Reader Reviews

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 - A Century of Flight (PC)

by jontyjago

Everybody knows of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Even if you haven’t actually owned a copy, you’ll be aware it. As one of the longest running games franchises around, first appearing back in the early 80’s, we now find ourselves faced with the 9th incarnation – A Century of Flight. In this, released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s first flight, Microsoft pay tribute to flying over the years, with the inclusion of several historically significant planes (including Orville and Wilbur’s virtually unflyable Flyer itself), as well as the usual collection of modern General Aviation and Airliners. It also claims to have improved on the Air Traffic Control and scenery generation systems introduced in FS2002, as well as a major overhaul of the weather.

So, it’s got pedigree, bells and whistles but is it any good? It certainly looks fantastic - the development team have made a quantum leap even from the previous version in visual terms. The plane textures are crisp, the scenery more varied, and the clouds look like, um, clouds. However, it’s not the visuals that are they key to the success of the Flight Sim franchise. Just take a look at a screenshot of FS5 to prove that. The gamers who play it, play it for the freedom. There are no scores, no rules, no limitations on what you can do. You can literally do what you like. You want to file a flight plan and fly a Jumbo Jet from San Francisco to Honolulu using Real World Weather? No problem. Fancy jumping in a helicopter and flying under Tower Bridge? Upside down? Just say the word!