First things first, I just want to post my specs:
Pentium D 2.8 Ghz
1 Gig SDRAM
GeForce 6600 128MB
I purchased FSX two days ago after much debate with myself about whether or not I really wanted to upgrade. FS9 was runnning great on my middle-of-the-road PC, and I just knew that FSX wouldn't measure up to my expectations. I was wrong. While it doesn't run as well as FS9 did, it does perform decently on my computer, but for the slight loss in performance, I gain much more.
The first thing I did after starting up FSX was going to KJXI, my home airport, and going for a round in the 172. I noticed a very lengthy load time, and after about a minute or two, the sim finally loaded and I was on the ramp in the plane. The virtual cockpit looked stunning, as did the world outside of the craft, but I was getting a slide show since I had most of the graphics settings maxed out. I reduced some of the settings, namely the mesh complexity, texture resolution, all traffic sliders, and some of the weather sliders. I also turned off light bloom. The reduction in the quality of the picture yielded a better-performing FSX, and it still looked pretty good. The most noticeable visual feature for me is probably the impeccable organization of the auto-gen scenery, and the very clean looking lines of the aircraft. Overall, the visuals in the game are very pleasing, and with the capabilities of next-gen video cards and DirectX10, the graphical quality and performance can only improve.
The second thing I immediately noticed about the sim was the flight dynamics. I can't really describe the difference, but as a real world pilot of little experience, I can say that the flight characteristics are noticably different, and much more realistic. Turns, stalls, climbs, and decents all feel much more realistic. Taxiing, takeoff, and landing also feel much different. Again, you have to experience this game for yourself to understand what I am saying, but when you play, you will immediately notice the difference. The game is worth the cost for the improved flight characteristics alone.
One thing about this sim that I at first saw as a huge gimmick is the mission system, but after trying out some of the missions, I can say that they really bring a lot to the table as far as making FS have a "point". One mission that I particularly enjoyed was the Executive Transport mission, wherein you transport three business people in a Jetranger over Japan. There is an interesting twist to the mission towards the end, but I will leave that to the reader to discover. I have yet to play one of these missions that I didn't find enjoyable.
All in all, this sim is simply fantastic. It has so much potential that has yet to be tapped, and this is most certainly going to be the best FS EVER. If you haven't already bought it and you are hesitant about the upgrade, by all means, go out and BUY THIS PROGRAM! You will NOT be disappointed.
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