The call of the sky… that I no longer heard

On our forums and on social media, players are still debating the best announcements from the past few weeks. Recent summer events have brought to light new projects such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Star Wars: Outlaws, Sonic Superstars and even Super Mario Bros. Wonderful. As for me, and despite high quality revelations, I especially remember a game that has gone a little under the radar, which is a shame for the genre it defends: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. When its trailer aired at the Xbox Games Showcase, I didn’t immediately realize it was a “TRUE” new game and not just Microsoft Flight Simulator DLC. But the promise immediately hit home: I might finally be able to have fun in the skies with Flight Sim.

When I was discussing Flight Simulator a few months ago with Epyon (former journalist from Jeuxvideo.com – editor’s note), he explained to me that he took pleasure in simply flying over certain parts of the globe in the cockpit of the planes he likes.. “The aircraft I like are basically military jets, so it can go really fast” laughed this speed enthusiast. As the discussion progressed, he enthusiastically told me about his low-flying flights between the buildings of New York, or the slightly crazy challenge he had set himself to pass under all the known bridges, or right in the middle of the Arch of La Défense. “It’s really the pleasure of going where I want and controlling these machines for which I have had a real passion for since I was little, which fuels my gaming sessions.” he said to me, before describing me son love for ignition processes: “today I know how to launch most of the big American fighters, like F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22 and F-35. And quite a few others, like the Swedish Grippen or the Russian Su-57. Following checklists, pushing all those buttons, it’s really cool!”.

The little spark he had in his eyes at that moment made me want to share son adulation for the flying machines of Flight Simulator. But I had to face the facts, in son current state, as revolutionary as its techniqueas complete as is son content, the software published by Microsoft in son 2020 edition is not for me. Despite all my good will, I don’t feel any particular pleasure in finding myself at 17,000 feet to get from point A to point B… for the simple pleasure of flying. Like everyone else, I went to see what the house of my parents for my maiden flight, but after the graphic slap that was not necessarily present during the visit to my small town of birth (which looked like anything but what it really is), the title published by Microsoft is fell from the hands. My interest plummeted.

Real simulator imagined for purists despite a ton of options to adapt the experience, the title developed by Asobo has decided to leave neophytes on the sidelines. The superb landscapes displayed in the various trailers had almost succeeded in making people forget that no, Flight Simulator is not a game designed for everyone.. Of course, Flight Lessons can be considered integrated single-player content for players who like to have missions well defined, but they are repetitive and a little austere. If you add to that the weight of the game (more than 100 GB), very long loading times, an overloaded interface and delicate controls if theon is not equipped with accessories worth 200 euros, you can easily understand why I ended up deleting the game from the hard drive of my Series X.

We can be heroes, just for one flight

What I missed in Flight Simulator were real missions developed to force me to test different machines and rekindle the flame of the player that I am rather than trying to breathe the soul of a pilot that I am not. In other words, and to use fashionable anglicism, Microsoft’s simulator did not have enough elements of “gamification” to maintain my interest as a player.

Of course, I don’t want it studio: Flight Simulator has always been a simulator designed above all for aviation enthusiasts. According to the latest news, it has even seduced players. I just got frustrated with a problem that is mine alone, that of not loving the call of the sky enough to waste time in a world-sized aerial sandbox. The promise was so fabulous that, more than for any other game, I wanted to waste hours near the clouds to traverse our pretty blue planet, even if simulations were not among my favorite genres. Also, Asobo’s title aura was so strong that Flight Sim achieved must-have production status.what’on like or not his category.

While I thought I had to turn the Flight Sim page for good, Asobo and Microsoft unveiled a certain Flight Simulator 2024 during the Xbox Games Showcase. In the announcement video, we no longer just see beautiful landscapes as usual, but concrete cases of comment use his driving skills to complete specific objectives.

In the trailer, we discover firefighting aboard a Canadair, mountain rescue at the controls of a helicopter, freight transport by helicopter, medical transport, agricultural aviation, flight for parachute jumps, construction of electric pylons by air, transport of industrial goods, charter service for vips, air racing, scientific research a few kilometers from tornadoes, experimental flights or training low altitude for Top Gun lovers. Where do we sign?

The promise of this episode is suddenly not the same. Flight Simulator 2024 is finally presented as a game offering several careers in the many professions related to aeronautics via of the missions very varied, sometimes original. And from my point of view, that changes everything. By flirting with the serious game and drawing inspiration from – even swallowing – many “simulator” available on Steam, Asobo’s future game seems able to bring objectives as heterogeneous as they are fun to a series that had largely put aside the strictly playful aspect.

Like a Forza Horizon that has managed to convince players who do not like car simulations, Flight Simulator 2024 gives the impression that it has all the cards in hand. main to invite a large public at his celestial feast. And that is something I did not expect. As a reminder, Flight Simulator 2024, developed by Asobo and published by Microsoft, will be released in 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and PC.