Flight Simulator 2024 lets you exit the plane and walk around ‘like a first-person shooter’ and I couldn’t be more excited

I'm ready for lift off.

An environment in Flight Simulator 2024 showing hot air balloons floating above a savannah full of animals.
Image via Microsoft

Flight Simulator 2024 may seem like a game with a niche audience that won’t stand out to you, but that should change because it sounds absolutely incredible.

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Landing four years after its predecessor, Flight Simulator 2024 is kicking things up a notch with uber-realistic environments. Though that isn’t new to the franchise, exiting the plane and exploring areas likened to a “first-person shooter” certainly is—and it’s resulted in Flight Simulator 2024 surging up my list of the most anticipated titles coming this year.

A plane in flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Plane sailing. Image via Microsoft

In an interview with PCGamer on Aug. 8, Jorge Neumann, the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, lifted the lid on the graphical enhancements coming to the game. Given that the 2020 edition was impressive enough, these additions look set to propel Flight Simulator 2024 into the stratosphere.

The stand-out reveal gave insight into just how detailed the game will be, with the ability to land on every ship on Earth in real-time, with their exact positions coming through transponder signals.

It doesn’t stop there, though, as you can exit your plane and walk around to explore what Neumann described as a “first-person shooter” environment—and this is merely a drop in the ocean on how in-depth these additions are.

Flight Simulator 2024 includes “hundreds of species of animals” alongside every oil rig and lighthouse. The result is uber-realistic environments where the world is your oyster, giving you a clean slate to do what you want.

Flight Simulator 2024 has been on my radar for a while, particularly with the addition of hot air balloons, firefighting, and other jobs. These may provide missions and scenarios for a more casual player like myself to tackle rather than strapping in for a long-haul flight.

The latest reveals have increased my excitement tenfold, and I’m now counting down the days until Flight Simulator 2024 launches on Nov. 19.

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Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.