Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- November 19, 2024
- Asobo Studio
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreExplore the world with our largest fleet of aircraft and take simulation to new heights while pursuing your aviation career within Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
PC
Windows
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- Significant improvements in graphics and performance compared to MSFS 2020.
- Career mode adds depth and purpose to the gameplay, making it more engaging.
- The ability to walk around the aircraft and perform pre-flight checks enhances immersion.
- Severe server issues at launch led to long loading times and inability to access the game.
- Numerous bugs and glitches, particularly in career mode, make gameplay frustrating.
- The reliance on cloud streaming for assets results in inconsistent performance and visual fidelity.
- story396 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of polish and coherence, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt mission flow and progression. While the career mode introduces a variety of missions, including search-and-rescue and cargo transport, players often encounter frustrating issues such as mission failures due to technical errors, inconsistent ATC responses, and poorly designed mission parameters. Despite some positive feedback on the potential of the career mode, the overwhelming sentiment is that the execution is marred by significant technical problems, making it difficult for players to fully engage with the narrative experience.
“The visuals are absolutely stunning, the physics feel even more refined, and the new missions and features add so much variety that it feels like an entirely new experience.”
“Career mode is great, awesome to work your way through the aircraft, earn certifications, and fly missions.”
“From breathtaking visuals powered by cutting-edge cloud streaming technology to career paths like aerial firefighting and search-and-rescue missions, the game aims to redefine the simulation genre.”
“The missions are full of bugs and penalties that don't exist.”
“A major disappointment is how buggy and unfinished the scripted activities and career missions are.”
“The career mode missions guidance is often backwards or completely wrong.”
- graphics391 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 have received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over its predecessor, MSFS 2020, particularly in terms of realism, detail, and performance. However, some users have reported issues with graphical glitches, inconsistent quality, and performance drops, especially when relying on cloud streaming. Overall, while the visuals are often described as stunning and immersive, the experience can be marred by technical problems and server-related issues.
“The graphics are stunning and being able to walk around is really cool!”
“The graphics are incredibly realistic and with all the new environment objects, it feels like flying in real life.”
“It's a monumental leap forward from msfs2020, showcasing breathtaking visuals, smoother performance, and an impressive level of detail both inside and outside the aircraft.”
“The graphics are not loading properly and end up looking like a PS2 game.”
“The graphics in MSFS 2024, even on systems equipped with high-end cards like the Nvidia 4090, do not meet expectations set by the promotional material.”
“The graphics are a huge downgrade and the loading times are excessive, even with a 4090.”
- optimization278 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements in performance and graphics compared to its predecessor, MSFS 2020, particularly in VR. However, many users report persistent issues such as stuttering, crashes, and long load times, indicating that the game still requires further optimization and bug fixes. Overall, while there are advancements, the game's performance remains inconsistent, with some players experiencing better results on high-end systems while others struggle with significant performance drops.
“The graphics and optimization of 2024 is much improved and the game runs really well on my PC (Core i7 12700KF, 64GB RAM, 990Pro NVMe, Radeon RX7800XT) overall I am very happy, this is really good base platform for future upgrades and improvements, highly recommended this one.”
“Performance is as good as, if not better, than MSFS2020 on my system (especially in VR) and I am sure it will only continue to improve over time.”
“It's a monumental leap forward from MSFS2020, showcasing breathtaking visuals, smoother performance, and an impressive level of detail both inside and outside the aircraft.”
“The load times are ridiculous, ad-hoc performance degrades, crashes and ANRs are plaguing the whole experience.”
“Performance is far worse than MSFS 2020, even on decent systems.”
“The performance is terrible on my RTX 4080 Super, with frame generation still feeling buggy.”
- stability232 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. While some players have noted improvements in performance and loading times, many still encounter persistent issues, particularly in career mode, leading to frustration and disappointment. Overall, the game is considered to be in a buggy and unfinished state, with players expressing hope for future updates to resolve these problems.
“The loading times do not take much time, and the game looks and runs great!”
“It works fine and it looks and runs great for me.”
“Runs great, looks great, and feels great.”
“Wait 30 mins to get into the game, then it freezes and I have no choice but to restart.”
“This is a broken, buggy, unfinished mess.”
“The career mode is still pretty broken, and there are tons of little glitches that can be really annoying and negatively impact your experience.”
- gameplay104 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting a blend of enjoyable core mechanics and significant technical issues. While some appreciate the new career and photo modes that add depth, others report frustrating bugs, long loading times, and performance inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows potential but requires substantial updates to address its current gameplay flaws.
“I don’t understand the hate — throughout my gameplay, I didn’t encounter any glitches or bugs.”
“The actual gameplay, moving away from Microsoft themselves for a moment, is excellent; the simulation and the environments are beautiful, and on a technical level when everything works, it's incredible.”
“Its stunning visuals, realistic flight model, and engaging gameplay make it a must-have for any aviation enthusiast.”
“There's a lot of sightseeing and passenger transport stuff, which has extremely repetitive gameplay as most of it is just flying in straight lines and circles while listening to uncanny AI voices trying to sound impressed.”
“The big gameplay draw of the sim is a huge miss, and I can't recommend it for simmers or casual players.”
“I can comfortably say that I had spent 6 hours in total on loading screens in this game without any gameplay until today.”
