Disappointingly, London is one of these, and its landmarks are blockily represented as a result. I’ve encountered areas of scenery where trees give way to acres of flat, low-resolution textures, which look ugly and out of place and although around 400 world cities have been accurately replicated using photogrammetry, others have been constructed using Bing Maps and AI, so that they resemble Lego-like model villages. There are moments when the simulation falters. As fans of driving games such as Euro Truck Simulator have discovered, there is a sort of zen in simulated long-haul travel, a joy in mastering your role as driver or pilot so that it feels like you’re doing almost nothing – especially when you can pick out real-life scenic details en route. Photograph: MicrosoftĪnd although you may start out crazily barrel-rolling a tiny Savage Cub propeller plane over Seattle, you will progress to piloting a Boeing 747-8, cruising at 35,000 feet, conversing with air traffic control, keeping a close eye on the beautifully replicated control panels, checking for warning lights. You will learn how to use the yoke, trim and throttle, how to manoeuvre around an airfield, and how to get from one place to another using VFR navigation.Ī quick jaunt around the Himalayas. Eight tutorial flights provide a sense of the complexity to come, introducing the physics of flight and every instrument you’ll need to maintain it. Every flight is proceeded by lengthy engine and equipment checks and a 10-minute taxi to the runway take-off and landing are precise and demanding logistical exercises and flight paths are rigorously planned and adhered to. Start switching off the automatic help, take control back from your AI co-pilot, and you have a rigorous, uncompromising simulation. One day, you may catch early morning sun beams rising along the Alps like searchlights, on another, you’ll see New York transform into a constellation of pin-prick stars as dusk drops and office lights take over every flight, a kind of holiday.īut this is not a superficial flight sim. Beneath you, a re-creation of the entire planet rolls by, so large that it would take 14 years of continuous play to see it all. With all the many helpful assist options switched on, you can pilot your craft via joypad alone, your only concerns being altitude and air speed. Without a moment’s airborne experience, you can access the world map on the introduction screen, pick a position and be dropped into a plane flying far above it.
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