Frontier Pilot Simulator

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UPDATEDWE LAUNCHED KICKSTARTER - HELP US REACH ALL GOALS! How many discussions were around this theme, we talked a lot and we worked a lot. That day has come. Ladies and Gentlemen, Frontiers and Pilots, you are welcome to our Kickstarter project page (link below) So many sweet surprises are prepared for you there, wanna see yourself in the credits? Want a skype call with the dev. team? Maybe you e…

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Play Modes

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 665 reviews

story22 positive mentions

optimization27 negative mentions

Unique concept of combining flight simulation with cargo transport, providing a fresh experience.
Challenging flight mechanics that require skill and strategy, especially with weight management and weather conditions.
Active development team that listens to community feedback and regularly updates the game.

Poorly optimized performance, often resulting in low frame rates and stuttering even on high-end systems.
Clunky and unintuitive controls, especially for keyboard and mouse users, making it difficult to fly effectively.
Lack of content and variety in missions, leading to repetitive gameplay and limited long-term engagement.

story
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
88%
2%
The game's story is generally considered simplistic and underdeveloped, with many players noting its brevity and lack of depth. While there are engaging side quests and some interesting lore, the main narrative feels incomplete and often leads to abrupt endings. Players express a desire for more content, clearer mission objectives, and improved storytelling elements to enhance the overall experience.
- “The storylines work well; simple but keep you engaged.”
- “There's a surprisingly engaging, if simple, story that opens up more of the world as you play.”
- “I enjoy the flight mechanics using my dual joysticks, and due to it being all about the flying and hovering experience, I'm still enjoying consistent fun after resetting after reaching a story completion.”
- “The 'story' as it is is extremely lightweight.”
- “The storyline missions don't give enough information on what needs to be done.”
- “So I completed the main story and it ends very abruptly.”
gameplay
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
65%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging flight mechanics and immersive world, offering a mix of challenges such as weather conditions and cargo management. However, many players find the controls cumbersome and the user interface confusing, leading to frustration, especially for newcomers. While the core mechanics are praised for their depth and potential, issues like optimization, bugs, and a lack of intuitive design detract from the overall experience.
- “The weather really matters and the ski mechanic delivers a variable altitude component that keeps things different.”
- “The core flight mechanics of the game are what got me hooked, as well as the challenges imposed by the realistic flight model in plane and VTOL modes, weather systems ranging from sandstorms to typhoons, and the terrain with canyon races, avoiding hazards like volcano and geyser emissions, etc.”
- “Gameplay is fun and challenging.”
- “Second big issue that pairs well with holding the space-bar to thrust: there is no hover mechanic where you can slowly lower yourself down without lightly spamming the space-bar to decrease altitude. This makes the game feel far from what I expected, especially since it's just a single-player flight simulator.”
- “Horrible UI (that was supposed to be fixed but never really was), obtuse mechanics (that were never polished or improved), as well as terrible performance. The developers simply decided it was good enough at some point and slapped a 'release' label on it.”
- “The flight mechanics are so counterintuitive. So the flight mechanics aren't intuitive at all, are chaotic at times, and for a 23rd-century technology level, somehow feel far more unstable and dangerous than current-day aircraft.”
graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
65%
3%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the visuals can be beautiful and immersive, they often suffer from poor optimization and performance issues, leading to low frame rates even on high-end systems. Some users appreciate the variety of graphical settings available, but many express disappointment that the graphics do not meet expectations for a game at its price point. Overall, while there are moments of visual appeal, significant improvements in optimization and graphical fidelity are needed for a better experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful (e.g., the sky, weather effects, lights, illuminated alien creatures, clouds, volcanoes, hot springs, etc.) and while the textures (terrain, buildings, ships) are not the best, they are still quite good.”
- “The graphics are great for such a small download.”
- “Graphics are a strong part of the game, the environment looks beautiful.”
- “Graphics in the game are not great; they aren't the worst I've seen, but definitely nowhere near the quality they should be at this price point.”
- “I appreciate the attempt at making a sci-fi game, but the graphics look like something out of a PS3 game, and the controls are hard to use on PC.”
- “Also, performance-wise, it is a disaster; even on a high-end gaming computer, you can't get smooth FPS on high graphics settings.”
optimization
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
61%
29%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates even on high-end systems. While some users noted improvements following recent updates, others expressed frustration over persistent optimization problems that hinder gameplay. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance and stability.
- “Now, after the latest optimization update, this game runs like butter on high!”
- “The graphics are great, I had very few performance issues and overall thought the scale of the world was also very well established.”
- “Because of the recent patches, the performance of the game is very good, you will probably have no problems at all running it at a constant 50-60 fps (frame limiter can be enabled in game), if you have somewhat of a decent system - and for that performance, the game offers much in return, in the form of gameplay, physics and graphical effects.”
- “It runs like crap; the discussion board posts are all 2022 based, and the supposed update does not fix optimization issues.”
- “Badly optimized; FPS is very inconsistent during gameplay.”
