After Five Years, It's Still The Second Best MS Flight Simulator And Civilian Flight Simulator Overall.
Ironically, FS2004's main strength is it is (now) five years old. Most modern computers that are configured for gaming and equipped with a fast CPU and mid-to-high-end standalone graphics card will have no problem running this game at high resolutions with all the graphical details and effects set to near maximum. This alone makes FS2004 a more viable alternative to casual gamers who want to fly, but don't have top-of-the-line gaming PCs required to run the latest edition of Flight Simulator, MS Flight Simulator X (10), released in 2006.
Also, FS2004's installed disk space is just over three Gigabytes. In contrast, MS Flight Simulator X is 15 Gigabytes when installed. This means FS2004's overall system footprint is much smaller and less taxing on systems as a whole.
In addition to FS2004 not being very resource intensive, it's other main strength lies in the virtual flight model and the open-ended world pilots can fly in compared to previous versions of the series. There are approximately 24,000 airports, big and small, modeled in a virtual world that spans the entire globe. This "sand box" approach has been a staple of the MS Flight series since the beginning, and FS2004 expands and improves on it compared to its predecessors, MS Flight Simulator 2002, and 2000. No longer are virtual pilots limited to just a few airports on various continents. They now have the entire Earth to fly around in and explore at their leisure.
FS2004's main content celebrates 100 years of civilian flight. This includes historic milestones in aviation like the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk, Charles Lindberg crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and other historical flights and scenarios from the 20th century. Not only can you read about these historic flights, but you can also experience them by flying the actual aircraft and following the documented routes their real life counter-parts used when they accomplished these history making flights. If you favor the Golden Age of aviation, before jet engines and modern avionics, then FS2004 is definitely a game for you because its attention to detail and focus on this era is unprecedented.
Conversely, most of FS2004's modern aircraft offerings is pretty standard. Included are single engine GA (General Aviation) planes like Cessnas, twin engine jet planes like Lear jets and of course, large commercial jetliners like 747s and 737s. Two helicopters are also included, the Bell Jet Ranger and a light German Helicopter, but like in previous MS Flight Simulator games these are more of an afterthought to try and vary the number of available aircraft that can be flown. The aerodynamics of the helos are not accurate and as a result, almost impossible to fly. Thankfully, this is where third-party addons, freeware and payware, play a significant role in expanding FS2004's replayability and functionality. There are thousands of aircraft available for download from various websites and this is where FS2004 and most of the MS Flight series true potential is unleashed.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight is an excellent addition to the MS Flight Simulator lineup of games and a very comprehensive flight simulator package overall. Even though it is aging and has slightly below average graphics, it still has a a lot to offer flight simulation fans both new and old. Its celebration of the first 100 years of civilian flight is unique and unparalleled in any flight simulator to date. The ability to fly almost anywhere in the world has been improved on the most in this edition compared to previous versions. Many flight sim communities are still supporting FS2004 after five years with various addons, so this simulator's future still looks bright and beaming with possibilities for years to come.