Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Hands-On - Big Aviation Sandbox With Career Mode Straight From Gran Turismo
Aviation fans will be impressed by MSFS 2024 and its current version. Many will find fun in Career mode and the Challenge League. But most importantly, everyone will be amazed by the advanced technologies in this virtual world.
One of the benefits of pre-release screenings for journalists is the opportunity to meet the most important developers, in this case, Microsoft Flight Simulator project manager Jorg Neumann.
Apart from conducting many interviews with various contributors to the massive Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 project, there was an extensive presentation of the new features and a relatively shorter hands-on session. This gave me a broad understanding of the upcoming game and allowed me to highlight the aspects I particularly enjoy and those less appealing to me. MSFS2024 is basically the previous game on steroids and after a weight loss treatment! It has better graphics, comes preloaded with add-ons that now serve as paid or free mods, features an expanded career mode reminiscent of Gran Turismo, and takes up just a fraction of the gigabytes the current version occupies on disk!
Miracle diet – all gigabytes went to the cloud
Before I go into a detailed explanation of the career mode in MSFS24, I have to announce an equally important detail - the game's size on the disk. Anyone who downloads all the World Updates and buys various expansions knows that without a minimum 2 TB SSD drive just for MSFS there is no point in trying – the basic installation takes up about 150 GB. MSFS24 will bring huge changes here. Thanks to advanced technology, almost all data will be stored in the cloud, including additional updates and purchased expansions. Only truly critical files will be downloaded to our disk. This enabled the basic version of MSFS24 to be slimmed down to only 29 GB, compared to the current 150 GB, despite the much richer content. The absurd size of the mod-packed game was the main reason for starting work on MSFS24 and completely changing the file infrastructure. New foundations for the aviation sandbox simply had to be developed.
Did you see the thing, what happened? There was a hundred addons and we were like "Oh, a hundred, how awesome!" And the next year was 700, then 1900 and we were like "oh-oh…" And you can’t turn the faucet off. Once you allow people to do stuff, you can't say "sorry, you can’t do it anymore."
So it was that moment and it doubled every year from 700 to 900, from 3000 to 5000 addons now - so, where is it going? It was clear for us that the architecture would not work. When you fly around London and you have all 8 airports from 3rd parties, the game will crash. There is nothing we can do about it, just how it works.
So, we needed to put all of that in the cloud and stream it down, otherwise it is just unstable. At some point we were the victim of our own success. The thing wasn't architected for infinite content - who knew there would be 5000 addons? I had no idea… (…) If you want to take it further, if you want to be "cutting edge" of what is possible in the world, you need to realize that technology is changing too much for that. You can limit yourself and stop at some point, but we won't be cutting edge in a few years. It is just too fast. And it is the same with AI (…) My bone tells me it is gonna change everything, how we make things, who makes things, how long… It’s all gonna change.
Jorg Neumann – Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator
From License to License – Career Mode
Microsoft Flight Simulator has an impressive number of players, reaching up to 15 million. Unfortunately, most of them limited their flying adventures to checking out the area around their own home, or maybe a few sightseeing flights over the most famous places in the world. The main con of MSFS was the lack of a specific gameplay objective and a sense of progression known from other games. It was mainly aimed at hardcore aviation fans who enjoyed the interactions in the cockpit and performing realistic flights from point A to B. In MSFS2024, this will change thanks to the long single-player career mode, which reminds me a bit of the one from Gran Turismo!
In career mode, we will create our character and choose a base.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
At the beginning, we'll start with a character creator, which is quite extensive for this genre. I was particularly surprised by the variety of voice tones available for radio messages. Besides a few default ones, we also have the option of choosing... our own voice, by first recording a sample of it into the microphone! That's some next gen, right there! Then we select a base from thousands of small, provincial airports around the world and secure employment there – provided that we take the initial steps to obtain a pilot's license, convincing our employer that we are familiar with pre-flight procedures and capable of safely completing a full flight – all delineated by specific stages to show newcomers what to do and how to do it.