- “The optimization in this game is pretty awful; I have a high-end machine and can only get about 30-40 FPS, and the game doesn't even look very good.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
32%
16%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique and immersive qualities, combining engaging flight dynamics with a sci-fi setting that features challenging environmental elements like storms and radiation fluctuations. Players appreciate the detailed landscapes, atmospheric effects, and the addition of background sounds that enhance the overall experience, making it feel both relaxing and adventurous. While some aspects of the flight mechanics may not perfectly replicate real-world dynamics, the overall ambiance and sense of exploration contribute to a captivating gameplay experience.
- “The game has a unique atmosphere, unlike any other flight/truck simulator (and I don't just mean the unbreathable and hostile air you have to fly through).”
- “Extremely atmospheric.”
- “Its fun to just fly around enjoying the landscape, and you do get the feeling of flying in an unusual stormy atmosphere (lots of wind, geysers & volcanoes etc. to deal with).”
- “The ship flies more like a mountain in space than an aircraft in the atmosphere (imagine KSP without RCS and a small reaction wheel in a Mk3 ship).”
- “There are NPC characters at bases and you'll see some boats around certain platforms in the ocean, but other than that, I haven't encountered anything else in the skies other than myself and the odd spaceship that either drops in from orbit or just stays floating in the air at a fixed location. Though, sometimes you'll see another ship take off from a landing pad as soon as it renders before it quickly disappears in the atmosphere.”
- “This game has something called a ski level, which is radiation in the atmosphere that fluctuates, causing the player to fly lower at times or the radiation will begin to shut down navigational systems. While this will break up the monotony of simple flying, it can be annoying with how often it fluctuates, especially if you're carrying precious cargo that you're trying desperately to get to its destination in one piece.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches that hinder gameplay. Issues include unresponsive controls, loading failures, and game freezes, particularly when navigating maps or transitioning between areas. While players appreciate the concept and gameplay, many feel that the game requires substantial polish and improvements to achieve a smoother experience.
- “Had an engrossing 8+ hours of gameplay from this one, but it is a little buggy in places, e.g., a landing area will fail to load in sometimes.”
- “Constantly freezes and crashes once you get to the second island.”
- “It locks up and freezes, which is very disappointing because I really wanted to play this.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The music in the game is generally described as calming, immersive, and uplifting, enhancing the overall atmosphere and player experience. However, some users find the soundtrack to be somewhat bland and repetitive, suggesting a lack of variety in both music and sound effects. Overall, while the music contributes positively to immersion, players recommend supplementing it with personal playlists for a more enjoyable experience.
- “The sounds and the music are very calming, clean, and uplifting as well.”
- “The combination of music and environment design makes it just right.”
- “Solid music and sound, very relaxing, and I loved those immersive radio communications.”
- “My only complaint is the music, it's a little bland.”
- “Lack of variety in sound effects and game soundtrack.”
- “Repetitive music track.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
90%
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in simulation games, where some players appreciate the enjoyable progression despite initial tedium, while others find the grinding aspects boring and tedious, often exacerbated by bugs and lengthy downtime. The need for extensive grinding can lead to frustration, particularly when it involves tedious tasks like taxiing or dealing with rotational momentum. Overall, while some players find satisfaction in the grind, it can detract from the overall enjoyment for others.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
- “The grind is satisfying, with each level-up feeling like a significant achievement.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers something new to strive for.”
- “Development came to a grinding halt after that; now, a few years later, we have an abandoned game that is riddled with bugs.”
- “Most simulation games of this type get tedious really quickly because they ask the player to spend huge amounts of downtime doing nothing.”
- “Boring and tedious.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional comedy stemming from physics glitches and amusing scenarios, such as cargo retrieval mishaps. While some players find the background radio chatter to be a humorous addition, others feel that the humor can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's comedic elements are hit-or-miss, with some moments eliciting laughter while others fall flat.
- “The sporadic background radio chatter is a nice touch and humorous, if a bit repetitive after several hours.”
- “Well, Euro Truck Simulator is the same and is very funny to play.”
- “There happens strange and funny stuff like crashing and trying to retrieve the cargo from a mountain.”
- “It is not funny :/”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game's replayability is currently mixed; while some users find it infinitely replayable, others note a lack of replayability due to its alpha state. Improvements and updates are anticipated to enhance the overall experience and playability.
- “✅ infinitely replayable”
- “No replayability.”
- “I can only hope this game gets the love and attention it deserves so that one day it will be in a much more playable state.”
- “It's still in the alpha, so tweaking stuff should make it more playable.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting the thrill of landing and the tension of potential setbacks, such as bugs or crashes that could lead to heart-wrenching losses. The recommendation to back up save files underscores the game's capacity to evoke anxiety and attachment to progress, while also pointing to areas for improvement in controls and stability.
- “There is an automatic save, and I recommend copying the save file manually into a backup before going for story missions to avoid some heart-breaking experiences.”
- “Touching that landing pad ever so softly makes your adrenaline spike every time!”
- “Had one game crash, but cargo and money remained intact since I was just touching down, 1 or 2 meters above the ground.”