Ongoing Review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Just like the version before it, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 gives players the entire planet to explore, offering an incredible array of possibilities. Back in 2020, I awarded its predecessor my one and only perfect score, overwhelmed by what was on offer. Fast forward to this year’s edition and while it brings plenty of innovative elements, there are also some persistent issues that keep it from reaching the same milestone. To add a bit of turbulence, a 24-hour server hiccup meant I couldn’t dive into my virtual piloting adventures right away, leaving me still cruising through my initial impressions and notes. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 does have some standout features, but unlike before, it hasn’t left me completely awestruck. I find myself more impressed than floored.

The headliner for Flight Simulator 2024 is definitely the new career mode. Starting as a rookie pilot, you set your home base at an airport of your choice and join a fictional aviation company, then gradually climb the ranks. It feels a lot like a skill tree from classic video games: pass the newbie missions, unlock new opportunities, and keep moving up. You might earn your tailwheel endorsement, open doors to new planes, and take on exciting jobs like search and rescue, or even dive into helicopters with a rotorcraft certification. Operating a sky crane? Count me in. Each new badge unlocks new gigs, ranging from scenic tours to the intricate tasks tied to helicopters.

At some point, you’ll gather enough cash and reputation to break free from employment chains and launch your own aviation business. I’m not there yet, but I’ve been working through my fixed-wing endorsements pretty steadily. The endgame is still up in the air, but the prospect of running my own company and keeping most of the profits is tempting. I’m eager to reinvest those earnings into expanding my fleet.

Initially, career mode starts with basic flight training—nothing new if you’ve played the 2020 tutorials, which are replicated almost verbatim here, including the Sedona, Arizona setting. The missions stay the same, but there’s some improvement in how instructions are delivered. Clearer on-screen guides help navigate the vast array of controls, sparing me the frequent Google searches to remember how to unstick my parking brake. And with the abundance of buttons doing countless things, these tooltips are more than welcome.

As you progress, you log flight hours to test for a commercial pilot’s license. While the test costs in-game money, it’s a one-time fee with unlimited retakes. Experienced pilots can jump straight to the test, bypassing the lessons, provided they’ve chipped away at hours and nailed the training missions.

As your career unfolds, more mission types become available, although not all are conveniently close to your home base. I initially set up shop at Machias Valley Airfield in eastern Maine, only to find myself jetting off to Europe for delivery and skydive missions. It’s a bit jarring, pulling me slightly out of the career-minded immersion I had envisioned for myself.

Reflecting back on the 2020 iteration, I remember being genuinely impressed by Microsoft Flight Simulator. The sheer scale of flying anywhere on Earth felt liberating. The 20 planes in the base game were more than enough to satisfy my inner aviation nerd, with assist options tailored for any skill level. But what set it above standard flight games was the global mapping data, transforming it into an unparalleled exploration experience. Whether landing at iconic airports or obscure strips in South America, it was a thrill like no other.

In this latest version, career mode stands out as a real highlight. Back in 2020, I would invent my own flight missions—like flying pizza deliveries from Knox County Regional Airport to Matinicus Island, a fun little real-world challenge. Now, structured missions guide you to familiarize with the skies and airplanes, subtly honing sim-pilot skills. It’s my favorite facet of Flight Simulator 2024 so far, and I’m excited about the potential to kick-start my own airline or helicopter sky crane venture—or maybe I’ll do both.

There’s also a new mode called the challenge league. It’s the most gamified aspect of the simulator, though it retains the flight models and physics I love. With three weekly challenges and leaderboards to climb, I can’t resist the competitive spirit. One standout challenge in the first round was the F/A-18 rally race through the Grand Canyon. Piloting Maverick’s iconic jet through gates for speed was a blast, though tougher than it sounds. It took numerous attempts to clock in around 1 minute 54 seconds—not an impressive bronze league finish, but still satisfying to best some unknown rival’s Xbox Live tag.

Sightseeing has taken center stage in 2024, via the photo challenges mode. Tasks like snapping landmarks such as the Great Sphinx, aligning the sun perfectly, add a new layer to the game. What’s especially exciting is the ability to land your plane and walk around these sites. This on-foot exploration is not as smooth as expected, it feels authentically slow compared to typical video game sprints. The visual quality also varies based on factors like your PC’s power and internet bandwidth, but the terrain and up-close textures—ranging from desert sand to rural grass—are impressively detailed.

Animal pop-ups, too, add life to the environments. Spotting a bull moose at a Maine airstrip was convincing, and I hear Africa’s lions await. Flight Simulator 2024 harnesses an open-source animal location database, creating realistic wildlife encounters.

Graphically, there are noticeable enhancements in places like the Grand Canyon versus 2020. My robust PC setup (featuring an i9-13900K processor, Radeon RX 7900XT GPU, and 64GB DDR5 RAM courtesy of Corsair) shines with the increased detail. However, cloud streaming remains a mixed bag. In a sightseeing mission around Venice, some structures like St. Mark’s Basilica were poorly rendered at times. I’d prefer offline world map packs, but the focus on streaming seems unshakeable.

Despite these visual advances, my system is pushed to its limits, with the GPU running at full tilt under recommended graphics settings. Dropping to a lower preset barely eases the load, indicating the demands placed on hardware.

Reflecting on the challenging launch, I’ve grown to appreciate Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It’s not quite the revelation its predecessor was, but its enhanced features and career mode are engaging. As initial bugs fade, the thrill of virtual aviation returns. Though not groundbreaking, Flight Simulator 2024 remains a remarkable experience, leaving me curious to see how it evolves in the months ahead.