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An iconic flight simulation game with unparalleled realism and a large selection of available aircraft

An iconic flight simulation game with unparalleled realism and a large selection of available aircraft

Vote: (11 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Ketchap Games

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(11 votes)

Free

Developer

Ketchap Games

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Freeware
  • Open-world flight

Cons

  • Outdated graphics

Flight Simulator is a simcade experience that lets you pilot an airplane over an open world.

Flight Simulator is what can be described as a simcade video game. That means that it seeks to strike a balance between the challenge of simulation and the fun of the arcade. This is not inherently bad or good, but hardcore sim fans drawn in by the name may be disappointed. For the gamer who knows what to expect and still wants to give Flight Simulator a try, there is fun to be had here.

The controls are keyboard-based and both simple and effective. E initiates the engine. Pressing the numbers one through nine sets the engine power. The default engine power is one. Pressing the zero key cuts the engine. You need to press the e key again to reinitiate it. Steering is achieved with the arrow keys. The left and right arrows keys activate the rudder. The up and down keys affect pitch. There are settings that let you set flight to an inverted mode for both the horizontal and vertical axes.

The sound effects are quite good for a freeware game. The effects lack the quality and robustness you would expect from a AAA flight simulator, but these sound reasonably authentic—at least to a layperson. The engine and take-off sound good, and explosions are particularly violent.

Flight Simulator offers a traditional simulation cockpit view as well as a more arcade-y third-person view—or chase cam. The cockpit view is the default view. You can switch to chase cam at any time, and once you switch, the game will remain in that perspective until you switch back. A big issue we had with the chase cam is that the gauges are not represented on the screen. If you want to make decisions based on that information, you have to switch back into cockpit mode.

The game features an open world. There are at least two airports from which you can take off and land. The urban areas are a bit lackluster. But the open world is relatively large and features open plains, rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans, shorelines, islands and many other features.

There is a but a single airplane to pilot. This is perhaps the games biggest flaw. There would have been better replayability if you have multiple planes to compare. Better yet, it would be great to earn cash from taxiing mission. You could then put those earnings toward new aircraft.

Another issue is the graphics. Flight Simulator gives you a 3D world, and 3D graphics simply do not hold up well over time. These graphics looked all right at release. The environment graphics lack definition. The effects are lackluster, but the cockpit still looks good if you prefer that mode.

The developer has created a sequel to this game. This is not to discourage you from playing the original. But it is worth noting that some of the common criticism did receive attention. On-screen gauges are now present in third-person view, for instance, and there are multiple planes to pilot.

Pros

  • Freeware
  • Open-world flight

Cons

  • Outdated graphics

This download is no longer available. This could be due to the program being discontinued, having a security issue or for some other reason.

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