Flight Simulator X Standard DVD
Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the tenth editon to the Flight Simulator franchise, and it certainly delivers. Like previous installments, FSX puts you in the cockpit as a pilot for any number of aircraft, including Boeing 747s and the LearJet 45. New this year, however, is an Airbus A321 and an AirCreation Trike Ultralight (think of a waterski with wings and wheels attached). Flight Simulator 2004 had many commemorative aircraft for the one hundredth anniversary of flight, but these are gone for FSX. I wasn’t really bothered by the removal, although some will be disappointed that you can’t recreate the Wright Brothers’ Kittyhawk flight anymore.
Graphics-wise, Flight Simulator X is a great improvement over Flight Simulator 2004. You may now see animals on the ground and traffic on major highways, depending on the age and quality of your graphics card. Make sure you have a DVD-ROM drive, because FSX is a gigantic game and takes up two DVDs. In comparison, FS2004 took up the equivalent of about half of a single-sided DVD.
One can make almost any decision they want in Flight Simulator X, from using the provided Air Traffic Control feature to choosing to make your experience as realistic as possible. Veteran FS gamers will feel instantly at home with FSX, mostly because the general look and feel remains untouched. Its only flaw is that it is not fully enjoyable unless you spend an extra twenty dollars or so for a joystick. Even so, you can still use a keyboard and mouse to control the plane. As a side note, the deluxe DVD is not much of an improvement over the standard version. Really, the only added feature is more aircraft.
Since it also is compatible with Windows Vista (provided you have met all of the requirements), I recommend that you go out and buy it today for yourself or an aspiring pilot.
