In-Progress Review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Just like with its previous release, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 offers players the entire Earth to explore, giving them an overwhelming array of things to do. In 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator landed the only perfect 10 I’ve ever given in a review, but this year’s edition hasn’t quite replicated that awe. While it’s packed with incredible new features, it also comes with some lingering issues. I encountered some turbulence from the get-go—code availability was delayed, making the game unplayable for the first 24 hours. So here I am, still charting my virtual aviation journey as I write this review. Right now, I’m definitely impressed with what’s on offer, though not quite as wowed as I had hoped.

The most significant upgrade you’ll notice in Flight Simulator 2024 is the addition of career mode. You kick off by choosing a home airport and then start advancing your career within a fictional aviation company. It’s akin to a skill tree in a classic video game: completing initial missions unlocks the next set of challenges. Earn a tailwheel endorsement after your commercial pilot’s license, and suddenly you have the option to take on jobs like search and rescue. Or, you could dive into helicopters and aim to become a sky crane operator, which is pretty exciting if you ask me. Each new certification or endorsement unlocks an array of job options, from easygoing flightseeing tours to more complex helicopter operations.

As you earn reputation and money, they can eventually be leveraged to break away and start your aviation company. While I haven’t reached that stage yet, I’m progressing well with my fixed-wing endorsements. Though I’m still deciding on my ultimate path, the prospect of owning my fleet is exciting. The profits I make will drive my business’s growth, and I can’t wait for that milestone.

The first few missions in career mode are basic flight training, meant to familiarize you with how to fly a plane. Unfortunately, they were a bit of a letdown as they’re almost identical to the 2020 tutorials. Training still takes place in Sedona, Arizona, with similar tasks as before. The main improvement is that the instructional dialogue and on-screen prompts are clearer. In 2024, I’m grateful for default tooltips since the myriad controls can be overwhelming; I’m notorious for forgetting simple things like how to release the parking brake, and I might not even turn the hints off this time around.

As you get further in career mode, more mission types become available. However, not all missions are conveniently located near your chosen home airport. Starting in Machias Valley Airfield in Eastern Maine meant unexpected trips to Europe for aircraft delivery and skydiving missions, which, while not a deal-breaker, detracts from the coherent career narrative I imagined. A bit of a bummer, to be honest.

Reflecting on Flight Simulator 2020, its vastness was truly something to behold. Taking off from virtually anywhere and having 20 aircraft at your disposal made it a playground for aviation enthusiasts. Plus, the real-world mapping feature made it more than just a game—it turned it into a breathtakingly immersive experience. Flying past iconic spots, landing at world-famous airports, or touching down in obscure locations felt unparalleled, despite the game’s lengthy load times.

In terms of career mode, it’s definitely winning me over. Back in 2020, I created little missions for myself, like air-delivering pizzas from Knox County Regional Airport to remote Matinicus Island. This time, the structured scenarios help me become a better virtual pilot and keep my flights purposeful. I’m already daydreaming about starting my own airline or maybe even a helicopter sky crane business—or both, given enough time.

A fresh feature is the challenge league, amping up the gameplay while maintaining the simulation’s flight realism. Weekly challenges with leaderboards are right up my alley. My competitive streak has me striving for top scores, even if I don’t want anyone else to win.

One standout challenge is the F/A-18 rally race through the Grand Canyon. Navigating through gates in search of maximum speed is far from easy, but it’s pure fun. I’ve spent countless attempts narrowing down my time to 1 minute 54 seconds. It wasn’t quite enough to leap from the Bronze league, but there’s something hugely satisfying about ranking higher than an unknown Xbox Live player. I’m eager to tackle new challenges every week. Previous versions had landing challenges with leaderboards, but nothing compared to racing a fighter jet through a natural wonder.

One of my favorite aspects of the previous Flight Simulator was the ability to explore virtually any location. In the 2024 edition, photo challenges place sightseeing front and center. You’re tasked with capturing famous landmarks, like taking a specific angle shot of the Great Sphinx during an equinox—on foot, no less!

That brings us to another major feature: the ability to disembark and explore on foot. The realism holds; your walking pace matches that of a real human, which feels sluggish if you’re used to quicker speeds in games. Terrain details depend on several factors like PC capability, internet speed, and cloud server health, so experiences may vary.

Despite a few GoldenEye-esque objects near ancient sites, the terrain is impressively detailed. Grass, snow, and mud now affect your aircraft realistically, leaving tracks and possibly influencing aerodynamics. I can’t speak to the authenticity regarding mud on tires since I haven’t tested that in real life.

Animal presence is vastly improved. Instead of static markers, animals naturally inhabit expected regions, enhancing the immersive feel. I genuinely felt at home when a bull moose wandered across the runway at my Maine airfield. Though I’m yet to see other animals, I know they’re accurately mapped using an open-source animal database.

Lifting your eyes to the horizon reveals marked improvements in graphics. Regions like the Grand Canyon now appear drastically more authentic compared to 2020. On my powerful gaming rig—I’m running an i9-13900K processor, Radeon RX 7900XT, and 64GB DDR5 RAM—the graphics are superb, albeit demanding, with my GPU consistently pushed to its limits.

However, streaming the game from the cloud introduces several issues. During a flightseeing trip over Venice, most of the city was beautifully detailed, but St. Mark’s Basilica appeared as an untextured mess. I’d prefer local world map packs for seamless graphics, but that option isn’t available, and the focus on cloud streaming seems to be here to stay.

While I do enjoy spectacular visuals, it comes at the expense of crushing my graphics card. Lowering settings barely seems to help with GPU usage.

Despite a rocky start, I’m genuinely enjoying Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Maybe the current edition doesn’t shock me as the last version did, but the improvements and features keep me hooked. There are fewer hitches as time passes and career mode offers new, meaningful ways to engage. While I continue to explore its depths before delivering a final verdict, the game, despite its early issues, is pretty impressive. While it hasn’t quite captured the magic of its predecessor, it still stands strong on its own.