One of the earliest tentpoles of PC gaming was the flight simulator genre, with the first acknowledged example, Sublogic FS1 for the Apple II and TSR-80 systems, debuting in 1979. Suddenly, millions of would-be pilots could satisfy their curiosity and desire to be free of terra firma just by turning on their computers. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The early entries were extremely crude by today's standards, but realism was always at the core of the endeavors, and the seeds had been planted for a vibrant future.
As home computer technology quickly improved, and along with it the realism of control systems, the genre blossomed into one of the largest in the PC space. This growth peaked sometime in the 1990s, but it still thrives thanks to a few dedicated developer🐼s and a huge modding community. The focus of these entries is realism, of the highest order, in both the graphics and the aircrafts represented on screen. Both old and new simulators now dot the landscape, and with both combat and civil aviationꦆ represented, there is truly something to be found for every taste
Updated on November 7, 2021, by Jeff Drake: Flight games (or sims) are an interesting type of game. Unlike most games, where the challenge of the game is the focus, flight games are more about the experience. Many players enjoy flight games because they don't have stages or storylines. There are no boss fights, or spells to memorize, or inventory management - just the pure experience of soaring amongst the clouds in your own personal airplane. Nothing dulls this experience more than a flight game that doesn't immerse the player in a realistic environment; at that point, you might as well play Ace Combat or GTA (not that there's anything wrong with the Ace Combat series).
14 🐟 R✱ise Of Flight
Rise of Flight is a very realistic flight sim 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:set during World War 1. As you can imagine, this isn't a game where you take your Cessna out for a leisurely flight. In Rise of Flight, you dogfight in the wooden planes of the early 20th Century.
This flight game boasts incredibly realistic graphics, real-world physics, and🐟 historically accurate plane models. Since there are no jets or modern ordnance, this game is not as flashy as most of the others on this list. However, this means you must rely more on your piloting skills to be successfuꦬl.
13 War Thunder ⛄
Okay...okay...admittedly, this isn't the most realistic of flight games - at least when it comes to real-world physics. Yes, this game does have a slight arcade feel to it, and yes, this is more than just a flight sim (there are land and sea battles as well). It does look fantastic though, and there are numerous crafts to fly. The available planes in War Thunder span almost a century of technological development.
This game is perfect for those wanting to get into flight sims. For one, this game is free to download and play. Second, War Thunder loཧoks and plays great. If you like it, then you can decide to upgrade to one of the other games on this list.
12 Prepar3D
This game is the opposite of War Thunder. This is less of a game and more of a sim. It's also one of the most visually realistic flight sims available. It was developed by Lockheed Martin using the Microsoft Flight Simulator ESP platform, so you know it's going to be extremely accurate.
Here's the problem with Prepar3D, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:its price tag. This is not a cheap game, and wh♏en you see how much it costs you might suffer from sticker shock. This is the Adobe Photoshop of flight sims - in terms of quality, and price.
11 ProFli🔴ghtSimulator ♏
In appearance and gameplay options, ProiFlightSimulator is very similar to Microsoft Flight Simulator in that it is much more of a sim 🔯than a true game. This sim is not as well-known as many of the titles on this list; however, it is able💛 to deliver a realistic flying experience as well as any of the other games listed here.
ProFlightSimulator has over 100 aircraft to fly, over 20,000 ಞreal-world airports, impressive physics, and very realistic weather effect𝐆s and terrain.
10 Microsoft Fligꦰht Simulator X (FSX) 🎉
Released in 2006, FSX would become the de facto standard-bearer in the realism category for almost 15 years. Despite the limitations of technology at the time, the flight models were top-notch and the world looked as realistic as it possibly could have. Major cities were modeled more completely, with the rest of the world being painted as just detailed texture maps, but that didn't stop players from breathlessly flying over their favorite parts of the globe.
The modding community stepped in very quickly and released hundreds of add-ons to keep the experience fresh and relevant over those 15 years. Flight mapping apps, realistic weather, flying challenges, and more were added over time. For those who don't have a strong enough PC to handle the newly released version of Microsoft's aviation opus, FSX is still a great option.
9 DCS World
The only way players will get closer to flying real combat jets is to join the military of their home countries. Digital Combat Simulator World has painstakingly modeled nearly 30 of the world's most famous combat planes of today and yesterday, along with missions and entire campaigns to use their might against.
With fully realized 3D cockpits and so much detail that even taking off is a huge accomplishment, DCS is not for t൲he faint of heart. But for those willing to put in the work, and a lot of time watching YouTube tutorials, there is no more realistic comꦅbat flight sim anywhere in the digital world.
8 ♛ Battle of Britain 2: Wings of Victory
To many enthusiasts, dogfighting is the truest form of air combat, and for those 168澳洲幸💟运5🦋开奖网:who prefer their sims of the WW2 variety, none do it better than Wings of Victory. This is the most well-regarded simulation of the desperate air battle fought by the Royal Air Force against Germany's feared Luftwaffe. The prize was no less than the existence of Britain itself, as the air war was to have been a precursor to the German invasion of the home islands.
The game features spot-on simulation of the planes and the bat📖tles in which they fought. A dynamic campaign mode creates tense, ever-changing sc🍎enarios for players to fight through, all while telling the tale of what really happened in the skies over land and the English Channel. This one is not to be missed.
7 ♊ X-Plane 11
A challenger to Microsoft's civil aviation simulation hegemony, X-Plane debuted in 1995 and has been a staple of the genre ever since. The game has had its ups and downs like anything else, but the 11th version, which debuted in 2020, is the best one yet.
Features include 3D cockpits in all default planes, mor🎉e than 30,000 real-world airports, ꦅand a collection of aircraft that ranges from jumbo jets to gliders. Until the release of the newest Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane held the throne and still has legions of fans who swear by it.
6 ⭕ AeroFly FSܫ
Aerofly is a game that aims to be ev🧸erything to everyone. Availab🐠le for PC, mobile, and VR platforms, almost anyone on the planet can take this simulator for a spin.
The game possesses some of the most convincing terrain and cityscapes outside of Microsoft's newest iteration. With a catalog of airframes that ranges from jumbo jets to military craft and even a helicopter, this one will surprise gamers who may scoff at a mobile simulator.
5 🅷 Wings Over Flanders Fields 🔥
For virtual pilots who yearn for the days when air combat meant a clash between two pilots with only guns with whi✅ch to win the da𝔉y, this is the game to play.
Featuring one of the best dynamic campaign generators (which acts as a sort of Fighter Pilot Career Mode), players will progress through the whole of World War I on the Western Front. Amping up the realism, the game models morale, distance from home country, and fatigue when determining the skill of AI pilots. You'd better rest up.