Mark Horsburgh

This is a game in a bit of a dilemma, on the one hand it wants appeal to newbies and get people interested in flying via a sim, on the other, it doesn't want to upset serious simmers and those invested in the previous version of the game. So what we have is a game very much like the previous version, and barely even trying to offer more than that game ever did. Let's quickly touch on performance. If you remember FSX, then you'll know it broke PC's when it launched in the name of being "future-proof" and that's the case here. Long term, you expect it will improve with optimisation and GPU driver updates, but it really will test PC's right now. The online functions impact performance, but can be turned off, at hit on visuals. Also certain aircraft functions like braking and the flaps, seem to be tied to frame rates, which means better frame rates improve the speed of those functions, which makes no sense at all. It needs work. There are a few options missing I'd have liked to have seen, for example, better super/ultra wide support. As I have a 32:9 ratio monitor, being able to adjust the HUD for the external cam so as to not be so far away from centre would be nice. An option to allow to select a different ratio than your monitor and to correct the aspect ratio in game, would also be nice. Codemasters do this, and it is appreciated. The game also crashed to desktop a lot once I started it the first few times, without warning. "I think" I have fixed this, see the official website, by uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Visual C++ programs. In other words.... there are issues. As for features, well if you like flying around pretty aimlessly living out a personal fantasy, and you understand all the systems at play, you are covered as in FSX. But if you are new to flying and want to learn all the ins and outs of talking to ATC and all the navigation systems on the various aircraft, going from private planes to the big commercial liners, then you will be disappointed. It lacks direction, and barring a few challeneges, lacks objective. It's a shame it didn't try to be more immersive by creating a world and testing you while learning, in the way sim racers sometimes do, when the get it right. Think the Formula 1 games for example. There really isn't much penalty for doing things wrong, and not much help in showing you where you are going wrong, it all feels like it was made to keep FSX fans happy and everyone else can go watch Youtube. Training isn't detailed enough, and documentation in-game limited. If you pick it up and only have a control pad (this is coming to Xbox remember), while the game works the instructions for the controls are vague, even when you press the control help key all you get is a silhouette of a flight stick and no help at all. it's saying, "why you using controller? Get a yoke/stick". I have a yoke now, and even that required setting up and numerous times I had to pause to figure out controls, even during the training exercises. The help key shows me a picture and numerous numbers representing my buttons. Nice. Simply put, there's a great game in here and a solid foundation, but it's very much the same with better visuals, and if the developers had the courage to add new things, it could have garnered a whole new generation of fans. As it stands, it simply preaches to the converted already.