Flyout
- November 17, 2023
- Stonext Games
- 27h median play time
"Flyout is a single-player simulation game that offers players the freedom to build and design their own aircraft with detailed modeling tools and realistic physics. The game features delightful visuals and a variety of configurable components, but is reported to have bugs that may impact gameplay. Players can test their designs on a procedurally generated earth-sized planet, with wing shape, fuselage drag, and engine performance all affecting flight behavior."
Reviews
- The game offers immense freedom and creativity in aircraft design, allowing players to build virtually any type of aircraft they can imagine.
- The physics engine is highly realistic, providing an engaging flying experience that accurately simulates aerodynamics.
- The community is supportive and helpful, with many players willing to assist newcomers in learning the complex editor.
- The editor is unintuitive and lacks basic quality of life features, such as an undo button, making it frustrating for new players.
- There is a steep learning curve, and without in-game tutorials, players may struggle to understand the mechanics and controls.
- The game has performance issues and bugs, which can lead to crashes and hinder the overall experience.
- gameplay40 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Flyout" is a mixed bag, with players appreciating the depth and complexity of its aircraft building mechanics, but expressing frustration over its lack of content and polish, especially in its early access state. While the flight mechanics and physics are praised for their realism, the steep learning curve and cryptic systems can deter newcomers. Overall, the game shows potential for creativity and fun, but requires patience and a willingness to navigate its rough edges.
“Flyout is a thrilling game that offers a perfect blend of aerial action and engaging gameplay.”
“The mechanics are industry-leading, but you do have to know how to take full advantage of them (and have the time to do so) to make this purchase worth it.”
“Overall, Flyout is an incredibly powerful game to build the aircraft of your dreams (and mechanic's nightmares) so long as you have patience and are willing to take your time to navigate the learning curve.”
“Conclusion: Flyout is barely a game. Making different aircraft can be fun at times, but the frustration is not worth the effort, especially when the gameplay consists of nothing but flying around and spawning in targets. It has potential, but potential only gets you so far when the development time is extremely slow, with little communication at all, or even abandoned without a word, like many machine-building games tend to become. The complexity of the game's systems is no excuse.”
“The editor is very powerful, but it still feels very rough around the edges with finicky mechanics and some not very intuitive behaviors. Besides this, there are a ton of different mechanics that need time to adapt to, but feel great when mastered.”
“Tldr: The game isn't bad; it fills in a niche market albeit being a very bare-bones simple game with zero quality of life features when struggling with the mechanics.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their stunning quality and realism, often compared favorably to other titles like Kerbal Space Program and SimplePlanes. Players appreciate the detailed visuals and intuitive building tools, although some note that the game is resource-intensive and may require a capable PC to run optimally. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the immersive sandbox experience, enhancing both creativity and gameplay.
“The graphics are incredible, and most importantly the game lets you be as creative as you want to be.”
“Visuals are stunning especially at high altitudes and the physics are quite realistic.”
“Although the game is currently lacking in missions, AI variety, and the ever-so-anticipated multiplayer, the finesse and detail with aircraft-building combined with DCS-level graphics and complex flight physics is honestly worth it.”
“Make sure that your computer is at least a bit above the minimum requirements, as this game is a very resource-intensive game and the graphics settings will only get you so far.”
“My PC can run AAA games but not this game on the lowest graphics apparently.”
“I think that is the biggest graphical improvement that the game would benefit greatly from.”
- optimization35 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and crashes even on high-end hardware, while others report smooth performance on lower-end systems. Many users highlight the need for better optimization and bug fixes, particularly for specific game modes, while a few commend the game's overall performance and graphics. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are promising elements, the game currently suffers from substantial optimization challenges that need to be addressed.
“The graphics are great, the physics work, it seems to be rather well optimized, and I've yet to run into a show-stopping bug.”
“Bugs are few and far in between, the game is so well optimized that my work laptop can run it without the game looking bad and my gaming PC with mid-tier hardware can run it at max without an impact on performance.”
“Despite being in early access, it still managed to exceed my expectations on performance and gameplay.”
“Sub-optimal performance, chugs hard with decent hardware, 64GB RAM, 3080 Ti.”
“Terrible optimization; I should not have issues running the game and experiencing frame drops with 32GB RAM, i7, and 3070 Ti. This game has terrible controls, terrible functionality, and dead development.”
“Overall, it's a buggy, unoptimized, glitchy mess with a barely passable editor and a toxic community.”
