bit-tech Shopping: Microsoft Flight Simulator X

Rating: 8

Time with product: 15 Days

Strengths: Varying levels of complexity/realismGraphics

Weaknesses: Must purchase add'l software to get military aircraftShould include CFS 3 aircraftSo far, unable to include CFS 3 aircraft in FS-X

Summary: Perhaps there is a way that I've yet to discover, but it would be useful to have FS-X backwards compatible with previous earlier versions of MS flight simulation software/aircraft especially for those primarily interested in military aircraft.

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Realism

Weaknesses: Install Time

Summary: This flight sim is VERY realistic. The interior details are great, and the world around you looks quite real. My only gripe is the install time. I've never installed a game that didn't fit on one DVD.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1

Strengths: Beautiful graphics and good control

Weaknesses: highly configured rig required.

Summary: This is a great flight game, IF you have a high-standard computer. Its graphics is fantastic and its plane control is very good. But for that, you need to have a very good computer, such as high-end dual core chips, quad one better and 8800GTS at least. If you can have those, you will love this game. I enjoy playing this game.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 9

Strengths: Nice graphics and flight model, the challenges/missions are pretty neat

Weaknesses: Bit of a system hog, was a bit unstable

Summary: Like the other Microsoft Flight Simulator games you get the sandbox world of airfields to take off from and fly around, and a decent mix of scenarios to play through. The flight model is pretty nice, and the graphics are well done assuming you've got a fairly powerful system. They later released a large patch to the game which improves performance a bit, so if you buy the game be sure to download the updates. Overall it's a good flight sim, nothing stands out as being incredibly impressive but nothing stands out as bad either. If you want to buzz around in various planes, gliders, and helicopters it's a good choice. Recommended.

Rating: 6

Time with product:

Strengths: Good sharp graphics.

Weaknesses: Unlike fs2002, this series requires hi-end computers to get all of the full graphic details.

Summary: Not only do you have to have a very fast computer to get full benefites from this program, the typical scenery editors (ie. FSSC) cannot be used to modify or add corrections to the existing scenery. Also, Afcad 2 will not work on this program. Hopefully someone will develope new programs to compesate for this. My hometown airport is one of the victims of the standard building scenery layouts that are depicted in the program. Therefore I cannot revise the layout as to what is actually there.