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THE BEST GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

THis is the best game ever. the graphics are awsome and so is the sound. In online play you can do any thing from formation flight to free flight to escortig. There is a air trafic controller and other airplanes flying. the simulator has lessons that can teach you about how to fly. When you land the graphics are so good smoke somtimespuffs out from the runway. the air planes have almost every thing that the pilot needs to fly with from flaps to N1 to spoilers.

Tops in its class.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: May 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Every time Microsoft releases a top-dollar item with no paper manual included, I swear I will never buy the thing. Then about a year later, I break down and get it anyway, even though this is a real sore point with me. That said, I have to admit that the lack of a paper manual is the only real problem I can find with this awesome simulator. But gosh it would be nice to be able to reference a bound manual instead of printing it out onto loose sheets or trying to scroll through the Adobe thing while you're flying. Heck, stick a manual in there and charge a couple extra bucks.

Okay, with that rant off my chest, I shall continue. I've owned every Microsoft Simulator that's come out since 1993, and each time I get one I wonder if my computer will handle it. I'm using an Athlon 1.2 ghz. with 256 mb pc133 ram and a geForce2 MX200 with 32 mb video ram. Other reviewers have said you can crank up the options all the way, and it'll still run smooth. That's a stretch unless you've got the latest hardware. But I have to admit I am impressed with how well the sim does perform given all the features they've added this time. This version has been optimized and puts the 2000 version to shame. On my middling system, my optimal video settings are 1024 x 768 x 32 with all options cranked to the max. If I increase the resolution any more than that, the sim starts to stutter a bit, but only ever so slightly. It's completely flyable at 1280 x 1024, and it looks gorgeous, but the frame-rate drops noticably. But believe me, it's still gorgeous at 1024 x 768. And get this; this is the first game or sim I've ever been able to use anti-aliasing on! And what a difference that makes! You'll never want to turn it off once you see it, and on my geForce card it didn't hit my frame-rate much either.

I'm no pilot, but the physics seem good, and all the planes do feel quite different from one another. There's a whole slew of commands to learn, and while the included tiny booklet covers the basics, you'll have to reference the stupid 'manual' file for the rest. But rest assured, if you're a novice, it's absolutely easy to get started flying with just the basics. Heck, I'm currently using a cheapy Gravis Blackhawk joystick, and it's plenty fine for my needs at the moment.

The whole world is modeled, with the most detail I've ever seen in a flight sim, and something like 21,000 airports to land at. And you haven't had fun until you've taken off and landed in the water with the seaplane! Weather effects are great, and they've finally gotten some realistic cloud effects too.

Minor gripe here: The detailed cities just don't quite seem as 'big' as they should. Las Vegas and the pyramids at Giza in particular were a bit disappointing. They still looked good, just kind of cardboardy. And Mount Rushmore seemed downright tiny! But overall, this is still the best flight sim money can buy, and it is worth the price even with no paper manual. This reluctant buyer is satisfied and plans on spending many many hours exploring the world.

The best flight sim!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 24
Date: September 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Being a pilot myself I found this title very interesting. The programmers did a very nice job at recreating a realistic environment in where you can fly you aircraft. It is a good improvement over FS2000 and definitely worth the money.

Flight simulation Breakthrough

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 35
Date: August 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Flight Simulator 2002, along with its preceeding versions of interactive plane simulation, are the backbone and leading products in the virtual aviation world. The latest release of this series FS2002, exeeds all previous versions with its never seen before enhanced visual reality of ground textures and 3D effects. For those that put value in realism FS2002 should be the next game on your shopping list. With the addons available on the internet this experience can be even further enhanced. Also using systems like Squawkbox and Pro Controll with the VATSIM servers drives the user to an ultimate virtual reality environment.

Fun but difficult

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 19
Date: December 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Flight Simulator is a fun game but there are many things that are hard to figure out without reading the manuel. The Air traffic control is difficult but once you get the hang of it it's a very fun and realistic thing. One thing you need to run this game is at least 300 MHZ and windows 98 or higher. Anything lower and the game will lock up. The many selections of Air craft include, B747-400,B737-400,B777-300, as well Sea planes where you can actually land on the water! thats a very fun thing. The game is very good for pilots who need to practice or are learning to fly. They have a flight school taught by a professional pilot, Ron Machado, who teaches you all the basics and as you build up you can earn pilots licenses and lead the life as a pilot. If you willing to spend (the money)and have 300 MHZ and windows 98 and higher and interested in flying aircrafts i would suggest to buy this game it's very fun!

