It might come as a surprise to readers, but I absolutely loved Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. I hadn’t picked up a Flight Simulator title in, well, ever. My PC was never good enough and I wasn’t really interested enough to drop the cash to improve it. But during the pandemic, when Flight Sim 2020 launched on the Xbox Series X, I was hooked. I even bought a flight stick for it (hilariously named Thrustmaster).

Needless to say, I was very much looking forward to Flight Sim 2024. With a new, more powerful PC and it’s various new gameplay modes I was ready to jump in and flight around the world in my trusty Cessna. Maybe even try out a helicopter or a hot air balloon!

Unfortunately, there have been some issues with Flight Sim 2024, so lets see how it went after some patches and a lot of crashes.

Visuals and Realism

One of the most praised features of Flight Sim 2024 is its stunning visuals. Using photogrammetry technology, the game recreates highly detailed landscapes, including urban environments and dynamic weather systems, bringing the world to life. The graphical fidelity enhances the sense of immersion and realism.

Or it should. The game relies on streaming data from the cloud in order to cut down on the massive file size of the previous game and while this is a welcome feature it sometimes got in the way of one of the biggest joys of Flight Simulator for me. Obviously there were a lot of issues day one with servers crashing and people not even able to play the game, but even now there are some instances of scenery looking like a blurry mess, which I hope improves.

When the visuals are going though, they are absolutely stunning. Especially in World Photographer mode, where you get to hop around some of the most beautiful landmarks in the world, snapping shots from the seat of a helicopter. The first mission is the Pyramids of Giza, and I must have spent at least 2 hours here alone, trying to line up the sun and just taking gorgeous shots.

In terms of the different models of aircraft, there’s also a staggering attention to detail. As to be expected I suppose from Asobo but the fact that there’s 125 different types, including helicopters, and so many different airports and helipads available. It really expands the possibilities for exploration and flight challenges.

Flight Sim 2024 also introduces dynamic seasonal changes in place of just weather like the 2020 version, meaning the environment changes naturally as the year progresses in the game. This includes shifts in tree colours, snow cover, and other seasonal details, creating a vibrant and evolving landscape. I live in Scotland, so naturally started my career in Cumbernauld and, given it’s winter, the weather has been very true to life. Lots of rainy flights for me.

Gameplay and Modes

There are 5 different modes to select from the main menu of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. World Photographer, Activities, Career Mode, Challenge League and Free Flight.

Career Mode is a standout feature, allowing players to progress through obtaining a pilot’s license and advancing their aviation careers. You select what airport you want to chose from and progress through training to acquire your Private Pilots License. After that you can take on various missions to earn credits, experience and reputation that unlock more training for different specifications. You can work your way up to owning your own plane and even companies and airports as it goes on, and it’s a big addition from the last game that I think really helps with structured progression.

However, so much of the training does take place in completely different airports than where you chose, which takes away from the whole “choose you own airport” part of the progression especially during the first part which I feel could be anywhere instead of Sedona (the same place the flight training took place in 2020).

Another thing I have to mention in Career Mode are the missions, which are great fun and very varied the more certifications you get. But it’s also the place in Flight Sim 2024 where the AI voice acting is the most egregious. Missions are procedurally generated – it makes sense given how many locations you can start from and how many activities are on offer – but good grief the AI voice acting is horrendous. As mentioned above I started my career at Cumbernauld airport, and for those of you not in the U.K. I’ll let you know that the end of Cumbernauld rhymes with “called” and… well the Scotrail lady on the train is better at pronouncing Milngavie than the AI in this game says certain things.

Although my first mission to fly a woman for a scenic view of “the Moodiesburn” made me cackle out loud for about 30 seconds.

World Photographer is my second favourite mode in Flight Sim 2024, as I love just flying around taking photographs of places I might never get to visit. Each section has a recommended aircraft – one problem being the game assumes you know how to fly them and removes and training prompts and I definitely crashed a hot air balloon into a lake on more than one occasion – and you get extra stars for fulfilling different aspects of a photo. You are free to just fly around and take lots of pictures though, which is what I ended up doing, but I do like the objectives for more focused sessions.

Activities and Challenge League are much like they sound, where you can hope in and try out landing challenges or Red Bull races in a casual or ranked manner and can be a lot of fun if you don’t fancy any of your missions in Career Mode or just want to practice a specific thing.

Final Thoughts

Despite it’s ropey start Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is being rightly praised for being one of Asobo’s best additions to the series. Its expansive content, realism, and immersive gameplay make it a step up from the 2020 outing I loved so much. The Career Mode especially made it feel a little more game like for me, and helped me focus on a progression path to learn new aviation skills. I’m not sure if this mode is exactly what die hard flight sim enthusiasts were looking for, but hopefully the core experience from 2020 and the new in depth plane upkeep and business owning mechanics are offering something for everyone.

However, the performance issues and some design choices like the cumbersome AI voices need to be highlighted. There have been a few big patches since launch and things have gotten better, but I sometimes still suffer crashes (of my PC, I have actually learned how to land my plane) more frequently than I would like. The visuals sometimes fell off a little due to streaming, and I also had quite a few glitches during my time with the game.

Luckily the team is working hard on patches, and currently the game is running well for me to enjoy continually trying to land a Cessna in my street.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was reviewed on PC, and is also available on Xbox Series S/X from the 19th of November. It is included with Game Pass Ultimate.