Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
An eagerly anticipated airport scenery, co-developed by JetStream Designs and Marcus Nyberg, it is the first of their products not to be exclusively tied to Orbx.
DETAIL
I’ll say right off the bat that there are some things this scenery does better than almost any other; however there are also some disappointments (mainly in the landside areas).
The terminal building is pretty stunning, inside and out. Marcus’ signature photoreal textures feature, unsurprisingly, and they give every building in the scenery that raw, authentic feel. They’re actually higher-res here than some of his earlier projects, which is great to see. The night-lighting is worth an early mention, particularly inside the terminal (where it’s some of the best in the sim) but also generally, across the entire airfield. Another standout feature is the approach lighting which, again, is probably the best I’ve seen in MSFS.
Out on the aprons, everything looks fantastic. Enormous amounts of custom clutter, both fixed and static, and we see another of Marcus’ trademark features make a welcome return: animated ramp vehicles. This time around, however, they’re even more varied! There are also a decent number of well-modelled static aircraft that accurately reflect what you’d see here in reality, and they’ve been strategically placed so as to avoid conflict with user and AI traffic ops. Some identical-looking models even have different registrations — now that IS attention to detail!
After prolonged scrutiny, though, you’ll likely notice that not everything is perfect. The airside ground textures are mostly of a fairly high standard, however some of the stains, cracks and painted markings are lower-res than I’d have liked. There’s also a lot of what looks like default satellite imagery left in, and the juxtaposition with the neighbouring higher-quality custom textures makes it all the more obvious. Additionally, there are bits of awkward photogrammetry bleeding through, along with terrain anomalies that really ought to have been fixed (see image 15 below).
Moving landside, these issues are more abundant and noticeable. The quite blurry custom ground textures frequently blend poorly with the default imagery (see image 18 below), some of the terrain is very up and down (quite literally!), and a lot of peripheral buildings very close to the terminal have simply been left to photogrammetry. I’d much rather have seen these replaced with custom models. Speaking of custom building models, none of them feature parallax interiors, and the majority look very average when viewed close up (particularly at night).
Finally, there are a few objects floating, such as perimeter fences and the odd building (including the terminal, if you look closely — see image 17 below).
PERFORMANCE
Thankfully, performance is one of this airport’s stronger points. It’s actually pretty impressive, given that the airport sits right in the centre of a new photogrammetry area. Even with FSLTL running full-pelt, I’m maintaining very good framerates.
Definitely no complaints from me in the performance department.
VERDICT
Overall, this is the best rendition of Geneva currently available; however it’s perhaps not as clear-cut as some reviewers might have you believe. There are certainly things both RD Presets and Red Wing do better in their respective versions. JetStream’s LSGG has the potential to be really stunning but, as it is, there are just too many clumsy flaws that prevent it being a true top-tier scenery. Some of the ground textures — both airside and landside — ideally need to be improved and/or better assimilated into their surroundings. Rogue bits of PG need to be tackled. I’d also like to see more custom modelling around the terminal’s immediate vicinity as there are just too many ugly PG structures. PG works pretty well around an airfield perimeter (where it’s typically seen from height) but not next to a superbly-detailed terminal.
With all that said, there will likely be few complaints from virtual pilots who seldom go exploring. You could argue that the best of the detail has been reserved for where it matters the most — i.e. airside. And like all Marcus’ airports, airside is where Geneva really shines. The selection and variety of ramp detail is stunning, and the animated vehicles going about their business really do add an extra layer of immersion, day or night.
In spite of the flaws — many of which I’m sure could easily be addressed — this is a really good airport. It’s set amongst some attractive PG and the proximity to the Alps gives the area some natural beauty. If you’re familiar with the work of JetStream and Marcus Nyberg, you will likely know what to expect…
IMAGES
