The Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise has been a staple of PC gaming since its first official version, which came out all the way back in 1982. Some versions are even regarded as such good simulations of real-life flight that pilots will use the program to train.
The most recent entry, Flight Simulator 2020, has been praised for its massive scope, world generation, and near-perfect controls. However, not everything about the game is perfect. Among everything that's great about it, there's still a lot that fans want to be improved in this generally impressive title.
10 Loved: Jaw-Dropping Graphics
The graphics are the most amazing part of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game takes full advantage of modern console capabilities, rendering the world almost as realistically as if the player were looking out of a real aircraft window.
The entire world is generated from an incredible amount of real-world data, which is then transferred to the game's world. As such, players can see many real-life natural wonders and cities in almost the same detail as actually visiting them.
9 Didn't Love: Minor Audio Issues
Audio functionality plagues many online-required games. For the most part, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has seamless, realistic audio that replicates the real sounds of the player's aircraft. But it's not always the case.
One of the most common glitches players encounter is a total lack of audio upon heading out on a flight. The game has problems with stuttering audio for players with less robust internet connections, too. The issues aren't glaring, but they do detract from the experience.
8 Loved: Controls & Replayability
The controls of the Microsoft Flight Simulator games are so complex and true-to-life that pilots may use the program for = training. The most dedicated players have even created at-home cockpits for the game, to take full advantage of the game's impressive aircraft simulation.
While there aren't any RPG elements or "quests" for players to go on, the game is as replayable as it is realistic. The game makes exploring the corners of the Earth possible from the comfort of one's home.
7 Didn't Love: Game Data & Update Size
One of the major complaints of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is the sheer size of the game file. As of this writing, a PC player needs a whopping 150GB of space on their hard drive. This is only slightly lessened for consoles with less average storage space.
Recent updates have significantly reduced the game's storage requirements, but it still takes up a huge chunk of space. Plus, if it's not installed onto a solid-state drive specifically, it tends to load extremely slowly.
6 Loved: Real-Life World Generation
The Earth as represented in-game is, incredibly, replicated at a 1:1 scale. The entire planet isn't usually stored locally, though, as the game needs a constant internet connection to reliably travel the corners of the Earth.
Despite this requirement, it's amazing how true-to-life the world is, both in terms of visual appearance and sense of scale. A flight across the Pacific Ocean is still a lengthy endeavor, but it's also possible to take small craft to visit the world's most famous monuments up-close.
5 Didn't Love: Random Generation Glitches
The way that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 generates the Earth is impressive; however, it's not always 100& accurate. Properly scaled elevation, for example, tends to be a problem in less-surveyed areas of the world.
There is no shortage of images showing random obelisks rising into the sky in some cities throughout the game. Some mountains may appear either way too high or completely flattened. These glitches are relatively rare, but they tend to ruin immersion.
4 Loved: Variety of Aircraft
The base version of the game includes 20 available aircraft, with dozens more available through DLC purchases. Each plane has its own unique controls and layout, making for a completely different flight experience.
Huge planes control completely differently from small planes, while DLC planes like the Boeing 767 or the Eurofighter have their own unique factors that players need to account for. The plane controls function closely to how they work in real life, too.
3 Didn't Love: No Crash Animation
One of the funniest parts of the original Microsoft Flight Simulator titles in 3D were the crashes. When players aren't taking the game seriously, it's fun to romp around in winding canyons like Luke Skywalker in the Trench Run.
However, the newest entry removed the crash animation, replacing it with a fade to black that details the crash. This move was likely made in response to the crashes bringing up memories of tragedies past; however, it would be nice to have the option to turn them back on.
2 Loved: Attention To Detail
The attention to detail of every plane in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is, in a word, amazing. Cockpits are near-perfect replicas of their real-life counterparts, and the planes each work almost exactly as they do in real life.
The game shows a lot of love for the art of aviation in every nook and cranny, and none of it is lost on players. With as complex as flight can be, the development team did a great job in making the game feel easy to pick up and learn.
1 Didn't Love: PC Requirements
Previous entries in the series had extremely low requirements and could run on just about any system; however, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is the opposite. PC players without mid-to-top tier builds suffer from FPS issues.
A recent update attempted to massively increase performance across the board, which certainly did a lot to help the issue. More detailed graphics options and further performance updates could make it accessible to all players, at the cost of some graphical fidelity.