Not only did I recognize the airport immediately, but also every side street, skyscraper and mountain range that came into view. Besides, Phoenix is gorgeous, especially at sunset - the airport sits at the heart of a desert valley, saguaros and skyscrapers highlighted from the west in brilliant purples and reds. I wanted to see if the map in Flight Simulator would be accurate enough for me to recognize landmarks, follow highways and even spot specific houses. The first location I loaded up was Phoenix, Arizona, my hometown. And, even in pre-alpha, that seems to ring true. But, after soaring around a digital Earth for four hours, casually exploring exotic and familiar locations, it's clear that the game offers plenty more than mere relaxation - though developers at Microsoft and Asobo Studio would recoil at the term 'game.' Flight Simulator is too deeply researched and technically detailed to be anything less than a full-on simulation experience, in their eyes. It feels like Flight Simulatorwas made for exactly this scenario: coming down after a long day. Above, an infinite sky is peppered with layers of mist and clouds. Suddenly, the land below stretches 600km in every direction, alive and dense with realistic detail. As soon as you're in the air, you flip the perspective from inside the cockpit, surrounded by dials and gauges and window frames, to a third-person view just behind the plane. You throttle the small plane forward, straighten out, and take off. The screen boots up and - click, click - it's filled by a long stretch of asphalt backed up by the mechanical hum of a single-engine Cessna.

You grab a drink and sink into the chair in front of your PC. You get home as the sun is setting and close the door behind you, throwing down your keys and sliding off your shoes.

Phoenix flight simulator pc