Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game)
Microsoft Flight Simulator | |
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multiplayer |
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Flight Simulator simulates the topography of the Earth using data from Bing Maps. Microsoft Azure's artificial intelligence (AI) generates the three-dimensional representations of Earth's features, using its cloud computing to render and enhance visuals, and real-world data to generate real-time weather and effects. Flight Simulator has a physics engine to provide realistic flight control surfaces, with over 1,000 simulated surfaces, as well as realistic wind modelled over hills and mountains. Some places are handcrafted, introduced in region-specific updates. To augment its realism, the Azure AI incorporates real-time elements like natural weather and real-world air traffic.
The game was released to critical acclaim, with praise for its graphical fidelity, cited by critics as the "safest way to travel" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several reviewers placed it on their favorites' lists and called it the most aesthetically pleasing game of 2020, though there was criticism of its slow loading times, inaccuracies in rendering certain buildings, and unrealistic aerodynamics models. It received several accolades, most notably winning "Best Sim/Strategy Game" at The Game Awards 2020, and "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" at the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. A sequel, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, is set to be released in 2024.[5]
Gameplay
As a flight simulation video game, Microsoft Flight Simulator has a tutorial segment divided into sequences that allow players new to flight, or to the simulation, to learn the basic controls, the flight instruments, and other topics deemed essential for them to know before flying; it ends with a takeoff and landing test.[6] Throughout the tutorial, fictional pilot Captain Jess Molina assists players.[7][c] It offers landing challenges at some of the most famous and dangerous airports and the player is graded based on "how close to the center of the runway you land, how long it takes your plane to come to a full stop, and the touchdown's smoothness."[6] Another gameplay mode features three sight-seeing bush trips set in Nevada, Patagonia and the Balkans.[9]
Flight Simulator has an
Flight Simulator allows players to search for
Unlike its antecedents, Flight Simulator features no animations or depictions of damage or collision when an aircraft crashes. Instead, it cuts to black and provides a one-line message explaining why the plane crashed. Damaging the plane without crashing can degrade the aircraft's flight characteristics and so cause the aircraft structure to fail, which will place a message saying the aircraft exceeded limits but not exactly which limits were exceeded.[11]
Due to its complex amount of topographical, scenery and object data, Flight Simulator requires a certain speed of Internet connection for seamless gameplay. Windows Central states that a minimum of 5
Features
The Standard edition of Flight Simulator includes over 20 flyable aircraft; the Deluxe has five more, and the Premium Deluxe edition has ten additional airplanes compared to the basic version. Most of the aircraft are of American, French, or German origin, with a few manufactured by Austrian, Czech, and Slovenian companies. Aircraft included in the Deluxe version include those manufactured by
The addition of third-party aircraft and airports are supported within the simulator, as are additions of other services.
Flight Simulator is compatible with
Technology
Microsoft Flight Simulator uses its in-house graphics and physics engine while using
Flight Simulator features multiple
Developer
Through cloud-based technology, Flight Simulator sends data to the computer or console in real time, with AI being utilized to
Flight Simulator populates the world with animals and roads with vehicles, grasses have individual blades, and water flows realistically based on wind direction, creating the illusion of a living world.[47] The game world includes over 2 million cities and towns,[48] 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees, and 37,000 real-world airports.[49] This approach allows Microsoft to flag artifacts and visual anomalies from a bird's-eye view, clearing up the input for a world-building algorithm. The result is fed into Microsoft's artificial intelligence, stringing the environment together in the cloud, and then streamed to the computer (PC) or console in real time.[50] Flight Simulator features various animal species that can even be viewed at ground level, including birds, elephants, giraffes and bears.[51] It allows the player to scout, chase and interact with real-world storms as they occur in real time.[52]
Development
Using data of Microsoft's home city of Seattle, which Bing Maps has rendered down to five-centimeter resolution [...], Asobo took a few weeks to put together a demo of a Cessna flying downtown. Neumann then showed it to Phil Spencer [...].
"He just looked at me and said, 'Why are you showing me a video of [...] a plane?'" Neumann says. "And then the plane turned, and we flew over the Microsoft campus where we were [... right now]. And he's like, 'Is this real time? Is this running?' And I'm like, 'Yes, it is!' And we knew then we had something special."
