Gamestock 2001: Hands-onFlight Simulator 2002

Surprisingly, one of the most visually impressive PC games at Gamestock wasn't Relic's Sigma or Gas Powered Games' Dungeon Siege--it was Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002. The graphics are markedly improved over the Flight Simulator 2000 series, thanks in large part to technology that Microsoft incorporated from last year's Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater. That game was also shown at Gamestock for the first time last year, and attendees were astounded by the amount of detail that its plane models contained.

That same level of detail has been carried over into the planes in Flight Simulator 2002, which now boast visible rivets, treaded tires, and even some signs of wear and tear. The game will let you pilot a number of different planes including a Learjet, a Cessna 172S Skyhawk, a Boeing 737-800, and the mighty Boeing 747-400. Of course, the game is completely open-ended, so enthusiasts will be able to model and import their favorite civil, commercial, and military aircraft into Flight Simulator 2002. Each of these planes really look spectacular--one look at the screenshots in the image gallery will convince you of the stunning detail with which Microsoft has crafted each of the game's airplane models. The same is true of these planes' cockpits, which are now completely modeled in 3D. Every knob, gauge, stick, and yoke can be interacted with and will realistically move to correspond with your control inputs. They'll even cast shadows onto each other when the sun hits your cockpit at the right angle. While inside the cockpit, you'll also be able to use the POV hat on your joystick to look around the cabin of your plane and at the scenery outside.

Even more impressive was the game's terrain engine, which can really be appreciated while flying over mountainous landscapes. Hills and peaks cast shadows onto valleys below, and the textures remain crisp even while you're flying at a very low altitude. Microsoft has implemented a new technology called AutoGen that renders objects to populate the landscape directly below and around your aircraft on the fly. This removes the need for designers to individually hand-code objects like trees, houses, and buildings onto the terrain. AutoGen is set up so that as you fly toward a more populace area, the density of the objects will dynamically increase, and as you fly away from cities, the number of objects will automatically decrease.

Another new feature of Flight Simulator 2002 is the interactive air traffic control component. The skies of this game will be crowded with computer-controlled aircraft of all sorts, and as such, you'll need to constantly get clearance for things like taxiing, taking off, landing, and obtaining new vectors. Players will even be able to assume the role of an air traffic controller and direct other players around the skies as part of Flight Simulator 2002's multiplayer component.

Like Flight Simulator 2000, 2002 will release in standard and professional packages, the latter of which will ship with detailed modeling tools and other complicated features for the dedicated flight buff. Both versions of the game will be out this fall.