I’m not a pilot in the real world, nor have I ever been one in the virtual world. I like planes - on a surface level, aesthetically, I guess, but I’m not obsessive about them, and I really couldn’t tell a Cessna from a… well, from another manufacturer. As for virtual piloting… not so much, despite having owned both FSX and XP11 in the past few years. I even gave away my HOTAS a few years back because I just wasn’t using it (nor did I ever fully understand how to use it effectively).
And then MSFS 2020. The visuals grabbed me first - of course they did. I’m easily impressed by shiny things. Then I must have read an article or seen a video in which the A.I. was briefly discussed, along with all the ‘assistance’ being built into the sim to make things easier for those less familiar with the intricacies of virtual piloting. Now I was really very interested. This didn’t sound like it was going to be another XP11…
Long story short: Having no real interest in actually flying a plane (virtually or IRL), but absolutely hooked on that promise of real-world satellite imagery of THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD! I put down £109 for the Premium Deluxe Edition and figured, based on what little I knew about the sim’s A.I. assistance, that I’d take my chance this might be ‘it’ - the flight sim I’ve always secretly wanted, and quietly resented never having had.
Four days in, I’m loving it. Seriously. This thing has blown me away with its staggeringly good looks and its accessibility. For once - just once - I got exactly what I paid for. I’ll admit I haven’t actually done much piloting. Which is precisely why I love it. The A.I. flies me anywhere I want to go. In this time of the global pandemic, with all of us more or less indefinitely grounded one way or another, I’m not sure MSFS 2020’s timing could have been any more perfect.
For me, virtual tourism has been a real tonic. Today I’ve been to Zanzibar, The British Indian Ocean Territories (needs better water FX), Honduras, and Haiti (unexpectedly epic and impressive). Over the past four days, I’ve flown the backroads and byways of SE Asia, India and even Northern China. But I didn’t fly myself to any of those places - the A.I. took care of all that. The views have been magnificent (and that really doesn’t do them justice). And the views are only going to get better and better. That makes me happy.
Not sure what the point of all this was, except to say we all come to experiences like this seeking something personal, some individual need or purpose. I respect the virtual pilots - the true experts - and I’ll happily give you all a wave as you speed past in a blur of noise and colour in total control.
Me? I’ll be staring at the impossible beauty of the unbelievable vistas sprawled out across some ocean below, wondering (quite literally) where on Earth I should book a virtual plane ticket to next…?
) and it took my breath away.