Nothing more easier! We start our work as a pilot by completing the missions available on a given day. Here, you can choose from all the activities advertised in the trailers, such as fertilizing fields, extinguishing fires, transporting goods, driving VIPs, and pulling advertising banners, etc., but not right away. We will have to achieve everything through our own work. The type of missions available will depend on what licenses and entries we have obtained for them. Piloting helicopters requires a separate exam or "rating," as does piloting jets, twin-engine airplanes, flying at night, on passenger planes, or lifting goods on a rope. Each license is not only a set of lessons and necessary training, but also a significant expense that may require loans, making it a kind of investment.
The type of missions available will depend on the licenses we will acquire.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
We earn credits as in many other games, and with them reputation points. The higher the reputation, the more lucrative but also more challenging and hazardous missions will be accessible, such as those during adverse weather conditions and strong winds. It will be possible to skip various less important stages - the game won't force us to take a 6-hour flight from Paris to New York in real-time and those willing will be able to skip less important fragments at the cost of earned credits. Saving time won't affect your reputation, only your earnings.
I took the opportunity to ask game director David Dedeine if the career system will be flexible? Will third-party developers be able to create their own career paths and missions, such as a military pilot stationed on an aircraft carrier, rather than a small rural airport, specializing in military transport or rescuing downed pilots?
There won't be such an option at launch, but apparently, work is already underway on tools that will enable adding alternative career paths in the future. It's important to establish the correct principles for assessing a particular activity. The devs want clear, consistent rules here, not chaos and room for abuse.
Missions will change daily for greater realism and immersion. If someone is injured in an accident and needs to be transported to a hospital by helicopter, they won't have to wait for us forever. However, these missions won't be generated procedurally - they were done earlier, as there are a total of 4 million tasks waiting in the game (2 million according to another dev - I received conflicting data here). In any case, once a mission is completed, it will not be returned to the pool, and the game is apparently addictive due to the sheer curiosity of checking each day what challenges are available to choose from this time.
"Months of regular gaming isn't grinding" – MSFS24
As we progress in our careers, we can eventually acquire our aircraft, then several at different airports, and eventually even our own Boeing or Airbus. The wear & tear mechanics, already familiar from add-ons, will be present in our airpalne, meaning that mechanical parts will wear out and the machine will require maintenance. Any potential losses should be covered by insurance - there shouldn't be a sudden, permanent end after many hours of saving up for loans.
4 million missions - there will be a different one to choose from every day.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
The devs warn, however, that this isn't a career mode for switching to races, in 30 hours to our own fleet of Boeings or something. The long journey to wealth shouldn't be treated as a grind. This mode is intended to last for several months of regular gameplay, if not longer, with the essence being the flying itself, as in previous versions, rather than quickly achieving new milestones. A career mode in MSFS2024 is like a link that connects flying into a structured series of activities rather than requiring constant improvisation for each flight. For those less patient, there is the Challenge League and other activities.
League system for fans of competition and photo mode
The Challenge League is a series of quick activities lasting about 10 weeks. During this time, we participate in various short challenges every day, earning points by competing with other players on the leaderboard and being promoted or relegated to different leagues. At the end of a given series, we receive various rewards, although they aren't specified. Difficult landings from this category are already familiar to us, and in MSFS2024 there will also be traditional gate races – checkpoints, RedBull Racing races, flying at the lowest altitude possible, or precise helicopter landings at specific points.
The same place in MSFS2020 and 2024 - this is how the graphic detail will change.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
For fans of more sedate activities, there is a photography game and challenges involving taking pictures of famous places in the world and animals that you will have to find and bloodlessly hunt with your lens. There will be no shortage of animals, and in the highest quality, because the developers "borrowed" their 3D models from the game Planet Zoo! What's more, it should be possible to take photos not only from a bird's eye view but also after landing, as you can simply open the door and go for a walk in the FPP perspective. The quality of the terrain and the detailed resolution of the ground, displaying individual stones and unevenness, simply introduce a new level of quality to the game!
