Lunar Flight
–— ADDITIONAL EDIT —–
It’s been 2½ years since my original review (see below) which still stands. However, I’ve now been able to play this game in VR (Vive) and felt compelled to update my thoughts.
This game is the best VR experience I’ve had to date! It’s easily a better VR experience that DCS which I also spend a lot of time with. Why the high praise? There are a few reasons:
GOOD FRAME RATES - Perhaps due to the fact that this is a relatively simple game, framerates remain high enough to give a good experience.
– Real player with 155.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Physics Simulation Games.
This little gem is the perfect homage to 50 years of human spaceflight, and classic Lunar Lander games (originating way back on 1969 text-only computers).
It takes the idea of the old 2D arcade games with realistic physics, and perfectly transcends them into 3D - plus VR support! The audio deserves special mention: the mesmerizing music, plus voice recordings from real NASA missions, create an intriguing ambience.
Considering the ‘Newtonian’ flight dynamics, this game is of “Easy to learn, difficult to master” flavor. There is a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it feels AMAZING to fly around. The satisfaction of completing Mars missions is just so rewarding!
– Real player with 101.4 hrs in game
Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator
Very Highly Recommended. As a retired real world pilot that spends most of the day with flight sims I have now found the best of the best. Sure, it is still growing and has a long ways to go but, for now, nothing else does what Aerofly FS 2 does for me.
I have two full hardware setups. My original triple monitor / Saitek hardware 6th gen rig that I have used for the last 12 months and a Volair Flight Sim cockpit with a brand new Alienware 8th gen Intel processor with a 1080 Ti card. This was purchased during the Christmas holidays along with a Oculus Rift VR.
– Real player with 8629.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Physics Simulation Games.
I have an embarrassing amount of time in flight simulators, dating all the way back to sublogic’s product in the early 80s. I am a real convert to Aerofly, and I bought my VR gear specifically to handle it - and it was absolutely worth the investment.
I’ve been using this sim now for months, and let me begin by saying what this is… and isn’t (at least yet).
For me, this sim has achieved what I’ve wanted all these years; the actual illusion of flight. I wanted the chance to feel the size and layout of the cockpit and to feel that pull in your guy when you dive through mountains, or make a daring landing. I love the fact that in the P-38 I have to look around the control column to see some of the gauges. I love the feel of the airplanes and how each has a unique character to flight. Of course, any of you using FSX,P4D, or Xplane have had these features for a long time. Aerofly and VR really recreates the feeling of flight. I’ve had a bunch of people try out my rig of course, and the reaction is always the same; incredible excitement, followed by the freedom that comes from flying anywhere you want. In short, it’s what I always wanted flight simming to be.
– Real player with 307.1 hrs in game
Microsoft Flight Simulator Game of the Year Edition
Do not buy this game unless you have an insanely fast internet connection and immense patience
Out of the 180.6 hours I currently have on this game, around 176 of those hours have been spent installing MSFS. To make matters worse, you can’t install the game using Steam- you have to enter an in-game installer that downloads incredibly slowly, if it even downloads at all.
When I first bought this game at release, my installer was bugged and I couldn’t actually complete the download (I always got an error message at random times throughout the download) . I had contacted both Steam and Microsoft support to fix that issue but they both didn’t help at all. A couple months after I’d given up I decided to try and install it again after I saw there was an update and for the first time it actually completed the download. This took several days and effectively commandeered my computer as you can’t close the MSFS launcher without losing all your download progress, and you can’t play other games as the download is very resource intensive. Additionally, despite having internet that’s usually about 20-50mbps down, the download speed for MSFS is more often than not around 3mbps, if not lower.
– Real player with 180.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Physics Simulation Games.
I do not recommend this game for two reasons. First, and main reason, is that this game is completely server dependent. Without good quality broadband internet connection, you will not be able to even open the game after a few days. Second, Microsoft and Asobo force what seem like work-in-progress and poorly tested upates/content onto their customers. The sim looks amazing under ideal circumstances, but my overall experience to date has been that of a beta release product. It just comes across as corporate greed, trying to save money by not hiring enough testers, instead getting their customers to do all the testing and bug feedback for them. All the while charging for the game as if it was a finished product. I have wasted countless hours trying to fix whatever bugs they’ve introduced each update cycle, just to have new bugs introduced the next time around, and its beyond frustrating at this point. I do not support this system of development and deployment. All I want is for Microsoft/Asobo to make all updates and additional content optional, even if opting out of updates would disable all online functionality of the game.
– Real player with 166.1 hrs in game
OMSI 2: Steam Edition
This is still the best bus simulator. It is a good improvement on OMSI 1.
