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Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD Review (continued)
More User Submitted Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD Reviews
Date: 2007-01-16
hardware requirements
i received fsx as a gift for christmas. i've owned fs2002 and fs2004, and am relatively familiar with the game. first of all, as clearly stated in the product title and specs, the game comes on dvd format only. i had no problems installing it on my dell dimension 4800 (P4-3.2, 2GB ram, ATI 9800PRO). however, the new FSX is definitely a beast. with all the quality settings turned down and running at 1024x768x16, i got < 15 fps so the gameplay was unacceptably choppy. i have read that with all the settings turned down you should get similar performance as fs2004.
i was disappointed by the performance and contemplated returning the game. but what microsoft has done here is produced a next generation flight simulator. did we really want another fs2004? i tried the game on another system which had an ATI X1650XT, which is relatively old, but a lot newer than my 9800PRO. the game ran well with medium settings at 1024x768 (>30fps), acceptable at 1280x1024, and barely playable at 1600x1200.
i ended up building a new system (it was overdue anyway), and have been playing on an 8800GTS, which gives 25-35 fps at 1600x1200x32 with the highest quality settings. there are a couple guides on the internet that provide tips/tweaks for increasing performance, particularly on older systems. here is one of them:
http://ops.precisionmanuals.com/wiki/Talk:FSX_FPS_Guide
i have to say that the graphics are phenomenal. microsoft intends on releasing a direct x 10 patch in the next few months, which should improve the quality and performance even more on vista.
as far as game play, i haven't noticed any major changes. the full set of lessons from fs2004 still exist, but now there are missions you can fly for practice. i don't recall how detailed the pilot record tracking was in fs2004, but it is awesome in fsx--tracking landings, hours, and certifications/awards from completing lessons and missions. the introduction of multiplayer play in fsx has been quite fun as well.
i highly recommend this game, with the caveat that you should test the demo (free download from microsoft's site) to see how well it performs. this game is a beast and requires a nice system with a nice graphics card, but you won't be disappointed in the results!
Date: 2007-01-15
good stuff-large file
It is a really cool program-I bought it for my 10 yr old. He had a little trouble with all the features,but there is a learning curve. He really likes it along with my 14 yr old. It is a very large file and takes awhile to load.
Date: 2007-01-14
Wolf's Comment
Its been very memory hung-g-ry..I have a 512 chip and 64 Nividia ,!200 mgz
Date: 2007-01-10
This game played too slow on my computer.
After a successful installation and 2-3 weeks of attempting to play this game I uninstalled it from my computer
Date: 2007-01-10
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER ONES. DOES NOT WORK WELL. NEEDS MORE WORK. WOULD NOT BUY.
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