Prettier, bigger, better, or integration with a popular mod
I have the impression that I have already reached the standard length of the game preview, and yet I have only superficially outlined a few of the many significant new features in MSFS2024. This game is simply packed with content and new features! So now I'll focus a little more concisely on the rest of the changes that I particularly liked and that many MSFS fans will, without a doubt, welcome.
Better graphics, seasons
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is significantly more visually appealing than MSFS, at first sight. Just turn on the flight over the Sedona airport, where the tutorial in the current version began - the colors of the textures, their detail, the variety of trees - everything looks much more realistic and natural. The developers used technology that enables a much more accurate representation of the terrain, with a precision of 20 inches. This will significantly affect bush trips and off-field landings, as you may encounter obstacles such as boulders or stones.
Rendering of the terrain will reflect its every roughness. The plane's wheels will crush the grass and leave tracks in the snow.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
Vegetation will change not only depending on the climate zone and country but also on the months – a cycle of seasons has been introduced. Ray tracing effects have also been added and volumetric lighting has been improved. The road graphics have been enhanced, and the cars look like the ones from car racing games. Little progress can be seen in urban photogrammetry. A low flight over New York City still reveals ugly, jagged buildings that provide even worse window lighting at night. Only night glows over light pollution areas look better. You can still find places with not very good satellite images.
FPP Walkaround and pre-start activities
It's now possible to walk around the plane in the game, a feature already familiar to owners of the FS Realistic DLC. Removing wheel locks, checking the controls, flaps, tire condition, and getting rid of covers of various elements have been added to the pre-takeoff checklist. This isn't entirely realistic because when working on a Boeing 737, we have to remove the huge engine covers, which is usually done by ground crew in the hangar. There are also details such as the fact that forgetting to remove the pitot tube cover will result in incorrect airspeed indications during the flight. My only reservation is about the walking mechanics, which are a bit too reminiscent of flying a drone. It's hard to brake or control the character's steps, and I often overshoot the stopping point. In the tested build, there was reportedly a limit to how far you could move away from the plane, but in the full version, we should have the freedom and the option to walk wherever our legs take us.
EFB – airport map tablet integrated with avionics
No more limited flight planner in the World Map menu. Each aircraft in MSFS24 has its own tablet with an EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) – a realistic, comprehensive tool for route planning, calculating plane performance, and displaying airport maps. It is integrated with the aircraft's avionics. With one click you can exchange data between the cockpit and EFB. I don't know if maps of all airports will be available, and it may not be possible to completely do away with third-party services. However, the developers are clearly trying to accommodate many users, so at the very least, players won't have to subscribe to Navigraph and enter their flight plan on the SimBrief website at the largest airports.
Checking the airplane and inspecting it is now part of the chcecklist before takeoff.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
Better physics and flight model for everything that flies
The new game features improved flight models and the creation of appropriate airborne physics for a wide range of different machines – from balloons, through ultralight aircraft, twin-rotor helicopters, and aircraft with rotating rotors, to flying wings in the style of a B-2 bomber. I had the chance to experience flying a helicopter using a dedicated set of controls for cyclic/collective/torque pedals and Pimax Crystal Light VR goggles – and it's truly an improvement. The helicopter no longer flies on a string like in MSFS. It appears to be swaying in the air, as if it were moving from side to side or encountering resistance before flying forward, just like in real life. This was just one of the machines available in the game - it is known that the planes from the DLC will have an even more refined flight model.
AI air traffic, VFR and ships
Various third-party add-ons fixed the Achilles heel of MSFS, which was AI air traffic with a low number of airplanes. Now it will be better, although not perfect. The devs have obtained a license for 91% of the machines generating air traffic in the world – their diversity will improve significantly. Airline liveries are a bit more challenging - currently, the rights to use 25% of the skins of well-known airlines have been acquired. Free add-ons like this one from FlyByWire can still be successful.
Timed flights through checkpoints are part of the challenges of competing in leagues.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
The game also features over 600 ships currently cruising the seas and oceans, as well as probably all drilling platforms – their data is based on the transponders of the vessels and the data of the companies building and insuring the platforms.
Airplane DLC for $100 too expensive? Charter it for 5 bucks!