- grinding29 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 76 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized, with players noting that it requires an excessive amount of time—often hundreds of hours—to unlock meaningful content and progress in career mode. Many find the repetitive nature of flying the same aircraft for minimal rewards tedious and frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. Additionally, the lack of polish in the career mode and the need for extensive customization further exacerbate the grindy experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“If you want to play a specific branch of aviation in the career mode (like SAR, like me), good luck. It'll take almost 200 hours of grinding and getting credits just so you can unlock more SAR missions as of 11/23.”
“The grindy nature - it’s going to take multiple hours of play to get even close to the licenses and missions I actually want to do.”
“First of all, the grinding part is not fun at all. The fact that you have to spend so much time flying just to receive barely enough money is frustrating.”
- humor25 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the reviews primarily stems from the game's numerous bugs and glitches, which users find both frustrating and amusing. Many comments highlight the poor quality of AI voice acting and dialogue, leading to unintentional comedic moments. Overall, while the game is criticized for its unfinished state, the absurdity of its launch and the reactions of players provide a source of dark humor amidst the disappointment.
“And trust me, few things compare to the satisfaction of pulling off a textbook touchdown...or laughing as you nosedive into the ocean because you forgot to lower the landing gear.”
“It's funny to me how people expected a worldwide launch of a cloud-based game to go smoothly from the first minute.”
“But this isn't really about the game, this is about one of the most hilariously bad launches ever.”
- music18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it soothing and enjoyable, particularly praising the loading screen music as a highlight. However, many users expressed frustration over the inability to adjust the volume during loading screens and the presence of repetitive or annoying tracks, which detracted from their overall experience. While some moments in the game are enhanced by ambient sounds, the intrusive music during critical moments has led to significant dissatisfaction among players.
“The visuals are incredible and the music is so soothing.”
“Nice music - I gotta say, the music is kind of a banger.”
“The music in the loading screen alone made the purchase worthwhile!”
“I was hoping this would be awesome... I'm likely going back to MSFS2020 because, oh I don't know, I want to actually play a game... not listen to your god awful music for 20 minutes while nothing happens.”
“We once again, just like in MSFS2020, have one of the worst launchers ever created, playing loud music immediately without even giving you a chance to go into an options menu or so much as a volume slider in the install/loading screen.”
“It's a bloody joke, the launcher with its obnoxiously loud music is terrible and if you eventually, after many hours, get into the game, you get to customize your character.”
- monetization14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The monetization of MSFS2024 has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing frustration over its high price, unfinished state, and aggressive marketing tactics. Many reviewers feel that the game prioritizes profit over quality, leading to a negative perception of the developers and their business practices. Overall, the sentiment is that the game's monetization strategy is exploitative and disappointing.
“Msfs2024 in this state is nothing more than a cash grab.”
“I will never fall for the hype and advertisement again; not worth the money they are asking for this game, way overpriced.”
“Something really needs to be done about the giants essentially just cash grabbing now.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a strong emotional response to the game's controls and performance issues, describing their experience as an "emotional roller-coaster" filled with frustration and disappointment. While the game offers a complex simulation that requires patience and maturity, many feel misled by its incomplete state and the quality of content available in the marketplace. The nostalgia of well-crafted tutorials contrasts sharply with the pain of technical difficulties, leading to a mixed emotional experience overall.
“There is an amazing looking, complex simulation for those with patience, maturity, and emotional control.”
“Tldr: emotional roller-coaster trying to get it to launch, have patience (unlike I did).”
“Seeing that captainsim and random stolen liveries and rushed airports get sold on the marketplace is heartbreaking to see that consumers get misled by that.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users highlight that the game has significantly improved in terms of replayability since its launch, with many aircraft becoming playable shortly after release. The ongoing fixes and updates enhance the experience, offering a wealth of hours for players, though some recommend waiting for further bug fixes or sales to maximize value. Overall, the game provides ample variety and replayability, particularly for flight simulation enthusiasts.
“So many hours of replay value... looks amazing!!”
“I was surprised to see most of my 2020 aircraft I had purchased were playable already on day two, so I'm impressed how quickly some fixes are rolling out.”
“My best advice would be to get this when most of the bugs are ironed out at a later date, or when on sale like I did with MSFS 2020 when it was much more playable some months after launch.”
“It gives more variety and replayability (as if flight simming the world needed more replayability).”
“It gives more variety and replayability (as if flight simming the world needed more replayability).”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its improved lighting and atmospheric rendering, enhancing the visual experience, although some users noted issues with overexposed bloom effects on sunny days. While these enhancements appeal to casual players, they may not align with the expectations of those seeking a realistic training environment.
“For those who prefer to fly airliners, this probably doesn't make a lot of difference, though there's certainly some good changes to lighting and atmospheric rendering here that do make it look nicer.”
“Aside from the horribly overexposed bloom on certain sunny days, the overall atmospheric effects are great.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development has been criticized for its poor design, with users expressing disappointment in the customization options available, labeling it as one of the worst in recent gaming history.
“Managed to get past the customize identity screen tonight and was met with one of the absolute worst character designers in modern memory.”
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
“I was hoping for a rich backstory, but the characters are one-dimensional and forgettable.”
