Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
City reviews are far less common than airport reviews so, given that there’s currently very little info on this v2 package, I thought I’d offer my opinion.
DETAIL
I’d say there are two main reasons simmers buy city packages: to supply a bit of eye candy while flying in and out of major airports, and/or to use featured landmarks as VFR references when flying low ‘n’ slow. This package serves both purposes but those looking to explore more close-up are probably going to be disappointed, because the majority of buildings are pretty low-res and only look good from a distance. In other words, this scenery is better suited to those looking to add a bit of atmosphere to Drzewiecki’s own KDCA airport, since the city centre is in such close proximity.
To be fair, the main sights (Capitol, White House, National Mall, Washington Monument, etc.) are pretty well done, although their hand-crafted Asobo counterparts (included with City Update IX) are better. Dzrewiecki’s night-lighting is far superior, however, and some buildings feature interiors (Washington Monument and White House, for example).
Not unexpectedly, as you move away from the main drag the quality of the buildings is reduced, but don’t forget that you’re going to have to get close to really notice. If you’re on short finals to KDCA and take a glance out of your flightdeck window, everything’s gonna look just fine.
The area of coverage is pretty extensive and includes hospitals, stadiums, bridges and tall masts located some way out of the city centre.
Finally, several heliports and smaller Washington airports have been included, plus boats on the Potomac River and a number of static and animated vehicles.
PERFORMANCE
Drzewiecki’s city complements the Washington photogrammetry of City Update IX and so turns this area of the US into quite a challenge for your hardware — especially if you own KDCA. That said, my performance was only very marginally degraded and I’m actually quite impressed, given the density of detail I now have in the Washington area.
VERDICT
If you want to improve the approaches to KDCA, this package is almost a no-brainer. Many of the buildings outside the core city centre might not be the best quality but they’re definitely more aesthetically pleasing than the (admittedly very good) PG introduced by City Update IX. Switch your sim to darkness and this package really shines, since the only the hand-crafted structures in the default scenery have custom night-lighting (and even then, Drzewiecki’s is better). I particularly like the intermittent hazard lights atop the Washington Monument (which look great at any distance), and the numerous custom-lit bridges.
If you want to get close up and explore, however, you’ll need to accept the package’s shortfalls. I dare say the reason for many of the lower-res textures is to preserve performance, in what is now for many quite a dense scenery area.
On a final note, Drzewiecki’s Washington Landmarks v2 is currently on sale at various stores and can be had for as little as £6 (€7 or $8).
IMAGES
These are before and after, where before is City Update IX and after is Drzewiecki’s package.
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