by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… slow, methodical and oddly Zen-like …
As the finite human body ages, one finds oneself slowing down and appreciating things that move at a more stately pace. Late night clubbing sessions are replaced by peaceful walks in the park. Necking pingers at 4am changes to swallowing a handful of anti-cholesterol meds before tea. And fast-paced, noisy, hard-as-hell video games are supplanted by more mellow, thoughtful experiences. Case in point, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (newly released on PS5 after spending a year or so on XBOX and PC), a slow, methodical and oddly Zen-like title that won’t be for everyone but may suit the more seasoned gamer.
First thing to note, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 absolutely lives up to its name. This isn’t the sort of title that cosplays as a sim but is ultimately an arcade game with extra steps, this is a fiddly, intricate, slow-paced and unforgiving flight simulator that strives to represent the act of defying God and soaring into the heavens as realistically as possible. You’ll begin as a player-generated character and after a lot of training, you’ll need to earn your pilot’s license. From there, you can branch out and specialise in various vocations including cargo transport, sightseeing tourism, mountain rescue, aerial firefighting, air racing, weather reconnaissance, experimental aircraft testing and, honestly, pretty much anything you can imagine a commercial pilot gets up to in the sky. What you won’t be doing is having aerial combat, getting into visually spectacular crashes or acting the giddy goat ala Grand Theft Auto Online. This is a game concerned with air speed, attitude and flaps, not scoring headshots against some rando with an astonishingly racist username.
Graphically, the game is fine. Not spectacular but pretty enough, particularly during sunsets and various weather events. The fact that you can start anywhere in the world and play in your hometown is a nice touch, although quite why everyone at Cessnock airport (where your humble air scribe launched his career) is full of Americans who seem to be voiced by AI is never explained. Where the game excels is in how easily you can lose hours and hours to just pottering about the sky, ferrying tourists over exciting landmarks and trying to offer the smoothest flight possible. The variety of aircraft and jobs on offer is honestly quite daunting and aerial enthusiasts will be delighted by the sheer scope of the thing.
It’s certainly not a title for everyone, mind you. But, if you’ve found yourself with a new and unexpected enjoyment of historical fiction, think the music that the local cafe plays is “always a bit too loud” and couldn’t name a recording artist from the last five years to save your life – then Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 might just be your perfect destination. For a calm, peaceful little while anyway.