A well-made DLC aircraft for the so-called "study level" can cost more than the standard edition of the game, often ranging from 60-100 dollars. Introducing the option to pay to try out such a plane has been done to facilitate the decision to purchase such an expensive add-on. For the price of a few dollars you will be able to "rent" it for a few days or a week. Developers of the DLC will also be able to offer free trials of their projects.
Rebuilt Marketplace
The in-game shop has been completely rebuilt to make it easier to find less popular items. The user rating system has been improved – instead of stars awarded to the entire product, you can now rate each element separately, such as graphics, functionality, sounds, etc.
Airplanes, helicopters, gliders, balloons – what's new in the hangars?
MSFS2024 will offer the widest range of machines compared to all previous releases. Describing all of them is pointless, as most were blocked in the build we played and we only saw them on the advertising slide. These aren't only items of Asobo, but mainly of well-known third-party studios such as Got Friends or iniBuilds. Notable new releases include the Boeing 737 Max, Airbus 330 and 321, the S-64 Skycrane, the A-10C Thunderbolt combat aircraft, the "smiling" Beluga for transporting Airbus parts, the business Vision Jet, and the CH-47 Chinook. There will also be no shortage of prototypes and electric eVTOLs. Unfortunately, just like before, some of them will only be accessible in more expensive editions, like the massive Boeing 747 Dreamlifter from the premium game version.
Someone left a mess in my cockpit
What did Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 disappoint me with? It looks like the entire keyboard has been redesigned! I had already programmed it into my muscle memory that pressing End turns on the external view, Insert activates the drone camera, the cursors move the camera, and Ctrl+Space centers the view – none of that worked in the new game! Using the gamepad to switch to TPP view was necessary, as I couldn't find any other options – drastic changes to the controls are never a good thing.
Photo mode and plenty of related activities won't be missing.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
The second issue is the cooperation with 3rd party studios on the planes added to the game. Among them are teams known for their high quality, such as Got Friends. There is also iniBuilds, and SC Design, which disappoints with a terribly unattractive F-16 from paid DLC, falling below the quality of free mods. They are also responsible for the A-10C, whose cockpit design immediately reveals its manufacturer – it simply lags too far behind the established standards and level of graphics provided by Heatblur or IndiaFoxtEcho studios. I guess the rule of "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" applies here, but you will have to keep in mind the uneven quality of the machines included in the game.
I've already mentioned the ugly lighting of building windows at night, and there will probably also be places with poor-looking satellite textures. I played the early version of MSFS2020. It wasn't free of bugs, and I doubt that all of them will be eliminated by the time of release.
This is how you push the boundaries of the next generation of games
Four years ago, I pondered whether the remarkable MSFS technology might be the first step towards enabling Forza Horizon to eventually offer the opportunity to drive cars anywhere in the world with stunning graphics. Today, I believe we are another step closer to realizing this vision. While one company is focused on converting "pro" technologies to achieve a few more frames per second at a higher resolution, Asobo Studio, along with teams of fans, is creating an entire virtual world. In this world, you will have the ability to choose any location on the globe, navigate through a bustling airport filled with people who look and speak as they do in that specific region, walk to your parked plane, remove its cover, check the ailerons to ensure they are functioning, board the plane, take off, communicate with air traffic control while hearing your own voice, fly in real time to another country, land in a field, disembark, walk behind a nearby hill, and stream to capture images of the wildlife you encounter.
Devs took care of a very diverse fleet of machines.MSF2024, Xbox Game Studios/Microsoft Studios, 2024
One more loading screen and we'll be driving around this area in a Jeep from a mod because their existence will make much more sense than the sports cars that have already been created for MSFS. All of this is possible thanks to an internet connection and an installation with the same capacity as two free Gmail accounts. This is the true pro-next-gen or even next-next-gen – the game of the future that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in a single game. Another step closer to a massive virtual world where you can do anything you want without compromises. Observing how the community and third-party devs have creatively expanded the possibilities of the current game, I am very curious about the boundaries they will cross in this one?
