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Better than expected

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 177 / 178
Date: November 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

***** First of all and very important - Frames per Second *****
Before install this new version, I was afraid about the Frame Per Second (FPS) performance. The FPS in the previous version (2000) was hilariously bad and, as this new version has a lot of visual improvements over the previous version, I expected something like slide show. GUESS WHAT? The image runs smoothly, even at the highest screen resolution and all scenery options turned on. The frame rate stability (stutters) has been greatly improved since Flight Simulator 2000. Hats off to Microsoft on improving the image flow.

***** Install the simulator *****
The install engine reports that a complete install will require 1.6G of hard disk space - it will actually require 2.3G. The load time is about 20 minutes using full install option, but the CD is not required to run the game. All of 3 disks are required during the installation process.

***** Running by the first time *****
The first time you run the simulator, a lot of things are made: The scenery textures are uncompressed, the databases and indexes are built, the navaids and facilities are configured etc. After all (this takes 4~5 min., aprox.), you will be inside the Cessna 182S Skylane cockpit at (as always) Meigs Field runway 36.

***** First look *****
If you do not change any settings and take off, you will notice that something is different in Chicago: There are a lot of small buildings where, in the previous version, are only flat area. This is what Microsoft call auto-generated scenery: The trees, houses, offices, schools and other kind of buildings are automatically generated as you fly over the area, but sky-crappers are not auto-generated, only small buildings. The amount of auto-generated scenery can be changed.

If you turn on the aircraft lights, you will see great improvements: the NAV and strobe lights effect are simply fantastic, even creating aircraft fuselage reflections.

Make a turn and prepare to land on Meigs Field: On the final approach you will see better runway lighting effect. Just before touching the runway, set your view to spot plane and watch: your tires generate smoke at the moment of the touch.

***** Air traffic control *****
Microsoft Flight Simulator now comes with integrated air traffic control (ATC) system. You work with ATC using a semi-transparent window that shows messages and options. For example, if you are on Meigs Field and call the ATC window (to display or hide the ATC window you must press SCROLL LOCK), you will have the ATC window as following:

CHOOSE A MESSAGE TO TRANSMIT TO MEIGS GOUND ON
1 - Tune MEIGS Ground on 121.800
2 - Request Taxi - Remain in Pattern
3 - Request Taxi - Depart Straight Out
4 - Request Taxi - Depart North
5 - Request Taxi - Depart South
6 - Request Taxi - Depart East
7 - Request Taxi - Depart West

You choose an item using the correspondent number. After each choice, your ATC window modifies, so you have another set of options applicable to each situation. When you select an item from the ATC menu, you will see the text of the message on screen and hear the pilot voice saying the phrase. Your messages to controllers are audible (unless you turn the pilot voice off).

Other cool feature of ATC is the autotune. When autotune is on, your radio and transponder are automatically tuned to correct frequency. This frees you to concentrate on flying the aircraft and navigating to your destination.

The ATC adds a new level of realism of Flight Simulator. If you already have knowledge of the ATC system, you will love this new feature. If you are new to ATC, the guys worked hard to make your introduction to the system fun and easy.

***** Crowded skies *****
You are not alone in the sky. There are a lot of planes around you, and these planes make use of ATC messages. You can even listen the communication between the controllers and these planes. This is a very welcome feature.

***** The fleet *****
Now we have the Boeing 747-400 with great sound and panel. All planes now come with painting schemes. For example, you can fly the Boeing 737 using one of the three virtual airlines painting schemes provided.

***** Other cool stuffs *****
Improved textures, improved aircraft design, improved lighting effects, improved, improved, improved... Everything is improved with this new version.

***** This guy should have a powerful machine *****
Average...
I have a P-III 800 MHz, 256 Mb RAM, Asus GeForce2 MX 32 Mb and Quantum Plus AS 40 Gb 7200 RPM. Oh, I am running Windows XP Corporate. As you see, it is an almost ordinary configuration.

If you have an average processor, enough RAM and a good graphic card, try Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002. You will love it.

Highest-caliber PC game I've ever owned.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 64 / 69
Date: December 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 isn't only, by far, the best Flight Simulator ever in the venerable Microsoft series, but it's also the highest quality and best PC game I've ever owned.

The game, for very obvious reasons, does have some very steep hardware requirements. I have a Pentium IV 1.7 GHz processor with 256 MB of RAM and a 62 MB graphics card and run the game at 1600x1200 resolution. It runs well..barely. If you want to run it at an optimal framerate I'd recommend 512 MB of RAM and a 2.0+ GHz processor. The steep hardware requirements are accounted for by the game's excellent graphics engine and its hefty 3 gigabyte installation. The 3 gigabytes should come as no surprise considering that the game.. er "simulation" only includes the entire world! It includes about 22,000 airports and every stretch of land or water on earth between every airport. I don't know how many gross number of airports exist on this planet but I would think 22,000 is about 99% of EVERY airport existent. Even airports in small, unknown villages (of 50 people or less such as in remote Arctic Inuit villages) are included. Another plus is that, once installed, the game runs WITHOUT the need for the CD being in the drive, which is a rarity in PC gaming.

