Your code name is Maverick. There are still a few minutes before the Sun begins to rise in the east, the temperature is very low and the humidity and saltpeter impregnate everything. It is not yet day but the pace of activity on deck is already feverish, with the noise, the smell of fuel and the choreography of people in different colored overalls vying for your attention. Tension and testosterone are so thick they can be cut with a knife and fork, and what for others would be an untenable situation aboard an aircraft carrier near the Strait of Hormuz, for you it’s just another day at work.
Anyone whose childhood and/or adolescence took place in the eighties, inevitably and even if he is the most anti-war person in the world, let his imagination run wild and, after enjoying the adventures and misadventures of Maverick, the protagonist from top guns, imagined himself at the controls of an impressive F-14. Whether it was on a mission flying over enemy territory, on maneuvers or taking a “pass” to the control tower to annoy the controllers, we all wanted to put ourselves in the shoes of Maverick, even if it was just for a little while and with our eyes closed.
Now, although decades have passed and many of us are already combing gray hair, the final premiere, after being postponed several times, of Top Gun: Maverick, has undoubtedly scratched in the trunk of memories and has made us imagine ourselves again, for a few minutes , in the skin of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. With an important difference, yes, with respect to what was experienced in the eighties. And it is that this time we have Microsoft Flight Simulator to really compensate us.
And it is that Microsoft and Asobo already announced at Gamescon 2021 that, simultaneously with the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, they would release a free DLC that would include an F-18/A and several challenges typical of this fighter and the context of the film. Thus, with the film already released, Microsoft Flight Simulator players who wish can now download this expansion and, in this way, enjoy this new content.
Among them we will find, how could it be otherwise, the having to land on an aircraft carrierbut also high-speed and low-altitude flights and similar challenges, which are a bit far from the standard proposal of the Microsoft simulator, but which will undoubtedly provide an extra dose of adrenaline to those who dare to face them, and of which it stands out especially , in addition to landing on an aircraft carrier, a stratospheric flight, which is contextualized because in the new movie Maverick has been working as a test pilot for years.
The expansion is now available both for the installable version of the game and for those who prefer to play it through the Xbox Cloud, and, after a few minutes trying it (which will soon become hours) I can confirm something that I was already expecting, and that it is not a bad thing but that you should know. The F-18 flying experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator is a lot of fun and challenging, but don’t expect a realistic model of the popular fighter. This is something that we can already clearly see in large aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 or the Boeing 747, and that is logically repeated in this F-18.
I clarify, yes, that I make this indication as good news. A realistic F-18 simulator requires at least a few weeks of training just to get the plane up and running, perform basic flight, and return to the ground reasonably safely. The experience that Microsoft Flight Simulator offers us is an accessible, fun and exciting proposal for the general public and, in my opinion, that makes it a success for those who want to put themselves, for a few minutes or a few hours, in the shoes of a Top Gun.
More information: Microsoft
