Almost 40 years after the release of its very first version on PC, the Flight Simulator franchise is finally coming to console. The Xbox Series X|S therefore welcome a real monument of piloting simulation, with the heavy task of offering a result that lives up to the PC experience. The ambition was real and the success is all the more beautiful.
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View PriceRead ConclusionMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2020
- The whole world in your hand
- Graphically impressive
- Demanding gameplay but with many possible assists
- Well thought out tutorials
- Slowdowns in menus and above major cities
- Modeling environments uneven by location
- Maybe a little tired after a few flights
It would be useless to repeat a complete test of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Indeed, in terms of content, the Xbox version is very little different from that launched on PC in August 2020. The 9/10 obtained within the columns of Clubic says a lot... This is why we will mainly focus focus on the visual aspect, but also on the gameplay of this iteration intended for the home consoles of the American manufacturer. And if all is not perfect, there are still beautiful panoramas to discover.
Immediate boarding for a sumptuous world
We're not going to beat around the bush, this console version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is visually superb. It's very simple, the Xbox Series X edition has little to envy to that running on a PC with a "monstrous" configuration. The display distance is impressive at high altitude, the abundant vegetation and the weather effects (which can be recreated in real time taking into account reality) are certainly successful.
Asobo sets a new standard in photorealism. The whole being sublimated by a definition in 4K at 30 fps (even more on televisions compatible with VRR technology). While we haven't been able to get our hands on it, the Xbox Series S version drops its resolution to native 1080p and seems a little more technically limited.
Thus, there is not much to complain about as the game impresses from the first flight. We can still note a few aberrations such as textures that take their time to appear, strangely deformed roads (which start in water for example) or even a capricious framerate in big cities, like New York, and in the menus. Moreover, there is a real disparity between the areas benefiting from the famous World Updates to improve their modeling and those which are currently deprived of them. But Asobo will deploy other free updates in the coming months to embellish the most touristic places.
Of course, the power of the Xbox Series does not fully explain this tour de force achieved by the Bordeaux studio. This is where the Cloud comes in to model (or rather stream) the world as a whole. This technique offers an extremely realistic display of scenery. But who says streaming necessarily says internet connection required. Thus, the environment will be more or less vibrant depending on the quality of the player's bandwidth. And in this area, not everyone is in the same boat. Because without using the online features (which go through Bing data), the visual aspect of this Flight Simulator drops drastically!
A smooth take off
The development teams have understood that a simulation has something to intimidate the uninitiated in the genre. To alleviate this feeling, the player has access to different assistance options that can range from piloting in real conditions to full assistance. The latter is very useful for those who simply want to admire the landscape without worrying too much about piloting (although not everything is automated either). For their part, purists can enjoy a more demanding experience depending on their level. So to speak, Flight Simulator wants to satisfy as many people as possible…
JVFR
And this also goes through essential flight training which is carried out through more than twenty tutorials. Shorter and more numerous compared to the PC version, these courses are a good introduction to learning the basics of piloting. If they are not necessarily essential for players who activate full assistance in flight, these activities also bring an ounce of replayability to the title since a score is awarded at the end of each exercise. The relentless will therefore have plenty of time to relaunch these tutorials in order to get the best score and gain as much experience as possible. Because to be able to pilot the gigantic airliners, you will have to whip!
JVFR
Despite the few adjustments listed above, Microsoft Flight Simulator remains above all a simulation with its qualities as well as its faults. It is essential to constantly manage the speed, the angle of inclination or the altitude of our device. The dashboard can also quickly cause a small panic attack with all its gauges and other buttons to take into account. Realism is pushed to its climax and unaccustomed players have a lot of information to remember to avoid the crash. But here again, the many assistance tools will prove useful to support novices. Anyway, the Xbox controller, despite its necessarily limited number of buttons, does not prove to be disabling when performing complex maneuvers. A good point !
JVFR
A simulation adapted to everyone
In the end, the gossips could say that Microsoft Flight Simulator is not a real game. No story or missions on the horizon (except some challenges) to prolong the pleasure. Because, once the feeling of wonder, linked to the discovery of the game's incredible graphics, has passed, a little routine can set in. This Xbox iteration at least has the merit of taking the beginner player by the hand with discovery flights allowing you to instantly fly over the most beautiful places on our planet. Also, finding your home in the game has something satisfying about it…
JVFR
Flight Simulator is therefore a game that is consumed in small sessions and in which it is good to come back to take full pleasure from time to time! With its realistic concept and ultimately quite far from a classic video game, Microsoft's title has what it takes to appeal to an audience usually quite refractory to this medium. And the good news is that the game is directly included in the Xbox Game Pass. Thus, your ticket for the end of the world will only cost around ten euros. Isn't life beautiful?!
JVFR
Microsoft Flight Simulator : l'avis de JVFR
It is with brio that the Asobo Studio teams managed to produce this port of Microsoft Flight Simulator. If some technical hiccups (slowdowns in the menus, clipping...) are to be deplored, the plasticity of the game remains remarkable. This opus alone becomes the new benchmark in terms of photorealism in video games. The Cloud has a lot to do with it, but that doesn't take anything away from this great achievement.
However, it is also essential to admit that Flight Simulator will not please everyone since it is a demanding simulation that can seem quite intimidating. Fortunately, aids are available to the player, although they undeniably reduce one of the main interests of the game, that is to say the sensations of piloting.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is nonetheless a unique nugget that honors the legacy of a four-decade-old license. The Xbox Series X | S already hold the hit that will mark this new generation of consoles for sure.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 20209
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the most realistic simulation available today. Going around the world is a unique experience and Asobo's game makes it possible without moving from our couch. A golden opportunity not to be missed!Most
- The whole world in your hand
- Graphically impressive
- Demanding gameplay but with many possible assists
- Well thought out tutorials
- Discovery flights, a good initiation
The lessers
- Slowdowns in menus and above major cities
- Modeling environments uneven by location
- Maybe a little tired after a few flights
