PC Critic Reviews

If you're hunting for the ultimate flight sim or learning tool then look no further.

For novice “simmers” you may be taken aback by the sheer amount of details and realistic gameplay, but veterans should be hungry for more sooner than later.

Even though it is better looking and easier to grasp than any flight sim to date, X-Plane feels unfinished. Serious fans of flight sims will enjoy X-Plane, while casual fans may want to wait for a more streamlined interface, hopefully in "X-Plane 9."

While lacking in 3D-cockpits and graphics quality, X-Plane's flight model is second to none. The game can be modified and extended almost without limits. [Sept. 05]

Even if you have a previous version, the new features in version 8 more than justify the upgrade price.

Sure, you can fly a zeppelin on Mars if you want, but aside from slightly more responsive flap settings, blowier wind (to use the technical term) and a guest appearance from Stephen Hawking as the voice of air traffic control (joke), X-Plane offers very little that Microsoft's doesn't already do both prettier and more intuitively.