X-Plane 9 (PC)

A great simulator, but less of a game. This will keep the budding aerospace engineer busy for hours as the software comes with tools to create your own aircraft, scenery, buildings etc. Because of the way it works the software actually simulated the aircraft, most flight 'games' just use preset files to describe flight behaviour, but X-plane actually uses the 3D model of the aircraft, so a new shape means a new flight characteristic.

However the low budget development means that some of the bells and whistles of more polished rivals (FSX) are absent. Mostly this doesn't matter and the gap between FSX and X-Plane is now very narrow in terms of polish and features. Overall I prefer X-Plane to FSX, it is in the end all about flight which is far better modelled in X-plane, and now with version 9 the view out the cockpit rivals FSX.

My only gripe is the lack of wide-screen support in the cockpits supplied with X-Plane, this will no doubt come as wide-screens are increasingly common and add realism (better peripheral vision).

Edit September 09

OK so first off I don't often get around to using X-Plane (X-P) these days. That is more to do with having two kids than any flaw with the software. What I didn't say in my previous review was that if given a choice between FSX and X-P I will always go for X-P. Add to this the fact that there are an enormous number of freeware files now available for X-P. Because X-P comes with all the software you need to begin creating planes and scenery there is a large community of enthusiasts pumping out various freeware add-ons, some of which is full professional quality. However the one downside of X-P relative to FSX is the degree to which system engineering is typically simulated. In FSX it is possible to buy add-ons like the PDGM 747 which simulated nearly every button on the flight deck. X-P is simply not that sort of software, it has a handful of active controls in most cockpits and that is all. X-P does simulate radio stacks, RADAR, autopilot, and the basic controls, but generally no more than that. Whereas FSX allows full FMU and FADEC simulation as well as complex failure mode control, basically it can allow the entire flight deck of even the most complex, highly automated, modern airplane to be fully simulated. So it comes down to what you are looking for in a flight sim, accurate flight models that are calculated directly from the three dimensional shape of the model or faithful virtual cockpits which simulate all the aircraft systems and functions. If you want to simulate flying an airliner (IFR type) as accurately as possible with all the complexity and sophistication of the real thing (but relatively tame handling) then go with FSX. If you want accurate flight modelling, airframe simulation, and seat of the pants (VFR type) flying in small airplanes then X-P may be more suited, especially if you want to have ago at designing your own planes and then testing them out.

For the majority of people FSX is probably the better choice, but if you have a deeper interest in aerospace and aircraft design, you may find X-P ultimately more rewarding. With prices for both falling I would suggest buying both - thats what I did and I love them both.

This is the third version of X-Plane I have brought. I am an MS Flight Simulator fan, but have always enjoyed the extra challenge that X-Plane gives you. For those who have never played it, X-Plane uses a very realistic physics engine to create flight dynamics that are about the best you can get outside a multi-million-pound simulator. It has in the past however, been let down by having too many bugs and poor graphics. It has (to me at least) been worth buying because it enabled you to land the space shuttle, on aircraft carriers, and many other things MS Flight Simulator couldn't do.

X Plane 9 has massively improved graphics. This includes reflective water, much, much, much better textures and general environments including far more detail on buildings. It also has full virtual-cockpits and 60GB of scenery spanning the world. X Plane has also kept its challenges; you can attempt a re-entry and landing with a space shuttle, land a helicopter on a frigate and many other things. Aircraft 'feel' more realistic and more challenging to fly than in Flight Simulator X, which is great for someone that plays these games often, perhaps not for someone that doesn't.

X Plane really does have its merits, but unfortunately there are also many problems. One of the biggest one is the progress made by its biggest rival; FSX. X Plane 9 has great graphics.. FSX is better. X Plane lets you land on aircraft carriers, etc.. FSX now lets you do many of those things. Whats more, apart from visual improvements there aren't really many improvements from the last version. What compounds this is accessibility; whereas FSX was clearly designed for beginners as well as more experienced players, X Plane obviously wasn't; there is a total lack of clear instructions and the interface is at times very confusing.

I have loved previous versions of X Plane because of the wider variety of aircraft and situations you can fly in compare to MS Flight Simulator. I would love to say I still feel like that, but the problem is while FSX has improved on previous version a lot, X-Plane 9 hasn't. In fact with the new content in FSX, X Plane has lost a lot of what has made it unique and ultimately, worth buying.

First of all I would like to say something about Amazon.co.uk service. I ordered the game on tuesday evening and on friday I had it on my hands. As I live in Portugal, quite far from UK, a 5/5 star review to this Amazon great service is totally fair.

About the game, for those who are fans of flight simulation games, this title is much more than a simulation game, it is for sure a precise semi-professional simulation tool. Aerospace engineers will be delighted with the huge set of options this title offers, so do real pilots who wish to improve their flight skills over a real flight model.

Disregard all negative reviews you read about the bad quality of the graphics as they are not fair at all. Version 9 of X-Plane is as good, if not better then other comercial flight simulation games. For the same graphics quality you get a much faster, solid and fluid platform than the usual flight simulation games offer. If you have an average hardware and you want to play without sacrifying the complexity of the scenario, I totally recommend this tittle.