The Asobo personnel emphasize that the addition of these new gameplay modes does not detract from the verisimilitude of flight simulation gameplay throughout the game. Instead, Asobo has found new and fun ways for users to explore the different ways Flight Simulator can be enjoyed with prescribed scenarios, wherever and however they want to pursue them. And with fan feedback overwhelmingly asking for new activities to engage in, Asobo has certainly delivered on that common request to make MSFS 2024 the ultimate, full-flight simulation experience.
Adding to the Aerial Armada
Of course, any flight simulator is nothing without its selection of aircraft for users to choose from and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has an impressive array available at launch. There will be 70 aircraft available in the Standard edition at launch, with even more aircraft available Day 1 with the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe editions. This includes propeller planes, jet planes, commercial and military-grade aircraft, hot air balloons, airships, gliders, and bush planes. For the gliders and bush planes in particular, Asobo and Microsoft have been working closely to ensure these experiences have been enhanced, especially with the added detail to the terrain.
“Gliders in 2024 are some of the most realistic gliders that I’ve been able to personally feel in a long time,” declares Brandon Yaeger, co-founder and project lead of the development studio Got Friends. “Working with us, as the glider developer, we’ve been able to do a lot on that side, like bringing in a new navigation unit and making sure we stay true to conventional things, like winching and towing. I think that gliding was a niche in 2020 and I hope all the advancements with gliding in 2024 brings it more into the limelight because it truly does make the pilot experience flight in such a raw form.”
With gliders, users feel every change in wind current and the impact weather conditions have on flying, in addition to landing on the more meticulously rendered terrain. One of the slickest aircraft in the game isn’t even technically completed yet, with the experimental bush plane, the Draco X, included in the playable roster. To include the prototype in MSFS 2024, Got Friends has been working closely with the Draco X’s creator Mike Patey, innovating and testing out the prototype in the simulator and sharing the data as Patey shares information from his own real-world development.
“Working with him has been a unique experience because, not only are we creating his vision of what he wants in the future, but we’re experimenting as well,” Yaeger elaborates. “We’ve been able to experiment with the airframe and send information back to him. He’s been able to relay information back to us. We’re able to test it in the game. There is this weird cohesiveness there, which has been great to see. It feels like he’s innovating within the flight simulation as well as innovating within his work.”
The Evolution of Microsoft Flight Simulator
After a 14-year hiatus, Microsoft Flight Simulator returned bigger and better than ever under Asobo Studio and the team is looking to soar even higher with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. More than just a technical upgrade, the wealth of game modes and features, in addition to the usual environments and aircraft, have grown considerably as the most ambitious flight simulator on the market when it launches this November. In going bigger, Asobo Studio and its partners have ensured that new user accessibility is just as vital as the fidelity and authenticity of its presentation and handling.