Microsoft Flight Simulator Is One Of The All-Time Great PC Simulation Games

Of all the PC simulation games, Microsoft flight simulator is largely considered the longest running, and one of the most popular simulation PC games of all time. Microsoft flight simulator has been around for twenty-five years, making it the longest running piece of software produced by Microsoft. Flight simulator even predates windows. The following article will explore the history of Microsoft flight simulator as well as review its current incarnation.

Bruce Artwick began developing flight simulator in the mid 1970’s, making it one of the earliest PC simulation games. Its early incarnations were designed for use with a variety of platforms, including Apple and Atari. The first Microsoft Flight Simulator game was released in 1982 as Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00. To date, Microsoft has released 12 different versions of flight simulator, making it one of the most popular PC simulation games of all time. The current version, Flight Simulator X, was released in 2006.

Flight Simulator X is one of the most advanced flight simulation PC games ever created. The game-play is so realistic, both in terms of the graphics and the attention to technological detail, that it is hard to believe this is a consumer product. Flight Simulator X seems as if it could be in a government flight school, which isn’t that far from the truth. The military has been known to contract advanced flight simulators to video game software companies that already produce quality PC simulation games.

The attention to detail in FSX makes the simulator a viable tool for anyone seeking his or her commercial pilot license. Even so, it is still a fun game for simulation junkies and casual gamers alike. The depth and detail in the world of FSX alone is enough to captivate and entertain gamers. FSX allows users to explore the entire world, making it one of the most comprehensive PC simulation games around.

This game includes 24,000 airports from all over the world. This means that the game renders every major global airport in incredibly accurate detail. The game also includes many smaller airports, which means that the local neighborhood airstrip may very likely be included in Flight Simulator X. FSX also introduces Microsoft’s “living world,” which is merely another level of heightened realism. The background graphics, such as cars, trucks and passengers, move around the airport and on below in real time. Other PC simulation games have utilized similar features, but this is a first for an in depth simulator.

Some of the more interesting game-play elements of FSX are the missions. Many of these missions are rescue missions. For example, it is possible to fly a search mission over snowy mountain peaks. Likewise, you may be asked to rescue passengers off of a sinking ship in a helicopter. FSX provides 50 missions in the deluxe version and 30 in the standard version. Even after completing the missions, the game never gets old because the virtual world is so vast.

A common complaint about FSX is that, due to its size, it does not run smoothly on PCs without advanced gaming specs. Standard PCs often have to run the game at lower specs for the game to run smoothly. Most serious gamers have machines that can handle the spec requirements of FSX and the casual gamer may not notice the difference between the two versions. This spec issue is the only real complaint about FSX. Other than that, FSX is considered one of the top PC simulation games ever created.