Realistic flying simulation games -- I need recommendations

[szatanica]

My Dear Nerds :)

I'm reaching out to you as I wanted to get into flight simulators or games that recreate flying be it on Earth or Solar System/Cosmos related location. Here are some aspects I think I would want to the game to have, however take it with a grain of salt, as I really never have tried that types of games before so my so called needs might not be realistic, recommended or making sense.:)
Also, please, be kind, I might have silly view on what these games can do :D

1. I'd love to experience real life looking scenery, so as realistic as it can be.
2. Physics - it would be nice for the game to be physics accurate, but if I wanted to experience the sensation of flying between objects in the Solar System, I guess, that's not something I would even be able to distinguish :) Remember Mass Effect?
3. Possibility of VR compatibility. I am strongly considering getting a VR set, so maybe there are titles specifically designed for that purpose? I'd love to have immersive experiences of the universe, not knowing where is up, where is down, have this kind of "lost in space" sensation :)
4. I'm currently MAC based only. I'd like to start with that. If I get into this more, I can consider upgrading my equipment, money is not really big of an issue, although spending an equivalency of a new motorcycle on computer sh** is not high on my list these days :D

Now, are there games like that with the story/narrative as well?

I have to start somewhere :) I will appreciate any ideas you might have.

[Chill-Out-Zone]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128920/EVERSPACE_2/

[MadZec]

Not fan of those.... but here are some that came on my mind. Bare in mind last two are not simulations but still fun flying games

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator_40th_Anniversary_Edition/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2014780/XPlane_12/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/502500/ACE_COMBAT_7_SKIES_UNKNOWN/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/895870/Project_Wingman/

[J4MESOX4D]

The latest Microsoft Flight Simulator uses Bing Maps to generate real terrain spanning most of the globe - I can even land a helicopter in my own back garden in the game for instance. It's quite demanding but it's a remarkable experience at times and very user-friendly with varying handicap/assist settings
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2206998301
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2212317328
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2205920800

[Jackie Paper]

Opprinnelig skrevet av MadZec:

Not fan of those.... but here are some that came on my mind. Bare in mind last two are not simulations but still fun flying games

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator_40th_Anniversary_Edition/

This is probably your best option. But make sure you have either a full keyboard or a controller. It's still possible to play without a NUM pad but it's kind of annoying. The best thing about MFS is that you can fly over your own home, but it uses a lot of bandwidth.

[szatanica]

Thank you everyone for the ideas, however I mentioned I have Mac, and the proposed titles are almost all Windows based :) I do not plan to buy a whole new computer just yet, but I will keep the ideas you suggested.

Any flying outer space games you know about? Now necessarily a real-life simulations..

[Ogami]

Opprinnelig skrevet av szatanica:

Thank you everyone for the ideas, however I mentioned I have Mac, and the proposed titles are all Windows based :) I do not plan to buy a whole new computer just yet, but I will keep the ideas you suggested.

You could get Xbox Gamepass for PC, it includes a streaming option that lets you play all the games on Gamepass via browser streaming.
And Microsoft Flight Simulator is included in the PC Gamepass.
That also works on MAC.

https://technclub.com/guides/xbox-game-pass-on-m1-mac/

[Viper1970]

If you want it really realistic, here are some recommendations, but most want run on a MAC.


Civilian-Flightsim:

MSFS, X-Plane 11 or 12

Military-Flightsim:

DCS World & Modules, IL-2 Battle Of Stalingrad & Addons, IL-2 Cliffs Of Dover

Space-Flightsim:

Rentry An Orbital Simulator, Go For Launch: Mercury

[8mob8]

im n2s how many play it anymore but rise of flight is good and possibly the best ww1 flight sim...classic and imo one of the best is still red baron 3D but will take some hoops to jump thro to play it.

the sim flight battles in war thunder can be pretty good esp the ww2 era...battles are hours long with destroyable objectives like ships, tanks, ect, and even has a carrier one can launch naval aircraft from.

IL2 series of games might be worth looking into...had alot of fun just jumping into dog fight matches in the older one.

sadly its like racing sims...each one does something great that the others done but none really encompasses everything one would want

[Thermal Lance]

If you want one you will have ton of fun while being on the cheap. Just get a copy of Falcon Gold on GOG. It includes Falcon 4.0

Then download Falcon BMS. It even has a true dynamic campaign. Not some make believe.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=658ax0y8KHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UayVlUyEO5s

[Viper1970]

Not that much realistic, but still a lot of fun are the Thirdwire simulations Strike Fighters Project 2 - Complete Edition (Vietnam until Cold War) and First Eagles 2 (WWI). There exist also tons off Addons & Mods on Combat Ace. But they are not available on Steam, only at the Thirdwire homepage. And all of them are without DRM. They run without any problems on Windows 10 too.

[Viper1970]

And don't forget the good old MS FSX (maybe the Steam Edition). It runs smooth on modern machines and is still unbeatable when it comes to aircraft and scenery addons. There exist nearly every aircraft you ever dreamed to fly and for many of them there are real realistic models available. With some FX-addons it still looks very good today.

Aerofly FS4 is also nice, especially if you are flying in VR, but it still lacks real AI-Traffic (no aircraft on taxiways until now - they only fly arround and dissapear after landing :- ( ) It still needs some work until it is a good simulator.

[szatanica]

Thank you all, I'll check all this out! :)

[MadZec]

Elite Dangerous maybe?