Microsoft Flight Simulator X
- August 14, 2006 17:02 PM PST
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Late last week, we had an opportunity to closely examine Microsoft's cutting-edge flight simulation, due out this October. Here are all the latest details on one of the most anticipated games of the year.
Microsoft's Flight Simulator X features jaw-dropping natural realism
Microsoft's Flight Simulator X is the latest in a long, proud line of, well, computer flight simulators. The first game in the series was introduced in 1982; judging by what we've seen with MSFS X, the series has made vast strides since then. As with other entries in the series, MSFS X will allow players to scale the experience to their liking, from a super-technical training course to a hassle-free "magic carpet" mode for beginners.
But there's more. Starting with MSFS X, Microsoft has "turned a different page" for the series by focusing on three key feature sets: a "dynamic living world" approach; more structured mission objectives; and a "shared skies" view towards the multiplayer experience.
The Skies are Alive
Real-time lighting, volumetric clouds, and meteorological effects make MSFS X the most realistic flight sim to date
One feature jumped right out at us. In Flight Simulator X, the player has phenomenal control over the camera views. The player can zoom the camera from his instrument panel all the way out to outer space, rendering the entire planet Earth as a real-time 3D model. The developers use a fully modeled "geo database" to accurately recreate the Earth's geography and attributes, making the outer-space camera view look startling realistic -- not far off Google Earth, in fact.
What's more, MSFS X's sky is filled with10,000 properly placed stars, plus realistic moon phases. Though these may sound like quibbling details, they're more important than you might think; pilots often use celestial bodies to navigate in aircraft. Speaking of navigation techniques, MSFS X will also feature over 24 million roads from all over the world.
We got a gander at MSFS X's visuals, and we're not exaggerating when we say that they're among the best ever developed for the PC. Running at a high resolution on a modest Geforce 7600 GT, the gameplay looked smooth and crisp. And it should: the game uses enormous, razor-sharp textures (16 times as detailed as MSFS 2004) to paint its realistic-looking countrysides. MSFS X's asset library is so detailed, in fact, that the game will ship on two DVDs, the second of which will consist almost entirely of textures and art files. Impressive, huh?
The planes range from tiny ultralights to massive, sprawling 747s
Then there are the game's countless visual details. The game renders realistic human population densities, so you'll notice that roads look empty at night but bustle during daylight hours. Cars and other ground-based vehicles are adorned with tiny headlights and brake lights, too, for additional realism.
Weather effects also play a key role in MSFS X. The volumetric clouds and real-time lighting effects not only look good, they can actually impact the flying experience. Even more interesting is that the game can sync up to the 5,000 weather stations in the world; if you have an internet connection, MSFS X can sync up real-world weather conditions to match the game experience, meaning that your rainy Sunday could be mirrored in the game. Wow!
Ground Control to Major Tom
MSFS X will mark the first time that the series has been more than "just" a sandbox game. Microsoft sees structured missions as one of the game's most promising additions because they give players a more structured play experience.
Though final mission objectives are still being tuned up, we learned that the final game will ship with over 50 mission objectives ranging from beginner to expert difficulties. A bundled mission editor will give hardcore players an opportunity to create new missions to distribute online.
Not that the built-in missions are anything to complain about: you'll compete in the Red Bull racing series (aerobatic airplanes that zip through swervy obstacle course at breakneck speed), or complete challenges that see you landing a plane on a moving school bus, or successfully landing a heavily damaged passenger jet. Another mission will test your search-and-rescue powers as you survey a densely forested area whiling searching for signs of a downed aircraft. Though the missions are generally grounded in reality, some will have a light tongue-in-cheek approach: in one mission you must fly federal employees to the infamous Area 51 base in Nevada -- the developers are promising a few "surprises" for this challenge.
Can you guide a damaged aircraft to the landing strip? MSFS X's new missions will test your mettle
This instrument panel looks incredibly detailed in-game
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