stage. You can visit landmarks worldwide and snap pictures of them, with different criteria for each. For example, you might need to capture the Great Sphinx with the sun perfectly aligned above its shoulder during the equinox, all while on foot.

Indeed, players can now land, step out of their aircraft, and explore on foot, though it’s not as polished as I’d hoped. The walking speed mirrors real life, realistic to a fault. If you’re accustomed to the usual brisk pace in first-person video games, moving this slowly feels almost excruciating. Additionally, the detail level varies, depending on factors like your PC’s power, internet connection, and cloud servers’ performance. So, experiences might differ.

In spite of occasionally pixelated representations—some evocative of a retro game—the close-up terrain is richly detailed. The ground textures, from sand to rocks, look strikingly lifelike. Grass, snow, and mud respond realistically to aircraft movement, leaving traces even upon revisiting. I have yet to verify claims about mud affecting aerodynamics firsthand, though—a task for actual pilots with mud-streaked wheels!

There’s also a broader variety of wildlife inhabiting plausible environments rather than static map points. A moose ambling across a Maine airstrip felt genuinely immersive. Although I haven’t encountered other animals, the simulator utilizes an open-source animal location database, so with luck, I might cross paths with some African lions soon.

When you transition from the ground to the air, Flight Simulator 2024 can surpass its predecessor visually (emphasizing ‘can’). The difference is especially pronounced in places like the Grand Canyon. Whereas 2020’s iteration showcased smoother, mapped models, this year’s version offers stunning realism. Running the simulator on a high-power PC with an i9-13900K processor, Radeon RX 7900XT GPU, and 64GB DDR5 RAM (disclosed: RAM provided by Corsair), this year’s simulator performs exceptionally. Mostly.

However, challenges arise due to the game’s reliance on cloud streaming—a point yet to be smoothened out. During a career-mode flightseeing mission over Venice, Italy, notable landmarks like St. Mark’s Basilica appeared as incomplete polygonal forms amid a perfectly rendered cityscape. Ideally, I’d prefer downloading world map packs onto my SSD, streaming only the less compelling content. Currently, though, no such hybrid model exists, and given the emphasis placed on cloud tech pre-launch, a switch seems unlikely.

Despite the game looking great on my formidable PC, my GPU runs at full throttle to maintain recommended settings, barely easing with lowered graphics settings. That’s a bit concerning.

Current Thoughts:
Despite a launch many would call disastrous, I’m growing more fond of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 by the day. Though it doesn’t quite capture the magic of flying virtually anywhere as its predecessor did, its improvements are palpable. As we distance ourselves from early technical hiccups, I’m encountering fewer disruptions, allowing me to enjoy what makes Flight Simulator great. While I still cherish impromptu flights, the career mode now provides tangible reasons to take off, offering insights into real-world commercial aviation. I’ll continue exploring before finalizing my judgment, but despite its initial challenges, Flight Simulator 2024 is exceedingly impressive, even if it hasn’t matched the extraordinary charm the previous iteration once had.