Product Reviews

Love 'em or hate 'em, flight sims have been around since the dawn of the PC, and the granddaddy of them all is Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Graphics in the early versions were slightly less exciting than a spreadsheet, but - if you had sufficient imagination, or a ready supply of hallucinatory drugs - the realism was there to convince a whole army of bedroom pilots they could handle an Airport '77-style emergency.

Of course, they've changed beyond all recognition since those days, and FS2000 has everything you'd expect from a modern title, like 3D-accelerated graphics and Internet play. Where FS2000 differs from most other flight sims, though, is that you don't get to shoot anything. All the planes modelled are civilian designs (with the exception

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of the Sopwith Camel, which doesn't have guns here). So if you want to blow things up, go and get one of the hundreds of military sims out there.

What FS2000 does offer is tons of scenery and as much realism as you can cope with. Plane characteristics are modelled in plenty of detail, and navigation uses the same system of beacons used by real pilots. In fact, this aspect has been improved enormously since Flight Sim 98, now including a handy map display. The other main improvements are in the graphics department, with more detailed terrain and planes. Realistic weather effects can even be generated by downloading current weather data. The Professional Edition includes extra planes and more detailed cities.

As you'd expect, the extra graphics capabilities in FS2000 take their toll, and on the minimum-spec machine it was virtually unplayable, with long pauses whenever views were switched and a poor frame rate. On a Celeron 400, though, things ran swimmingly, with plenty of detail and nice new terrain.

Of course, FS2000's lack of weaponry won't appeal to everyone, but if you've always wondered what it would be like to ferry a bunch of drunken, lobster-red holidaymakers back from Tenerife in a 737, or if you just like the idea of flying anywhere in the world at the click of a button, FS2000 takes some beating.