Parents' Guide to

Flight Simulator X

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

The latest Flight Simulator game is the best yet.

Game Windows 2006
Flight Simulator X Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

GTALover1997
GTALover1997 Parent of 10-year-old
October 20, 2019
age 9+

Not as bad as other parents say it is

If you watch out for people on the chat or just turn off chat completely this is a really good experience for kids and is a recommendation if they are interested in this type of stuff.

This title has:

Great role models
Easy to play/use
HunterClash V.
HunterClash V. Adult
August 3, 2017
age 8+

Amazing!

I disagree with the fact that this is not for kids because it is too hard. I am an actual pilot. This "game" is very sophisticated. But: I know that my son is obsessed with airplanes. I gave him this for christmas when he was 9. He is 12 now, and he flies the PMDG 777 I bought him very well, using the FMC, lnav rnav ils everything! He was 9 and could fly planes! I will just say that this is for any age, if your child likes planes.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Microsoft Game Studios' ambitious FLIGHT SIMULATOR X lets gamers fly two-dozen commercial aircraft -- from the giant Boeing 747-400 to the deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane and the Bell 206B Helicopter -- with incredibly lifelike graphics that include authentically re-created cockpits, airports, and scenery (even cars and livestock). Players can even choose a season, time of day, the weather conditions, and more. In addition to free-flight modes -- either starting in the air or working with air traffic control to follow protocol and take off from a busy airport -- players can accept more than 50 challenging missions. These missions include successfully completing a transatlantic flight, demonstrating an Airbus A321 at the Paris Air show, dropping relief materials in the Congo, and landing a stunt plane on top of a moving school bus.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (16):

Talk about attention to detail: the game lets you fly to or from more than 24,000 airports on seven continents. But be forewarned: Players must install two full DVD-ROMs on a Windows-based machine, totaling an incredible 14 gigabytes of hard drive space. What's more, installation takes about 35 minutes, and another 10 minutes to launch the first time you play. After this, however, it's smooth sailing.

Gamers can join other players online, where one chooses to fly the plane while others assume the role of co-pilot, air traffic control, and so on -- while chatting via a headset. If you don't own a flight stick peripheral, you can easily use a regular console-like gamepad. A recommended pick is the Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller for Windows ($29.99).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges commercial pilots face, including poor weather conditions, busy airports, and fuel management. Because you can fly to and from more than 24,000 airports around the world, not to mention take on more than 50 specific missions, families can discuss how important it is for pilots to understand world geography.

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Microsoft
  • Release date: October 18, 2006
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: E for Everyone
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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