Microsoft Flight Simulator X
- October 10, 2006
- ACES Game Studio
- 34h median play time
Get on Steam"Microsoft Flight Simulator X is a realistic simulation game with both single-player and multi-player options. It offers a free flight mode to fly anywhere in the world and interactive missions for a unique gaming experience. The game is suitable for players of all ages and skill levels."
PC
Windows
Cloud
Reviews
- graphics1,350 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its 2006 release date. While some users appreciate the nostalgic charm and decent performance on lower-end systems, many criticize the visuals as subpar compared to modern standards, often likening them to early 2000s graphics. However, the extensive availability of mods and add-ons can significantly enhance the graphical experience, allowing players to improve scenery and aircraft details, albeit often at an additional cost.
“Graphically, FSX showcases a vast and detailed world that includes realistic landscapes, cities, and airports.”
“Flying is really fun and the graphics, audio, and physics are stellar for a game from the early 2000s.”
“Despite the dated graphics, I believe that the gameplay more than makes up for it.”
“The graphics are terrible and the gameplay is extremely boring.”
“The graphics are very poor and not realistic.”
“The graphics are horrid, the controls are not clear but there are nice planes.”
- story535 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, focusing instead on a variety of flight missions that serve as tutorials and challenges for players. While some missions are well-crafted and engaging, providing a sense of progression and skill development, many reviews highlight the absence of a gripping story or immersive atmosphere. Overall, the mission-based structure offers educational and entertaining experiences, but those seeking a deep narrative may find it lacking.
“The missions in this game are incredible and engaging, leaps and bounds ahead of the boring missions of the previous games.”
“My favorite part about the missions is that whenever the writers needed a guiding voice for the player, they carefully wrote a believable character into the mission who helps you with your task, rather than having a voice from above tell you what to do in every mission.”
“The simulator also includes a strong and somewhat underrated set of missions, which are very well voice acted and feel incredibly realistic.”
“There isn't any story for the game, just missions where you are trained up on how to fly and then participate in various missions learning how to fly IFR, flying passenger missions, cargo, and participating in aircraft races and tricks.”
“The missions are long and boring; you don't fight things, you literally just fly airplanes.”
“If you're thinking about buying FSX simply to play through and complete the missions, this is not for you.”
- optimization323 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware and others criticizing persistent performance issues, particularly when using high-detail add-ons. While the Steam edition has introduced some improvements and better compatibility with modern systems, many users still report stuttering and frame rate drops, especially in demanding scenarios. Overall, the game's performance can vary significantly based on individual hardware configurations and settings adjustments.
“Players can adjust their settings to optimize performance or enhance visual fidelity, accommodating a range of hardware specifications.”
“My laptop cannot run X-Plane 11 well, so I got this; even on super high, this game runs smoothly!”
“The performance increase alone makes this a worthwhile purchase.”
“Horrible game that is badly optimized.”
“It's buggy, horribly optimized, crashes a lot.”
“I spent more than 2000 hours flying fsx since 2007, while I am happy that I finally have the digital version of fsx, I am quite sad that it's still the same laggy and unoptimized game it was back in 2006.”
- stability192 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs, particularly on modern systems like Windows 10 and 11. While some players manage to run the game smoothly on lower-end hardware, many experience significant troubleshooting challenges that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "unstable," with calls for developers to address these persistent issues.
“It runs great on my old laptop and is just all around amazing.”
“This game has no bugs or flaws; it runs great on my PC.”
“Runs great on low-end PCs, and if you're a beginner in flight sims, this is the best game for you.”
“This game is an ancient, broken and buggy piece of garbage.”
“Game freezes mid-flight and crashes a minute after.”
“This game is full of bugs and errors and it just plain freezes up, locks up and quits running and closes down on its own without any warning or reason!!!!!!”
- gameplay164 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the flight simulator is characterized by its realistic flight mechanics and extensive simulation features, appealing to both casual players and aviation enthusiasts. While many users appreciate the depth and authenticity of the experience, they recommend using a joystick or yoke for optimal control, as keyboard play can be challenging. Despite some criticisms regarding dated graphics and occasional bugs, the overall gameplay is considered enjoyable and engaging, particularly with the addition of mods and missions.
“The game’s primary appeal lies in its realistic flight mechanics and extensive flight simulation features.”
“With its realistic physics and immersive gameplay, it provides an authentic and rewarding experience for aviation enthusiasts.”
“The gameplay is realistic and incredible.”
“Gameplay itself in FSX is, by and large, still as competent now as it was at release.”
“The graphics are terrible and the gameplay is extremely boring.”