- story19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game currently lacks a defined story or missions, as it is still in early access, but players express hope for future updates that will introduce missions, AI variety, and multiplayer features. Users desire a more structured gameplay experience, including cargo missions and a career mode, to enhance the sandbox flight simulator experience. Overall, while the potential for a rich narrative and mission-based gameplay exists, it has yet to be realized in the current version.
“If/when it gets multiplayer and missions/battles, it might very well become the best aviation game ever.”
“With modding support, a possible multiplayer, and customizable missions coming later into the game, Flyout might end up as a great blend of simulators like MSFS, X-Plane, and DCS with elements from previously mentioned games like SimplePlanes or KSP.”
“An undo/redo feature would be nice and some sort of career mode with quests and tech tree progression.”
“☑ no story”
“Gameplay feels like what a sandbox flight simulator should have, no quests or any missions yet as it is an early access game.”
“Although the game is currently lacking in missions, AI variety, and the ever-so-anticipated multiplayer, things which will hopefully be added later down the line.”
- stability18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- -11 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues that hinder gameplay. While some players appreciate its potential and fun aspects, the overwhelming consensus is that it is currently a "buggy mess" lacking essential quality-of-life features, making it frustrating to play. Many recommend waiting for further development and updates before investing in the game.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes, making for a seamless experience.”
“I've had no issues with stability; the game performs consistently well.”
“The performance is impressive, with stable frame rates even during intense moments.”
“A sad, buggy abandonware. It is a pity because the idea is good: a complete freeform 3D editor in a computer game, and decent physics, so almost any aerial or ground vehicle can be made and tried in it.”
“There are countless glitches during flight, missing textures, lighting issues, performance bugs, and the game will straight up crash during loading even with three parts.”
“Overall, it's a buggy, unoptimized, glitchy mess with a barely passable editor and a toxic community.”
- humor13 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- -15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from the absurdity and creativity involved in building unconventional aircraft, leading to amusing and bizarre designs. Players appreciate the comedic potential of the game, although some express frustration with the lack of guidance and the community's strict moderation regarding humor. Overall, while the game offers a platform for funny creations, the experience can be marred by technical issues and community dynamics.
“Funny plane game but with realism.”
“By this I mean you can make aircraft that are stupidly overperforming, planes that will be hilariously UFO-like.”
“Make funny-looking aircraft of your wildest dreams and give them the weirdest paint job imaginable.”
“It looked fun, so I joined the Discord server for a week or two. When I checked the general chat, I saw a dark joke (not racist, homophobic, or anything like that). It wasn't against any rules, so I said it was funny, and a mod said it wasn't funny and was going to ban him. I replied that humor is subjective and ended up getting permanently banned from the Discord.”
“The humor in this game falls flat. I expected clever jokes and witty banter, but instead, I was met with tired clichés and unoriginal punchlines.”
“I found the attempts at humor to be cringeworthy at best. The jokes felt forced and often missed the mark, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to achieve progress. While the detailed customization of aircraft is praised, the overall experience is marred by a frustrating user interface and a lack of helpful features for beginners, leading some to feel overwhelmed and dissatisfied.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It is tedious, time consuming, and all around difficult to line this wheel up here, or flip that wing over there.”
“It's like War Thunder, but you actually research airplanes and how they work instead of grinding XP for meaningless progress bars at another copy-pasted plane model which will be nerfed soon.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is likened to that of Kerbal Space Program, emphasizing a focus on atmospheric flight and exploration. Players appreciate the immersive experience it offers, particularly for aviation enthusiasts, as it allows for engaging interactions with an alternative Earth-like environment.
“It's like Kerbal Space Program but an alternative Earth atmospheric flight development program.”
“Get it if you love planes; I'm going back to KSP and sending Jeb to Jool's lower atmosphere at 5313 m/s again.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized for being exploitative, with users feeling that it serves as a cash grab despite the absence of microtransactions. Many believe the game has potential but currently lacks sufficient value for its price, leading to disappointment among players.
“The game offers a fair monetization model, allowing players to enjoy the experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, making it easier to enjoy the game without worrying about my wallet.”
“The monetization system is balanced, providing optional purchases that enhance the experience without being intrusive.”
“It's a shame, I hope the game gets improved. It has potential, but in my opinion, right now it's a half-baked early access cash grab.”
“So, if you play this game, it's a good way to empty your bank account, even though there are no microtransactions.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers infinite replayability due to its extensive creative freedom, allowing players to generate unique experiences each time they play.
“The variety of choices and outcomes makes every playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple paths and endings, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
“You can create anything, so it's basically infinitely replayable.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious and uninteresting.”