OCTOBER 2020 PCWorld 71It’s just so much fun to fly around the world in Flight Simulator.
might want to toggle on unlimited fuel, too.
Like Flight Simulator’s graphics options,
however, there’s opportunity to tweak and
adjust to your heart’s content—or just skip all
that and jump in.
Gamers who grew up with Wing
Commander and X-Wing probably learned how
to use a joystick, and perhaps a throttle—and
then, if you’re like me, you buried them in a box
for the next twenty years. Fortunately, Flight
Simulator plays smoothly with just an Xbox
controller, along with the option to use a mouse
or keyboard for supplementary commands.
A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE
Flights begin with a bit of scene-setting,
showing your aircraft on the tarmac from a
variety of angles. With a controller, one
joystick simulates the airplane’s controls, with
yaw and pitch; the other governs your view of
the instrument panel and outside the
windows. Just taking off can be a challenge to
first-timers who are unfamiliar with the
controls, but Microsoft helpfully provides a
toolbar which exposes itself if you move the
mouse to the top of the screen. An AI control
(the “head” icon) will automatically check off
your pre-flight checklist and remain in contact
with Air Traffic Control—and will even fly the
plane for you, if you want. Tips will
occasionally pop up, such as a reminder to
stow the landing gear after takeoff.
Flight Simulator implicitly understands that
there are hobbyists and enthusiasts who