“The menu navigation setup is horrible, and with 16 minutes of gameplay I've experienced two game crashes.”
- humor42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this flight simulator game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting its comedic moments, both in gameplay and community interactions. Users enjoy the absurdity of flying mishaps, funny multiplayer experiences, and humorous content from external sources, such as YouTube channels. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted approach to aviation simulation, making it entertaining for both casual players and aviation enthusiasts.
“Haha, little funny plane go commit many acts of war crimes :>”
“Amazing! Just needs a little physics tweaking. Like once I was trying to take off in an IL-62 and it said I crashed into an object when there was clearly nothing on the runway. Funny moment, to be honest.”
“I love this game! Everything you'll ever need to learn how to fly a wide range of aircraft and have a lot of multiplayer fun while you do it. There's no better feeling than you and a friend learning how to fly from one airport to another on multiplayer, spending hours laughing at stupid mistakes as you go.”
- music34 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the main menu themes for their adventurous and dramatic qualities, while others criticize the default tracks as repetitive or annoying. Many users appreciate the option to import third-party music for a more personalized experience, although some have encountered technical issues that hinder their enjoyment of the soundtrack. Overall, while the menu music is often highlighted as a standout feature, it can also become a source of frustration for players dealing with gameplay problems.
“Best menu music ever.”
“The menu music is just amazing.”
“Listening to music and flying over Budapest with a Cessna airplane is the best!”
“The music sucks, even for a Vista-era flight simulator.”
“The main menu music jumps around and stutters.”
“Music defaults to twice the core system level and has no volume slider; I did eventually locate a checkbox to turn all music off.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 32 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be extremely time-consuming, with many players feeling it requires a significant investment of time, often humorously suggesting that one would need "a second life" to fully engage with it. While some find the learning curve and repetitive tasks tedious, others appreciate the depth and realism it brings to the simulator experience. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a double-edged sword, offering both challenge and potential frustration.
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Like the challenge of flying, but getting to know the controllers is quite tedious.”
“The missions can become a bit tedious but the free flights are great.”
- monetization19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 79 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to the extensive reliance on paid DLCs and microtransactions for essential features like HD textures and mission packs. While some players appreciate the variety of aircraft available without additional purchases, the overall sentiment reflects frustration over the game's performance issues and misleading advertising, which detracts from the experience.
“The amount of aircraft and options you can pick without making any in-game purchases is a great amount.”
“It has global scenery, some planes, and no ads!”
“Fun game if you enjoy simulators, but the microtransactions can be overwhelming.”
“This game is a cash grab hunk of shit; can't even have a dual monitor setup without it taking control of both monitors, making one all black.”
“As well as this, there is £3,379.56 worth of DLC as of 01/03/2018, which makes it feel like a lackluster cash grab, although a few freeware planes can easily fix this.”
“The fact they didn't update a darn thing for accuracy and the game still has so many bugs is a big slap to the face of the customers, and it is clear this is another poorly done Steam port as a cash grab.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to its continuous discovery of new content, well-crafted missions, and the availability of numerous servers and custom mods. While some users note that achieving optimal visuals requires additional tweaks and third-party products, the overall experience remains engaging and fresh, with high replay value ratings. Despite its age, ongoing updates and community contributions keep the game relevant and enjoyable.
“Each mission is well-crafted and offers a unique experience, making the game highly replayable.”
“Plenty of servers and custom mods keep the game fresh and replayable.”
“I also installed several dozen extra planes from the internet in an effort to increase the variety and replayability of my disc copy.”
“This engagement contributes significantly to the game’s replayability, as players can continuously discover new content and improve their flying skills.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is described as immersive, particularly in simulating the experience of being in an empty terminal and the cockpit of a shuttle, with realistic controls enhancing the experience. However, the lack of a gripping story detracts from the overall engagement, making the atmosphere feel flat at times. While the graphics may not be top-notch, atmospheric elements like weather effects are praised, contributing positively to the experience.
“Atmospheric disturbances based on terrain were an unexpected plus.”
“Graphics may not be the best, but the atmosphere and realistic controls will put you in that cockpit and you will enjoy the view.”
“I can recommend REX3, REX4 for the weather and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is as captivating as studying the safety card in the seat in front of you.”
“If you want a fighter/bomber atmosphere, it's not.”
“The atmosphere of an empty terminal.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting the heartbreak of crashing after investing significant time and effort. The experience evokes feelings of nostalgia and empowerment, likening the player's journey to that of a determined pilot facing challenges.
“It really is heartbreaking when you put hours into your flight only to crash.”
“This game made me feel exactly like the old lady in the trailer.”
“It made me feel like a badass pilot handling a dire situation.”
