Microsoft Flight Simulatorhas just released a major new update focused on Italy and its surrounding areas. Pilots inMicrosoft Flight Simulatorcan now enjoy the beautifully rendered landscapes and cities as they fly above the skies of Italy in World Update 9.
Microsoft Flight Simulatoris not only one of the longest-running and most well-known flight simulators in the genre but is one of the longest-running franchises in gaming history.Microsoft Flight Simulator1.0was released in 1982 for the IBM PC, and has been continually updated for every gaming generation. Its latest iteration isMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2020, a superbly detailed and immersive flight sim stocked withdozens of realistic planesranging from the acrobatic Aviat Pitts Special biplane to the juggernaut Boeing 747-8 jet airliner. The game features accurate renditions of airports, cities, and landscapes throughout the world and is regularly updated to bring in new locales with improved detail.
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The latestWorld Update forMicrosoft Flight Simulatoris out today, entitled World Update 9: Italy. The update seeks to bring Italy to life with impressive detail throughout the region. The latest geospatial data from digital elevation modeling and aerial and satellite imagery was used to shape the terrain as true to life as possible. Triangulated irregular network (TIN) modeling of 20 cities including Rome, Naples, Venice, and Milan has brought incredible detail to the cities, to the point where Italian players may be able to say “I can see my house from here!” Four Italian airports have been handcrafted by Gaya Simulations, including Palermo Airport in Sicily and Sondrio Airport in southern Tyrol, while Orbx Simulation Systems worked on detailing 100 others. 94 points of interest in Italy and 11 in Malta have been added by Gaya Simulations to make the areas even more immersive.
Microsoft Flight Simulatorfrequently receives updates in the form of new planes, such as theupcomingTop GunDLC aircraft, as well as world updates which refine the locations players visit during their aerial journeys. Using advanced geospatial data gathered from real-world satellite data and other technologies, the game features one of the most realistic depictions of planet Earth ever made. However, flying planes in a simulator as detailed asMicrosoft Flight Simulatoris no simple task, so players have a somewhat steep learning curve to tackle before they can enjoy all the details without crashing spectacularly.
Since the game still has updates and DLC planned for the future, it will be interesting to discover which areas will be fleshed out next time around. In the meantime,Microsoft Flight Simulatormoddersare busy adding their own interesting bits of content to the game to keep things interesting.
Microsoft Flight Simulatoris out now on PC and Xbox Series X|S.
