Nailing down any one aspect of PC gaming is challenging, but it’s that diversity that really makes it shine. Let’s check out the 30 best PC games that have stood out through the decades.

Sons of the Forest

The first rule of playing Sons of the Forest is to experience the original if only to appreciate its story-telling and how things work. Then dive into the sequel and really start to grasp all the different tools that Endnight Games has offered, from solar-powered golf karts and hang-gliders (with launch pads) to an extensive range of firearms, new melee weapons, and mechanics, like AI helpers and a revamped building system. Though its narrative won’t quite hook you, the sheer amount of stuff to do on the island – inhumane and otherwise – provides hours of fun.

CAREER MODE

The biggest addition in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is its Career mode. Players will be able to start out as a rookie pilot at any airport in the world they choose, and after taking their lessons there from a mentor, will begin advancing through their aviation career. Progressing through a certification tree will allow you to learn new skills that, in turn, will let you fly new kinds of aircraft, while new, more advanced mission types will also become available later in your career.

MISSION TYPES

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also set to offer players a much, much larger variety of mission types than the 2020 title, which means you’ll be asked to use your aviation skills in many different kinds of aircraft, and for many different purposes. Different mission types will include search and rescue, cargo transport, commercial flights, firefighting, cropdusting, skydiving, weather recon, experimental aircraft testing, and many, many others.

NEW AIRCRAFT

This should go without saying, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also going to expand on the 2020 title’s already sizeable roster of aircraft with even more new options. In total, the game will have over 120 aircraft at launch across its multiple editions, and of these, over 40 will be entirely new additions that we didn’t get to fly in the 2020 title.

WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENT IMPROVEMENTS

The aircraft that you’ll be flying will obviously be the stars of the show in Flight Sim 2024, but the game is also going the extra mile with its recreation of our entire planet in its continued drive for authenticity. Weather elements like storms, tornadoes, the full flow of seasons, and more have been added, as well as environmental elements such as aurora borealis, snow, and more.

LIVING WORLD IMPROVEMENTS

There are plenty more elements that Flight Sim 2024’s world touts to make players more immersed in the authenticity of its world. For instance, players will now spot live worldwide air traffic as well as ship traffic, while the game is also promising improvements to vehicle traffic and a greater variety in character models, so expect to see passengers in trains and ships, people moving about airports, and even “locally significant vehicles”, as Microsoft puts it. You will also find fresh elements such as oil rigs, helipads, and more scattered throughout what Microsoft and developer Asobo Studio have dubbed the game’s “digital twin” for Earth.

STATIC WORLD IMPROVEMENTS

We’re not yet done talking about the many improvements players can expect in Flight Sim 2024 compared to the 2020 game. From 3D tessellated ground materials to enhanced 3D tree models with greater diversity, the upcoming entry is promising visual improvements in a number of areas, which means players can expect much more detailed environments.

WILDLIFE

Another major addition that is promising to bring the game’s world alive is wildlife. Working with Planet Zoo developer Frontier Developments, Flight Sim 2024’s dev team has added a bunch of different wildlife species into the game. As you’re flying around the globe, you’ll spot many different kinds of animals, and the species that you’ll spot will, of course, depend on where in the world you find yourself. You can also expect realistic herds and migration patterns, and hell, you can even cows and sheep with helicopters.

CHALLENGE LEAGUE

Career mode, which we spoke of earlier, is clearly one of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s headlining additions, but another one that a fair few players are likely to be interested in is Challenge League. For those looking for content with a competitive edge, Challenge League will see you going up against other pilots in a variety of different mission types, including air races, rally races, low altitude challenges, precision landings, and more.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is looking like it’ll make a concerted effort to offer players different ways to engage with the game. Career mode is obviously one, while Challenge League is another. Meanwhile, the photography fanatics will probably gravitate towards World Photographer mode, which will task players with visiting different locations and landmarks around the globe to capture photos, complete challenges, and record their travels. This game in particular is one that brings out the photography nut in a lot of us, thanks to its virtual tourism aspect, so World Photographer mode certainly sounds like an ideal fit.

PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING

Flight Sim 2020 was admirably dedicated to its mission of being the most authentic flight simulator it could be, but not having in-built pre-flight planning systems was a bit of a bummer for a number of enthusiasts out there. In the upcoming entry, however, players can expect extensive flight planning, entailing planning your routes across different kinds of map layers, fuel and payload planning, briefing for weather, and much more. From short and snappy flights to more complex and elaborate routes, Microsoft says the game’s new pre-flight planning tools will give players plenty of flexibility and options.

FLEET MANAGEMENT

Flight Sim 2024 is also introducing fleet management elements into the proceedings- or, at the very least, a greater emphasis on such elements. As you progress deeper into the game, your fleet of owned aircraft will slowly expand, and managing and maintaining each individual aircraft will become a key part of the experience. You will be managing the warranties and management costs of your aircraft yourself, which means you’re also going to have to be that much more careful with how you fly them.

CLOUD-POWERED STREAMING

One of the biggest barriers to entry with Flight Sim 2020 was the game’s ridiculously massive installation size, and that, too, is an area where Flight Sim 2024 is looking to make improvements. Microsoft has confirmed that the game will have an installation size of just about 30 GB, because the vast majority of the assets and elements needed for the game will be streamed via the cloud, with only a small portion of the game’s more necessary elements being installed locally. Of course, that could potentially pose problems of its own, but hopefully it will be a net positive.

