'A century of flight', or months of boredom?

By Martin Kingsley

"E-Gads Biggles, what on Earth did you eat for lunch?"

There's something sad about an abandoned airplane. It's like a pair of underpants, in a way.

It's seen excitement and interest, and probably played host to the full gamut of human passions, but now all that's left is a faint smell...

Or maybe I'm just laying into the wiz fizz a bit too much, eh? *collapses on floor, grinning happily*

With this latest release of Microsoft Flight Simulator, Big Bill Gates celebrates both the release of the twentieth version of Flight Simulator and, as gaudily proclaimed by the box's italicised subtitle, 'A Century of Flight', by which I can only presume he is alluding to the Wright Brothers' first aerial take-off at Kittyhawk in 1903.

To commemorate this occasion, and to cover for the fact that A Century of Flight (ACOF) is really more of an upgrade from Flight Sim 2002 than a stand-alone title, we (the gaming public) have been given the opportunity to fly any of nine historical aircraft in twenty-one historical scenarios.

The historical airplanes include the Douglas DC-3, Ford Tri-Motor, 'Spirit of St. Louis' and the 1903 Wright Flyer, while the historical scenarios have amongst their number such classics as the Kittyhawk take-off and trans-continental flights with Charles Lindberg.

Admittedly, twenty one flights does not sound like much, but consider that just getting one of those wooden dinosaurs into the air for any reasonable length of time is a feat in itself, and keeping it there...Let's just say that I prefer my 747, eh?

It's true what they say, monkeys can fly

That's not to say that, just because two guys called Wilbur and Orville made a collection of planks fly one hundred years ago, you can't get behind the stick of more contemporary aircraft, oh no.

Fifteen assorted modern-day planes wait, ranging from the Cessna Skyhawk to the above-mentioned 747 'Jumbo Jet' and everything in-between.

Oh, and Microsoft have seen fit to include the new R22 'copter, bringing the grand total for helicopters to two.

One thing you can't accuse the Flight Sim series of, especially with the last two releases, is visual inaccuracy.

Steaming cloudbanks, rising fog, roaring rainstorms that spatter the windscreen with raindrops, thunderous typhoons, and lightning so real you get the urge to madly rush around unplugging the VCR and microwave, smacking light switches into 'off' mode as you go.

You can set the weather to suit your mood, randomise everything, or (for those with broadband or a really good dial-up connection) you can get Internet-Enhanced weather, where, every fifteen minutes, the game checks what the weather is like wherever you happen to be flying and then simulates those conditions as best it can.

On another visual note, with ACOF we get fully interactive 3D Virtual Cockpits, giving you the ability to flick switches, press buttons and turn knobs to your heart's content and you get unique cockpits with every plane, not just with the ones whose patent-owners paid big for sponsorship.

Speaking of cockpits, the inclusion of improved GPS readouts is a big plus, although at times you can find the streams of information somewhat overwhelming, and the brain just shuts down in self-defence.

"Roger tango, this is foxtrot, alpha, charlie, drop-kick, delta, jumbuck, winterbottom, we have you in sight."

There's layer upon layer of info to decipher, but judicious use of the online manual (more on that later) should see you through, possibly aided by a degree in cryptography.

FS2002 really laid down the law for sound effects, and ACOF stays with the benchmark constantly, never really rising to heights of excellence, but never dropping into mediocrity either.

Engines sound like engines, props sound like props, lightning sounds like lighting; what more can you ask?

My one gripe right now with Flight Sim 2004 is that you don't get a nice thick ring-bound manual ala Falcon 4.0.

No, this is Microsoft, so instead we get an online guide that has the faces of John and Martha King plastered over the front? John and Martha King - who are these people? I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto.

You do, however, get nice video clips with the online guide, but these are interspersed with briefings from the lovely if obscure J & M King. Oh well.

For those who bought FS2002, the purchase of FS2004 is a good idea, the improvements are that good, and even for the unenlightened who failed to pick up the last offering from Big Bill, the acquisition of this latest aerial masterpiece would not go too far astray because, hey, let's face it, nobody does Flight Simulation quite like Microsoft.

Game: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004
System: PC
Players: 1
Online: Yes
Developer: Microsoft
Distributor: Microsoft

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explanation)

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 is on the shelves now.