Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
PacSim currently have a sale on — a pretty rare occurrence and you can only buy direct from them via their website. KGSP has today become my very first PacSim product. I kind of purposefully chose their cheapest offering so that if I didn’t like it, the financial loss was kept to a minimum. So, let’s see if I managed to get my money’s worth…
DETAIL
I have seen mixed opinions regarding Pacsim’s detail, with some saying their texturing is a little too clean/sterile. To be fair, there’s probably a modicum of truth to this but KGSP’s textures are generally very good. Buildings have sufficient weathering and look quite natural, in spite of the ever-so-slightly sterile look. The terminal features a detailed interior but it’s devoid of people, unfortunately.
There’s plenty of custom modelling landside, which is always nice to see. Plenty of parked vehicles, plus a variety of shrubbery, signage and the usual objects associated with terminal landsides in MSFS. It’s all very pleasant, without being outstanding or innovative.
The airside area is more detailed, clearly (and rightly) being the main focus of the project. I’d say this area is above average, with plenty of custom GSE done in high-res. Ground textures, markings and signage are all good.
The cargo centre has received an equal amount of attention and again features some quite impressive custom assets, such as the beautifully modelled Fedex and UPS trucks/trailers. These are actually some of the very best I’ve seen.
So far, so good. There’s a lot to like here. But there are a few issues — one of which might possibly not be PacSim’s fault. Firstly, the custom ortho that covers the airport includes the shadows of various objects (e.g. the landing lights and Doppler radar), so if you’re flying on a sunny day this results in two sets of shadows being visible on the ground. It’s not a deal breaker but needs to be mentioned nonetheless. Secondly, some of the custom trees around the terminal landside are those 2D efforts that look like something from a Lego set (when viewed from above they make the shape of a plus sign). Finally, there’s a lot of ‘popping’ in the terraforming around the runway, which is quite distracting (this, however, might not be the dev’s fault?). These issues, while only small, take some of the shine off what is otherwise a pretty nice scenery.
The duplicate shadow effect is most noticeable on taller structures, such as this Doppler radar tower.
PERFORMANCE
As expected, KGSP runs flawlessly on my system, even with FSLTL running.
VERDICT
PacSim have done a good job with KGSP but there are a few annoying little niggles; most notably the ground ‘popping’ as you navigate the areas around the runway. By comparison, the lack of people in/around the terminal, the basic tree models and duplicate shadows aren’t as distracting since they’re in less crucial areas of the airfield.
KGSP is only a relatively small regional affair so it’s not going to be for all pilots, but it’s been done well enough to command its price, particularly with the current discount. However if the dev could make a few minor improvements, this would be an excellent all-round package rather than just a good one.
If you’ve been looking for a decent KGSP, this is it. But if you’re looking for innovation or perfection, you’ll perhaps feel this comes up a tiny bit short in a couple of key areas.
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