As Real As It Gets - IT IS!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: February 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Microsoft allways used "AS REAL AS IT GETS" as there moto for FLIGHT SIMULATOR. i am a FLIGHT SIMULATOR user since version 4.0 (which came in 2 5-1/2 black diskates) and i have to say - this version more then any other is amazing! they have really advances since FS 2000 (which was a flop.) First of all - Frame Rates! It's all about how many Frames per second you get. you want the simulator to run "like watter" and now to "Sttuter". well usually every two years when Flight Sim would come out, i'll have to buy a new computer - but with this version i have to say that it works greta with my ACER LAPTOP (8 mb ATI card).
also - they added features like ATC (air traffic control), which is not perfect, and you can get better in 3rd party software addons but does add allot - and they added Watter effects which allow you to lend on watter with sea-planes and see wave and dift effects. If you are new to Flight Simulator, and have "a thing" for aviation - this is for you! if you think you will enjoy flying arround all of the world, with everything from small private CESSNA planes to a huge 747-400 this is for you!!
if you are looking for a FAST, HIGH ADRENALIN type of game - Don't even think about it! FLIGHT SIMULATOR is not a game, but a real simulator - and you should only buy it if you really are interested in aviation. (great step if you plan on getting a pilot lisnce one day)_- and if you just want to enjoy. GET READY TO SPEND ALLOT OF FUN TIME NEAR THE COMPUTER!

GOOD TIP: You will not enjoy using Flight Sim, with out the right Equipment! make sure you have a Flight Yoke (like CH FLIGHT YOKE) {A yoke is the "Wheel" of the planes) and Rudder Pedals (pedals used to control the tail section of the plane).

Great for sim advocates, boring for just about anyone else

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 20
Date: September 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Once upon a time, back in the subLogic days, Flight Simulator was little more than stick diagrams drawn in exactly four colors on a computer screen. The sound was akin to munching on celery. A lot of imagination was needed to see an actual world. A few lines were a runway. A boxed 'F' was a fueling station. It left a lot to be desired as far as realism.

Although I suspect I'm in the minority (and risk an ill-received review... uh oh), this latest revision of Flight Simulator has a lot of the same problems. The number of interesting things to do in MSFS boil quickly down to buzzing famous landmarks, flying over home towns, and all the other novel things you can only do with an airplane in a simulator.

I chose to fly over my home town of San Diego. I could only really identify the coastline. I identified it by the shape of the coast and a few polygon landmarks. Texture-wise, the beaches look exactly like a badly scanned photo with very noticable pixalation. There were very ridiculous waves that looked even more ridiculous at higher altitudes. The new dynamically generated scenery amounts to little more than randomly place box houses/buildings. Highways are texturized, but still very much a series of lines. In fact, it seems like fewer minor roads were mapped out. Hoover Damn, the Golden Gate Bridge, and New York City each have the same problems as well. The dynamic "bushes" near Lake Meade were actually floating about 100 feet in the air. The Air Traffic Control "AI" isn't nearly as innovative as the name suggests - it's back to the 1,2,3 multiple choice menus.

On the other hand, the virtual cockpit is much improved (it is my view of choice), there are several added effects that take advantage of 3d hardware cards, and some other nice eye candy.

The tag line "As real as it gets" is so much marketing magic. I'd consider the sub-game flight simulator in Grand Theft Auto to be more realistic in scenery that includes streets, curbs, lamp posts, etc (albeit Grand Theft Auto rises to the challenge of rendering only a single city, it manages details that Microsoft can only dream of).

I found the boredom factor to be pretty high on this one. I probably should have gone for IL2 instead.

If you've bought FS95 or 2000 in the past, played with it for a week then forgot about it, expect pretty much the same from this new version of Flight Simulator.

An OK Product

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: January 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Ok, I admit Flight Simulator is a great program. I have bought Flight Sim 98, 2000 Pro, and now 2002 Pro. Each program is better than the last, but only slightly. I find the ATC feature sort of cheezy. I expect they will fix this in a hurry though by the next version.
The Frame Rate has increased with the new version, which is a delightful surprise. The scenery appears pretty much the same with the exception of randomly appearing and disappearing buildings.
The packaging is .... All I got was a box, pamphlet, program, and CD envelope (not even a jewel case). The Quality is no longer there as with previous Microsoft products. If you have (or ever) purchased Microsoft Train Simulator, you'll know what I mean.
If you do not own a Microsoft Flight Simulator, I recommend buying it. I don't however, believe [it is] is worth it simply as an "upgrade". Stick with Flight Sim 98 or 2000 until they develope an upgrade worth paying for.

FS98 - Nice ... FS2002 - Just beautiful

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: June 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I have had this product since it was released and I am very, very impressed. The graphics are sweet, the realism in flight is good considering I sit on a non-moving chair. (i.e. how real can you really get when you don't actually bank and roll)
The ATC is a nice add-on feature, although a little more flexibility would be nice. For example, on a flight from Oakland to CA following low level routes, I was diverted north then east from over the east bay before being sent round much of northern california and vectored in for an ILS. Would have been nice to follow a bit more to the intended flight plan until a bit closer to the destination.
Not really played a whole lot with the training missions, but what I did look at I thought were pretty difficult to get through successfully.
I thought FS 98 was good, even on my old P75 machine. FS2002, running on a Athlon 750 with 256 MB memory and a nice Video card is a world away from my original FS 98 install.

Nice product....hope to see some nice add-on's in the future.

Great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: April 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have this game with a microsoft percision2. I love the game but i found that you gotta have a really powerful comp. i have a 6 gb drive.Flight sim is the only this on it and it takes up 3.5 gb... Some times it takes up so much memery i is multycolored. So you have to have a lots of memery to have it work perfect.i think the aircrafts look awsome and so does the scenery. it's the best for beginners but not the best for advanced.

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