– Jörg Neumann on presenting an early build of Flight Simulator to Xbox head Phil Spencer[53]
France's Asobo Studio developed Microsoft Flight Simulator published by Xbox Game Studios.[54] The game was announced at E3 2019 on June 9, 2019.[55] It is the first major entry in the Microsoft Flight Simulator series since 2006's Flight Simulator X (FSX), following a long period of uncertainty over the future of the series after the closure of Aces Game Studio in 2009.[54][23]
Six years before its release, Microsoft began working with Asobo on a product called HoloTour for Microsoft's
The franchise's return after a 14-year time span is partially credited to the business model of Xbox Game Pass, allowing for a wider variety and diversity of games.[57] Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that Flight Simulator is part of Microsoft's renewed commitment to PC gaming. According to Spencer, their head of global partnerships Sarah Bond worked on the Game Pass "with the indie montage" and all the games set to launch on Game Pass, then announced it for PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. "I didn't know if the PC community was going to be watching or not, but we went Flight Sim, we went Age, we went Wasteland—I wanted people to know that we want to make sure we're building games and supporting games that respect what the PC community loves", he elaborated. On bringing back Flight Simulator, he said: "We do have some pilots on the teams that are big fans of flight, and flight sims, and flying themselves, who are passionate about it, so we said, 'okay, let's see what we can do'." Reflecting on the legacy of the series to the aviation community, Spencer thought, "Can we do something new with Flight Sim? Can we actually move it forward in an interesting way?"[58]
Neumann said there is a pilot shortage crisis, and he felt the simulation would "create a funnel" for future pilots.[59] On CNN, he said:
When you meet pilots a lot of them that say 'you know what? -- my interest in this whole thing started with Microsoft Flight Sim many years ago'. Some people choose that as a career, and we do hope to inspire this new generation. Ever since we showed our trailer we've been called by almost every airplane manufacturer and they all tell us there's a pilot crisis, but for us it's about priority-setting. We're excited about making a sim, and if we can help with the pilot crisis in some shape or form - we'll try when the time is right."[60]
Regarding the aircraft 3D scanning technology, Asobo recalled that, although scanning saves time and simplifies the work, scanning an aircraft can take a full day, depending on its size. Veteran pilots checked and ensured the accuracy of the aircraft models after scanning.
A team of
Sometime after its unveiling at E3 2019, Microsoft organized a temporary Insider Program, where members could access the
Updates
Flight Simulator is constantly updated with "World Update[s]" and "Sim Update[s]". The former concerns geographically specific updates, while the latter concerns updates on the game in general.
Early into 2021, Microsoft released an update named "Let It Snow", which unveiled real-time snow and winter environments for winter locations.[71] This is then succeeded with four World Updates concerning various places in Europe,[72][73][74][75] as well as five Sim Updates including a special "Game of the Year" update, made as a tribute to fans of the game.[76][77][78][79][80] At E3 2021, an expansion pack in response to the release of Top Gun: Maverick was announced to be released in late 2021, featuring the aircraft and carrier seen in its trailer;[81] when the film is announced to be released much later on May 27, 2022, the expansion pack was also delayed to be released alongside the film.[82] In 2022, three new updates were implemented concerning Australia,[83] the Iberian Peninsula,[84] and Italy, Malta and Vatican City, as well as one Sim Update and a second update for United States territories, which also added Halo Infinite’s Pelican as new aircraft.[85] In August 2022, a 40th Anniversary Edition update was announced, which arrived in November 2022.[86] As a tribute to the franchise's long-running trajectory, the update included several historical planes, helicopters and gliders, along with classic airports and missions from previous installations of the franchise.[87] An expansion based on Dune and Dune: Part Two is set to be released on November 3, 2023.[88]
Microsoft frequently receives feedback from users of Flight Simulator via their forums, including requests for helicopters, structure updates, inaccurate detail fixes, and the need for improved systems. Some fixes have been made, others are planned, are under investigation, or have begun. The Flight Simulator team constantly receives feedback from players and has said the game is updated when it is received.[34]
Release
The first people to play Flight Simulator — journalists, bloggers,
At E3 2021, Microsoft announced that the game will be released for Xbox Series X and Series S on July 27, 2021,[81] with undated announcements going back to December 11, 2020.[93] Anticipating a wider range of players, Microsoft made several modifications in order to make gameplay more accessible, like adding four more tutorial sequences, diversifying the AI abilities, as well as adding the option of slander floats and skis in aircraft so that it can land anywhere.[81] Indeed, the game was released on the platform on time as announced. Video game critics were provided a preview of it several days ahead of public release.[94] A Microsoft spokesperson stated that plans for its release on Xbox One will be discussed sometime in 2021,[95] although Microsoft stated that the Series X version of the game would be playable on Xbox One via Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2022.[96] It was later released on Xbox One and Cloud Gaming on March 1, the latter allowing gameplay on smartphones, tablets, and PCs with lower-than-required specifications. Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless Controllers are also supported with the Cloud.[97]
The game is available for purchase worldwide, except for China; although some aspiring Chinese players are finding ways to purchase it via Steam and the Microsoft Store.
