MSFS 2004 "A Century of Flight" Is not only entertaining but informative as well.  You can learn about many historical flights and actually view small 45-second video clips of both real and rendered video.  In addition there is also information about these historical flights right at your fingertips.  If that is not enough, jump in the cockpit and experience for yourself what it was like to fly one of these breakthroughs in aviation history.  You can choose from the following historical aircraft.

1903 Wright Flyer

Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny

Vickers F.B.27A Vimy

Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis

Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor

Model 5B Vega from Lockheed

Douglas DC-3

DEHavilland DH-88 Comet

Piper J-3C-65 Cub

If older aircraft is just not your style you can choose from the following modern aircraft including some commercial planes flown by the major air carriers.

Modern

Beechcraft Baron 58

Beechcraft King Air 350

Bell 206B JetRanger III

Boeing 737-400

Boeing 747-400

Boeing 777-300

Cessna Skyhawk SP Model 172

Cessna Skylane Model 182S

Cessna Caravan C208 Amphibian

Cessna Grand Caravan C208B

Extra 300S

Bombardier Learjet 45

Mooney M20M "Bravo"

Schweizer SGS 2-32

Some people may ask what the major differences between the previous titles and this one.  The core differences between older versions are

·     Worldwide scenery with accurate 3D terrain and auto-gen objects that fill in the world with appropriate buildings and vegetation no matter where you fly.

·     Jeppesen NavData database, including VORs, NDBs, ILS, low- and high-altitude airways, intersections

·     Approximately 24,000 airports worldwide (increased from about 22,000 in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002).

·     Flight planner to create realistic VFR and IFR flight plans and navigation logs

·     Flight analysis to play back a flight on a moving map that shows ground track, key flight data, and a vertical profile

·     Instructor's station--link two PCs so that one pilot can observe a Flight Simulator session, change weather, fail systems, and provide comments and help via a chat window.

·     IFR training panels for selected aircraft that include all key instruments, avionics, and controls in one window for realistic IFR flights.

·     Multiplayer capability over a local network or the Internet.

The game itself is pretty awesome.  Even if you are like me and live for action games, there is plenty of fun to be had here.  One of my favorite options is weather.  You can even download actual weather that is happening in real time.  I personally will be looking forward to the next hurricane that pops up and take a 747 through the eye of it! Woo hoo!

Multiplayer sounds promising and can be played though Microsoft's zone.com.  Unfortunately at the time of review there were no aviators to fly with because the game is so new.  Hopefully within the next few weeks we will be able to try that option and rank it for you.  So be sure to check back.

The learning curve is quite steep especially for those who never have tried this type of genre before.  MS has addressed this issue with flight instructions from certified instructors in the form of how-to videos. It is also loaded with, a broad range of tutorial material, and plenty of pilot's aids with various single-click difficulty adjustments, and variety of customizations.  Which stands to reason that you need 1.8 GB of space on your hard drive for the game.  But let me tell you its well worth the real estate.  These videos will help even the most novice of players and will have you soaring through the clouds in no time.  Kudos to the development team.

The 3D graphics are very realistic and the sound is great.  The realism is top notch and will not disappoint even the most savvy of pilots.  It may have a hefty retail price but is well worth the asking price.  If you have always wanted to fly aircraft whether it be the oldest of aircraft or the newest in aviation technology this game is a must have for any wanna-be pilot.

Gameplay: 8
A bit of a learning curve, but once you get the basic principles of flight down, it can be loads of fun.

Graphics: 8.2
Beautiful 3D graphics really pull you into the sim.  The aircraft and the instructional videos were top notch

Sound: 8
Quite simply everything sounded great.

Difficulty: Hard
If you have never enjoyed any of the MSFS games or this is your first time playing in a flight sim, it is going to be tough at first.  Some patience and some time in your virtual cockpit will be sure to have a huge payoff in the end.  Though challenging, it is very rewarding without having to ever leave the ground.

Concept: 8
Though some might think that this is not actually a new concept at all.  Ok fair enough.  You do have many cool options that make MSFS 2004 stand out from the rest.

Multiplayer: ?
Was unable to rate at time of review.  Once the game is released and more people buy it we will update this ranking

Overall: 8
Aviation enthusiasts and beginners alike will find hours of enjoyment with this title and tons of re-playability.