Microsoft Flight Simulator – The Liberating Joy of Flight - Player 2

Player 2 takes to the sky in this once-in-a-generation technical showpiece.

[Tedakin]

98 on Metacritic...... My mind is having a hard time with this... seeing an MS first party game with these types of scores....

[Snookies12]

I mean to be fair, it would be kind of hard to mess up a game that's only about flying around leisurely. That being said, it does look absolutely beautiful. Kudos to Microsoft for this. They did a really great job with it! I just want them to continue down this path of unique experiences. As a side note, this really makes me want a new Pilot Wings game... I really miss that series.

[TheColbertinator]

Sim games are very tough to nail. Constant measurement, testing, sound and attention to accuracy eat up time and budgets more than we realize.

[Ausbo]

I disagree. Making a realistic simulator is incredibly difficult. The hardcore sim fans will call you out if it’s not “right”.

But this game is incredibly niche and won’t appeal to everyone.

Asobo has shown they are a top notch dev with plague tale and now this game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft tries to snatch them up.

[Snookies12]

@TheColbertinator and Ausbo - I feel like my comment was misconstrued, I'm not saying it doesn't deserve high praise. Just that there wasn't a whole lot of room for error when it comes to a higher profile title with this type of game. There's just not much in regards to the 'simulation' aspect though. It's not like Ace Combat where you're actively engaging in aerial combat. (Again, not comparing, just mentioning a bit more complex gameplay system for another flight sim.) Don't get me wrong. I'm not hating on it. I actually love the idea. I'm very happy something like this was made. However, there aren't many variables here. You're flying around at your own pace, nothing to worry about. I'm not trying to take anything away from it. It's incredibly awesome for what it is. I'm just saying that it's not exactly revolutionary when it comes to what it's going for. Visually, it's stunning though. Which is in all honesty, all it needs to be for a flight simulator. They nailed the core aspect for this game, and that's all that really matters. I'm definitely interested, and will certainly check it out sometime soon. Just trying to get finished with my backlog first.

[LordoftheCritics]

''I mean to be fair, it would be kind of hard to mess up a game that's only about flying around leisurely.''

In this case, the exact opposite of what you said.

[sprinterboy]

I get what your saying dude, you don't have to worry about story or character development, or how to end the game, side quests etc.
But agree with the other comments about sim games are hard to make, especially the fans calling out mistakes.

[rainslacker]

I disagree. It can be quite hard to make an extremely accurate simulation fun to play. I was never worried about the accuracy of the simulations, as MSFS has always excelled at that relative to the technology available at the time.

I am curious how well this will be received by the general gaming public....as in the non-flight-sim fans.....as I can say that this is the first time I recall a good number of game reviewers actually reviewing something like this. So far it seems the critics are satisfied.

It would be cool if the series went more mainstream, or at least popular among the general gaming public. It may mean more long term support for the series. I love the series, but I also know that it's not exactly the kind of thing that gamers would find to be a game, as there is no competitive angle to it, and while I've read they made it more accessible, I'd imagine it still has a fairly significant learning curve.

[sprinterboy]

It's been 10 years fella I know, hard to take in with lockdown and everything else going on?
Did we jump to another dimension?

[StarLink]

"Facepalm" this gen they have had various games score above 90.

[rainslacker]

It's being reviewed as a Flight Sim, and MSFS has always been a showcase for technical accuracy that flight sim fans want.

If it delivers on what it's trying to do, then I say the scores are well deserved. I'm hoping to play it soon, but have a lot going on to really get into it right now. Even my regular gaming time is vastly decreased, although for other reasons besides life and wife things that have to be done. I know based on past MSFS releases that this could be a real time sink for me.

[Automatic79]

Congratulations to Xbox Studios and Asobo on the game.

[medman]

Credit given to where credit is due.....it looks spectacular, though it's not a game for the masses, I applaud the technical achievement.