Other releases
Aerosoft, a German developer and publisher of
Project leader Jörg Neumann stated that a
Reception
Critical response
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Steam Awards | Sit Back And Relax (Nominated)[118] |
17th British Academy Games Awards | Technical Achievement (Nominated)[119] |
24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year[120] Outstanding Technical Achievement (Nominated)[121] |
The Game Awards 2021 | Best Sim/Strategy Game (Nominated)[122] |
Microsoft Flight Simulator, within PC as well as Xbox Series X and Series S, received "universal acclaim" from video game critics, according to
Reviewers considered the graphics and realism of Flight Simulator as the reason it stands out,[108][114][134][135] with Tokarev Kirill of 80 LEVEL and Chad Sapieha of Common Sense Media describing its authenticity as unprecedented,[136][116] and other critics calling it an aesthetic feat within PC gaming.[137][138] It has also been said to be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that appears once a generation, and is predicted to see everlasting legacy.[38] Despite some technical issues, Engadget's Devindra Hardawar found the VR version of the game realistic, to the extent that its visuals resonated with him.[59] Shacknews and VG247 described the game as revolutionary within the series, as it is the first entry to be used widely by those outside the aviation community.[112][115] Thus, many critics suggest that non-aviation lovers will also adore the game, especially due to its inherent futuristic sensation.[139][140] Mark Hachman of PC World also opines that the game allows for a free exploration of Earth, without worrying about contributing to climate change.[135] It has been labeled the best-looking video game of all time[141] as well as the best-looking flight simulator, albeit being disclaimed as a still-imperfect "work in progress".[139]
The Xbox Series X and Series S version was also raved among reviewers, with the accessibility additions being praised. Most reviews focused mainly on the graphical and visual side. Although the graphics are noted to be smaller, with the resolution of the affordable, US$299 version downgraded from 4K to 1080p, it did not ruin the experience, which was still similar to the original. The frame rate was also found to be better than the PC version. Contemporarily, it was considered the best releases for the platform, and was described as next-generation. According to Matt Brown of Windows Central, the memorable hint within the game's visual still retains. He recommended the Series X version over the Series S, though stated the Series S is also great. Poor accessory support was also stressed upon its release. Many reviewers were dismayed over the lack of gameplay difference from the PC, with the use of controls being described as irritating.[94][142][143][144] Because of the game's routine updates prior to the Xbox release, Gianluca Musso of the Italian Eurogamer opined that Xbox players have more enjoyment than PC players, at least from that viewpoint; he also recommended it as a Series X and Series S starter.[145]
The mainstream media also viewed Flight Simulator in a positive light. According to Paul Sillers, writing for CNN, Flight Simulator might be "the safest way to travel" during the
Sales
Within the first few weeks of release, over one million users had played Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Audience response
Game developer
Initial criticism focused on the simulator's loading times. On Steam, the long in-game installation has frustrated many users, forcing them to exceed two hours of gameplay and lose the right to a refund. This resulted in a
Some users reported inaccuracies in rendering buildings like the
Further negatives were voiced by pilots, expressing disappointment with the game's unrealistic aerodynamics and the aircraft's "sluggish" response. At Gizmodo, a pilot commented on the overly sensitive control surfaces at slow airspeeds, noting that it could be fixed "if the physics model accounted more for reduced airflow over [them]".[157]
Popular destinations
Large numbers of users have been attracted to several destinations. In August 2020, many players went to the
Flight Simulator's weather has been noted for incorporating real-time data of notable weather abnormalities. During the
The Suez Canal soon became popularized among players following the obstruction of the canal by the Ever Given ship (with the ship becoming a downloadable mod). Players using it shared their flights on social media.[163]
Notes
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