MAPS/VEHICLES: The Spandau map is much extended with a new chronology function where you can see the routes/fares and most importantly the Berlin reunification/fall of the Berlin wall between 1986 and 1994. Two maps are included the fictional test map Grundorf (one route, the 76) and Berlin Spandau (routes 92 (137), 5 (130) and also two night routes. Two new buses come with this game the articulated (bendy) bus MAN NG272 (GN92) and the MAN NL202 (EN92). The two double deckers from OMSI 1 are improved and the MAN SD202 has two new variants; the D90 and the D91. There are new AI cars including ambulances with working sirens. There is also much more trains in OMSI 2.
– Real player with 3171.6 hrs in game
OMSI is a deeply odd and divisive creation, it is at once both an abysmally dire example of horrendous software design, while also one of the profoundest delights available to those with a passion for buses.
Learning the many arcane processes for getting this simulation to work is no small feat. Don’t bother trying to suck-it-and-see - there is no realistic chance of you fully getting to grips with OMSI inside the 2-hour limit for refunds - it requires an enormous commitment of time and energy to achieve a working understanding of OMSI. (In that respect, I suspect it’s not unlike actually learning to drive a real bus).
– Real player with 839.3 hrs in game
Project CARS
I’ve put a lot of time into Project CARS, and frankly, I’m fed up. So I’m going to give a long and thorough review of it.
TL/DR Version: Broken promises, missing game features, and crippling bugs should keep you away. Ultimately, this entire things feels like a giant paid BETA for Project Cars 2. I.E. You are paying full retail for the privilege of beta testing for the sequal.
Pro’s:
- PCars is relatively cheap. $50 retail + $50 DLC sounds like a lot, but compared to other sim racing games, it isn’t. Fully investing in “iRacing” could easily cost you $500+ ($10-$15 per car / track, EACH), not to mention the $15 per month subscription.
– Real player with 1179.0 hrs in game
I can thoroughly recommend this game to those with an open mind. Physics wise it’s a very complex sim, not without it’s faults, but other sims that people rate have had major physics rewrites, especially tyre physics. The game is not without faults that much is obvious, the importance of the faults will vary from one person to the next. I couldn’t give a rats hairy crack about multiplayer or league racing, but that’s just me. Others do and for them PCARS falls short and I understand that. But for me the overall experience is excellent.
– Real player with 643.1 hrs in game
Assetto Corsa
A good but slightly long in the tooth simulation that has been constantly injected with new life thanks to incredibly strong modding support from day 1.
Look up Content Manager, Custom Shaders Patch and SOL, all three work together to inject new life into the game.
– Real player with 457.3 hrs in game
good driving simulator for driving enthusiasts looking to go beyond arcade racing games like gt sport or forza. Physics are more challenging, and modding is good. this version of the game is good for gamers looking to try drifting, casual race lobbies, and a wide variety of car and track mods.
pros:
-more realistic physics compared to simcade driving games
-large variety of downloadable tracks and cars online for modding
-good simulator to practice realistic drifting
-challenge modes and single player AI are actually hard
– Real player with 139.4 hrs in game
Vector 36
The first fifty hours, they were the worst. The second fifty hours, they were the worst too. The third fifty hours I didn’t enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline.
So why play for so many hours if the game’s that appalling?
Ah hah. Ah hah. Taste the soup…
Yes, Vector 36 is actually very good - the first few hours or so are a bit dry figuring out how to build and fly the basic low-powered skimmer and getting enough credits from racing to buy the next one (the Phi 90 - a lot more fun; a bit like an underpowered sports car). Keep plugging away and eventually you get the Quill which has buckets of speed, handles well and doesn’t require too much modification (I suggest a larger fuel tank and an extra radiator or two). This machine is fun to fly and wins the races. There is also a faster beast (that looks like a fish, moves like a fish,) but it steers - like - a - cow.
– Real player with 318.9 hrs in game
TL,DR:
hardcore skimmer (compare: multicopter) racing SIMULATION, science fiction setting, difficult but rewarding. deep game.
~
after playing this game to the death the last few weeks I think it’s time for me to write a review. I keep it short and focus only on points that make this game special to me:
the physics and the controls are great, the handling is nuanced, complex and, yeah, I assume: realistic. though it’s all science fiction, it really is a simulation.
that makes the game hard and unforgiving at the beginning - the learning curve is really pretty steep. but once you get the hang of the controls and learn how to build a skimmer that’s to your liking, racing it becomes just glorious.
– Real player with 123.0 hrs in game