Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (PC) > Reviews > Deja Vu

Author's product rating:   

Playability & Enjoyment	A good game - playable and enjoyable
Originality	Good
Graphics	OK
Sound	Good - relevant music & effects

Advantages:	New Weather System, more airports, better detail, improved virtual cockpit
Disadvantages:	Pretty much the same as FS2002

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Flight Simulator 2004 is the new generation of the highly acclaimed Flight Simulator series from Microsoft. It is one of the best - If not the very best - of commercial simulators offered today.

FS2004 is Microsoft customary update to FS2002, which in turn is an update to the successful and innovative FS2000. If you expect to find anything new or overwhelming here; don't. Unlike FS2002, which featured innovative ATC Control, FS2004 is essentially the same simulator, with more airports and better weather control, as well as wider selection of aircraft (although the variety on the internet is amazing, and for free).

First off, the simulator has practically same Learning Area as featured in FS2002, which is very helpful and professional. The menus remains practically the same, that also contribute to the feeling of Deja Vu.

Once you launch the game, you will find yourself embraced in an immense world, just as you did in FS2002. However, what can be said, is that Microsoft added more textures to big airports and made them more realistic, even though third-party addons (which frequently are free) have better detail.

However, the new feature in FS2004 is the new weather system, which is quite impressive. You can customize weather, and fly through dynamic clouds, and not pieces of white stuff, as you used to in FS2002. One of the fun additions to this interface is the Real Weather system, that gets weather data of a central server, then updates itself every 15 minutes. You can also choose from a wide variety of present conditions if you don't like customizing weather or you're tired of the weather outside.

As usual in the FS series, realism is great, and can be compared to the real stuff. The Virtual Cockpit view has been dramatically improved, and now it gives you actual control of control from Virtual Cockpit mode, and not a view-only option such as it was in FS2002, so you can actually fly the aircraft in Virtual Cockpit mode. However, Microsoft's stock aircraft have a terrible amount of detail and graphics in the cockpit, and you'd be better off getting a third-party addon.

To conclude, FS2004 is a slight upgrade of FS2002. If you're on low budget, you might want to stick with FS2002, which is a worthwhile product. If you envy new features, move on to FS2004, but be warned - they're aren't worth the price. However, the product is as always, a complete and comprehensive package, and is still widely used today as an alternative to the resource-hogging, 15GB sized FSX.