WALKING AROUND

Obviously, flying different kinds of aircraft around the world is what we’re coming to Flight Sim for, but Flight Sim 2024 is going to go the extra mile by allowing players to step outside of their aircraft at any time. Whenever you want, you can land your plane (or whatever it is that you’re flying), step outside, and walk around as your human avatar. Do you want to take a closer look at some of the many landmarks scattered throughout the world? Want to get up close and personal with some local wildlife? Want to walk around an airport to see just how detailed the game’s recreation of it is? Flight Sim 2024 is going to let you do just that.

Specifically, the newest world update adds Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to Microsoft Flight Simulator’s map. A new trailer, which you can check out below, offers glimpses of the many new real-world locations that the update brings, from Berlin and Postdam in Germany, to Salzburg and Vienna in Austria, to Zurich and Bern in Switzerland, and more. The update is out today, and available for free for all players. 

Additionally, Microsoft has also released a new plane as paid DLC. The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor joins the game’s roster of aircraft with three different liveries available, and is being sold for $14.99. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what it looks like in flight. 

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. 

The latest free update for Microsoft Flight Simulator has, in fact, added another new city to the game. Las Vegas and its surrounding landscapes can now be explored in-game in the level of detail and fidelity we’ve come to expect from Flight Sim. Microsoft has released a new trailer that offers glimpses at a number of Las Vegas’ many landmarks and recognizable locations that you’re going to be able to fly your plane to, including the Sphere, the Las Vegas Strip, the Stratosphere Tower, and more. Check it out below.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Xbox Series X/S and PC, and its Las Vegas update is available now for free. Meanwhile, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will launch later this year on November 19.

While you can still explore the world through your aerial vehicle (including hot air balloons), the new career options present more focused activities. You can run a VIP Charter Service, escorting VIPs to locations, or help the environment through Aerial Firefighting and Agricultural Aviation. You can also transport cargo with planes and helicopters, engage in search and rescue missions, and more.

The sheer range of activities is impressive, but there’s also a Photo Mode for admiring the environment and its creatures. Based on its predecessor, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 looks like a massive experience players should lose hundreds of hours in. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

As many have guessed in the hours that have passed since Microsoft unveiled these plans, however, it seems like the company may have more than the four unnamed titles planned for multiplatform releases. That’s as per The Verge, with a report on the outlet claiming that Microsoft has also been “weighing up” multiplatform releases for Gears of War, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the next DOOM game (rumoured to be titled DOOM Year Zero), and that a final decision regarding those games has yet to be made- which means there’s a chance that they do eventually end up on PlayStation or Switch in the future.

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, Gears of War was one of several major Xbox games rumoured to be part of the company’s multiplatform plans, while similar claims were also made for Indiana Jones– though the latter, at least, has been dispelled by Microsoft (at least for the time being).

It’s also unknown what the four games that will be going multiplatform are going to be, though reports have claimed they are Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves.

Players will be given control of the Royal Atreides Ornithopter—a special ultra-performance variant of the regular Ornithopter—allowing players to make use of its fast acceleration, high speeds, and precise maneuverability as they explore the dunes of Arrakis.

The expansion features three tutorials, teaching players how they can take-off, land, and freefall in the new aircraft. Having completed the tutorials, players can then attempt six new activities: five time trials, and a rescue mission involving a massive sandstorm.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game is slated to get a follow-up this year, bringing new career paths and more gameplay features.

Among the cities added to Microsoft Flight Simulator are some of the most well-known cities from the European continent. This includes cities like The Hague in Netherlands, Brussels in Belgium, Košice in Slovakia, Zagreb in Croatia, and Cádiz in Spain.

The new cities added to the game were created by making use of the latest geographic information that the studio could get its hands on, as well as triangulated irregular network surface modeling, which brings an extra level of fidelity to these European cities.

The update is available for free to all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator across PC and Xbox.

Earlier this year, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was unveiled, which will bring with it new features like career mode, which allows players to live out various flight-based careers, such as aerial firefighters or search and rescue teams.

Announced during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will include new features, such as the option for career modes, like aerial firefighters, search and rescue teams, helicopter and cargo transporters, air ambulances, agricultural aviation, mountain rescue teams, skydiving aviation, aerial construction, and industrial cargo transportation, among many others.

These new career modes will likely feature some sort of progression system allowing players to move forward in their chosen career path. Players will also be able to get their hands on hot air balloons and experimental airplanes.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is slated for release in 2024, and will be available on PC and Xbox Game Pass on launch.

World Update XIII for Microsoft Flight Simulator features Polynesia (Hawaii and Easter Island), Melanesia (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Indonesia’s West Papua, and the Solomon Islands), the Galapagos Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

In its entirety, the update features 13 countries and 28 non-sovereign territories. The update will feature assets based on the latest aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and digital elevation modelling data. The update also features 150 points of interest throughout the regions, some of which include:

• Four series of Moai monoliths on Easter Island
• The Autograph Tower – the tallest building in Indonesia and the Southern Hemisphere
• A series of Antarctic research bases including McMurdo Station, Scott Base, and Davis Station
• The Point Venus Lighthouse on Tahiti

The update will also feature more than 12 hand-made airports, including:

• A collection of highlands dirt airstrips in Papua New Guinea
• Easter Island’s Mataveri International Airport (SCIP)
• Hawaii’s Kona International Airport (PHKO)
• Nusatupe Airport (AGGN) on the Solomon Islands
• Bora Bora Airport (NTTB) in French Polynesia
• Moorea Airpot (NTTM) in French Polynesia

And finally, it will will feature a host of new discovery flights, three new landing challenges, and three new bush trips.

World Update XIII: Oceania and Antarctica is out now for Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.