As stated before, the graphics are great, in fact much better than FS 2000's graphics. The terrain and building textures, though very good, still aren't quite there yet -and leave a little to be desired- but the clouds, weather effects and airplane graphics are superb and virtually indistinguishable from real life counterparts. Airplane cockpits are 3d-rendered and very realistic looking as are the flashing lights on exterior parts such as wings and tailgates. The airplanes' sound effects seem very realistic, also.

As far as I can tell, though I'm no pilot, the flight physics are extremely accurate and realistic. I can't discern any difference, whatsoever between flying an aircraft in this game and doing it in real life.

Flight Simulator 2002 is certainly very unaccessible and not a game for everybody. The learning curve is extraordinarily-steep. Unless you love simulations and enjoy PC titles that are as realistic as possible, you'll certaintly find FS 2002 the antithesis of fun, interesting, or exciting: It's very tedious, takes a long time to learn all the commands and fly and land correctly and even the actual flying can seem very, very slow moving. However, if the quintessence of simulation (that is, "realism") -no matter how difficult or challenging- is your "cup of tea," there is no other game out there even remotely comparable to this title in terms of quality, realism, or sheer size.

Considering that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 includes the whole world, not to mention 16 aircraft (and "downloadable" airplanes. I've downloaded several jets including the Lockheed SR 71A Blackbird), real-time weather, tons of options and even voice-command capabilities, I consider this game a bargain at the $70.00 price I paid for it. It's probably worth about $400.00

I Love It, But...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 55 / 57
Date: November 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I love this program! But rather than lull you all into a false sense of security with a lot of platitudes about buying it, read on... especially you people with older machines:

First of all, Microsoft did NOT program this... it was farmed out to a third-party company and programmed FOR Microsoft.

Second of all, don't believe the minimum system reqirements on the box for a second. If that's the best your computer can do, stick with FS98. I have an AMD-K6-2 CPU, 533 mhz, 256 megs of RAM, in 1024 mode screen resolution with all the detail sliders maxed (except Tree/Bldg density), and I get the choppies when flying over Honolulu and (of course) Manhattan. I also have less than 50 megs RAM free out of 256 after FS2002 is fully loaded, so the min RAM requirement that M$ put on the box is a total crock.

If you don't do the Full install, (which takes up 2 gigs of your HD) you won't be able to use any of the cool freeware add-ons available at sites like (...). It will also take a VERY long time to unpack the humongous .CAB files on Disc 3 EVERY time you crash, or change locations, and the waits are lengthy enough when the full install is used.

Personally, I love having a printed manual. Microsoft gives you a full manual in PDF format, but this is of little consolation when you want to lie on the couch and read it. And it would cost you a fortune to print it out on your inkjet printer! And Microsoft telling you in the pamphlet that comes with the discs: "to save ink, don't print the color pages" irked me to no end. FS2000 Pro retailed for the same price as FS2002 Pro, and that included a proper printed manual. A shame to be stingy to such a good piece of software.

Even though FS2002 Pro is more money than the standard version, the extra planes & scenery make it worth the extra few bucks (If you're a registered owner of a previous version of FS, you qualify for a $(...) rebate, which offsets the cost of buying the Pro version, so it's like getting the Pro version for the cost of the Standard one).

Like I said earlier, I love it, but you had better have the Mhz & the RAM to properly run this thing. If you do, you'll have an absolute blast! BTW, I'm not a pilot in reality, but have been an FS fan & user since 1979 (Apple II - FS1).

Very Realistic Flight Simulator

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 39 / 46
Date: September 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

One of the best games ever is coming for PC again, with much better graphics, much more realisic gameplay, new and exciting planes, and best of all a Advanced Traffic Control System. Could this be any better. I think not! The graphics in this game are so detailed that you can see the reflection of the terrain onto the bottom of a 747. The Air Traffic Control is so realistic that it even tells you which direction to go if another plane is in your path. Other new things include dynamic ground traffic, air draffic, and fantastic multiplayer gameplay. Although this game is excellent, the requirements are extremely high. And if you dont have what it takes, this game will run like a slug on your computer. Recommended System requirements are a Pentium 3 600/700 with 128 RAM and a 32MB 3d card. If you are a serious flight sim fan, go get your copy the day it comes out!

Much-used product

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Although my fiancee has not purchased any other flight simulators with which to compare this product, he loves this flight simulator. Very realistic.

It Rocks

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: December 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is the most realistic game ever!!! If you want to download Aircraft, vehicles, scenery, and aircraft, you should go to ...FS2002... and click on Dzone.

It's the best!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This flight simulator it's the best game ever. You could spend hours playing it and not get bored. Even if you are into planes or not you will enjoy a lot. The graphics are fantastic and all the realism settings this game brings makes you feel like you are actually flying. The planes, the airports, the cities can't get any more real. Everything this simulator brings makes you feel good about buying this game. Buy it and you won't regret it. It's a great buy!!!

Great!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I finally bought an updated version of MS flight sim. I had the MS Flight Sim for windows 95 before and i must say that this is a significant improvement! There is a a variety of aircraft to choose from and they are all, of course, difficult to control though you can adjust the settings. The AI is great and the interactive Airport Traffic Control is really cool! The detailed scenery is another beautiful addition. Everything adds to the games realism. This is definitely a great buy!

This game is SO Awesome!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 34
Date: July 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is an awesome one. If you are looking for a good flight simulator, this is the one. It has all of the features of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. It is a good one!! ...

good games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 16
Date: October 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

this game is realism game. very helpful your training.

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