Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight review

Verdict:

Review Date: 16 Sep 2003

Price when reviewed: (£50)

Reviewed By: Dave Mathieson

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

It's been a century since the Wright Brothers first took to the skies, and Microsoft is out to remind us with its latest flight sim.

Microsoft Flight Sim 2004 has kept the Cessnas, LearJets and Boeings of earlier versions, but has added a slew of new planes, including Charles Lindbergh's 'Spirit of St Louis', Amelia Earhart's Vega - and, of course, the Wright Flyer. All are beautifully modelled, with authentic cockpits and sound effects.

But Flight Sim 2004 isn't just about new planes. Other improvements make the game more realistic. Air traffic control options have been expanded to make it easier to change your flight plan once you're in the air. And if weather conditions at your destination are poor, you may have to make an instrument-based approach.

This brings us to the second main improvement - the weather. The excellent new clouds are all true 3D objects. When you fly into one, you really feel as if you're in the midst of fluffy white mist. In stormy weather your plane is thrown around the sky, too. The only thing missing is the sound of passengers being sick.

Setting up weather is also easier. You can pick from pre-defined 'themes', change the weather along your route and even download real-time weather data from the Internet. The terrain has also been tweaked since previous versions, especially the maps of southern England.

Of course, this graphical finery will tax your PC more than earlier efforts, but even with the detail turned down a little, it looks impressive.

If you've ever wondered what flying a real plane is like (and you're not interested in shooting things), Flight Simulator 2004 will give you a pretty good idea.

Prev Next

Get more reviews, tutorials and in-depth advice, every month with Computer Shopper.
Click here to try 3 issues for £1

< Previous Reviews : Games Next >

Sponsored Links

Be the first to comment on this article

You need to Login or Register to comment.