Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

When you take the solid foundations laid four years ago and enhance them with an engaging career mode, the ability to explore an even more detailed Earth, and marvel not only at intricately designed aircraft and their cockpits but also the surrounding environment, you get the most advanced simulator of today. However, this comes at the cost of high hardware demands and reliance on a stable internet connection, which directly impacts the quality of the experience, as well as the practical necessity of investing in a joystick. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 still isn’t a fully accessible game for everyone, but it continues to deliver breathtaking moments.

I was extremely skeptical as to whether or not Asobo could capture the lightning in a bottle of 2020’s Microsoft Flight Simulator again – but after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 took the time to clean up its launch problems and I really got to know its new features, I am once again astonished. It's more than just simulating the experience of flying: you can use it to learn the technical side of how pilots actually fly planes, including the stuff that doesn't involve ailerons and elevators and trim thanks to the EFB and Flight Planner. When I encounter some new term I don't understand, all it does is make me want to learn more so I can fly virtual airplanes on a digital twin of the planet Earth with as much realism as is possible. It's not flawless, with some lingering problems in those new systems and tutorials that are lacking (or worse, nonexistent, making Google a constant companion). But I am still in awe of what's here, and I cannot wait to spend hundreds of hours exploring it.

At 10,000 feet, the line between flight simulator and true video game delightfully blurs.

Overall, Microsoft Flight Simulator is an absolute technical marvel when everything is running as it should. While there were significant hiccups at launch, the level of ambition Asobo brought to the table is clear. With numerous challenges, missions, and a vast and beautiful world to explore, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is sure to keep you entertained. While the learning curve for newbie pilots may be steep, Flight Simulator has plenty on offer for beginning players and veterans alike, no matter whether you’re keen to just do some in-flight sightseeing, or embark on a career mode to get all possible qualifications in-game.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is unpolished and rough, and can make the entire flight experience frustrating. So why did we fall in love with it? Asobo tries to pursue the future, assembling a sumptuous simulator, an evolution that addresses all the shortcomings of the 2020 release, which was already near perfection. We are confident that the team led by Jorg Neumann will smooth out these rough edges, leaving us with a true masterpiece in our hands.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fulfills the promise of being the most true-to-life and detailed game of its kind.

I’ve been playing versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator since the early days and the detail and complexity has come along leaps and bounds. Piloting requires a lot more attention to details and precision in controls now compared to early versions but being able to see a fully fleshed out airport rather than a few squares and lines on the screen is a real treat. It is a truly visually stunning game (my son actually looked across at one point and thought I was watching a video)… but it can be quite detailed in controls as well. If you like your sims with a decent dose of realism then this might be up your alley. If you prefer very simple flight mechanics then you might want to give it a miss. Either way I’d recommend checking patch notes for whether you are comfortable grabbing a copy, or at least wait for a sale if you are concerned about game crashes.

Incredible visuals and so many activities it's tough to keep up with them all, Flight Simulator 2024 delivers a heck of an experience for flight sim enthusiasts. Yes, you can question if it should have just been a patch to the 2020 series or not, but it's not enough to deter me from saying that this one is worth picking up for all the upgrades.

By adding varied missions, a structured career, and spectacular graphical improvements, they are opening the skies to an even wider audience while respecting the legacy of the franchise. Of course, adjustments are necessary, particularly for the server infrastructure and they could correct certain sometimes difficult aspects, but the overall experience remains an invitation to explore our planet in a new light. An ambitious takeoff, certainly a little turbulent, but which promises beautiful horizons.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is undeniably ambitious, but its execution feels more like a modest upgrade than a revolutionary sequel. In many ways, it feels like a tweaked, cloud-streamed version of Flight Simulator 2020, with only minor changes to the core gameplay. That said, the addition of casual-friendly features such as entertainment-focused modes and a structured career system provide a welcome sense of direction for lighter players. At the very least, these updates save newcomers from the common dilemma of aimlessly taking off from their local airport with no clear idea of what to do next.

MSFS 24 was not a pleasant experience at first - fortunately things are looking better now and although there are still some issues, this highly advanced flight sim looks really good. Provided you have a powerful computer and a stable internet connection.

The move to a cloud-focused game has caused some turbulence on takeoff, and it would be good to be able to decouple from that decision with an “install-all” option, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 elevates the game in just about every other way. It'd just be nice if it did it more cleanly. That said, if you have even a passing interest in flight, this simulator is still the best out there.

Flight Simulator 2024 is the most inclusive version of the franchise, allowing players who always have difficulty playing it to finally find an accessible game. And for the experienced, it is never too realistic, both in the visual part and in its gameplay.

It might not have quite the same wow factor second time around, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 builds on its astonishing predecessor with intelligence and precision - making an already impressive achievement richer and more welcoming.

The game expands on its predecessor with more structured gameplay through a career mode and diverse activities like photography tours and aerial challenges. However, repetitive missions, technical issues, and over-reliance on flawed automation detract from an otherwise breathtaking simulation of the planet.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a diamond in the rough, still waiting to be fully discovered. Despite launch issues and some questionable technical decisions, the game offers a great concept that can be enjoyed by both veteran simulation enthusiasts and newcomers to this type of experience. Straddling the line between video game and simulator, its greatest strength is also its main flaw, given the proximity of its previous game, whose shadow still looms over this ambitious bid for a bright future.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a simulator that, despite its flaws, continues to be one of the best flight simulation experiences out there today. The improvement in graphics and detail is impressive, and the level of realism is hard to beat. However, not everything is perfect: inconsistent performance, issues with control configuration, and the lack of some key airports mean that the experience is still not as smooth as it could be.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 offers upgraded visuals, a bigger hanger full of aircraft types, and more detail all around. For some, the high system requirements and always-on need for a fast internet connection might be a deal breaker. Prior investment in a lot of third-party add-ons for the last edition might also warrant some caution. Caveats aside, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 offers a wide array of structured activities, plenty of guidance and, you know, the whole world to explore. It’s a great point of entry for armchair pilots and pretty satisfying for all but the most hardcore flight enthusiasts.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is packed full of content with exceptional visuals and improved physics but it desperately needs patches focused on optimization for a smoother experience.

A logical update to its predecessor, but many of the new features still appear to be taken straight out of Early Access.