Flight Unlimited II (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.8 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  T. McDonald
• Reviewed on: 01/20/1998
• Updated on: 05/01/2000
• Released on: 11/30/1997
• Originally published on GameSpot: Flight Unlimited II (PC) Review

Flight Unlimited is a tough act to follow. A detailed physical model, lavish graphics, and a selection of high-performance planes set a new standard for aviation sims. After most of the original team responsible for FU departed, Looking Glass needed to start over and reconceive its product line. It did this by moving away from the aerobatic emphasis of the original FU in order to create a thorough and exacting simulation of civil aviation in one region, with results that are as impressive as they are innovative.

Unlike the thousands of international airports offered by MS Flight Sim (the other major civil-aviation sim), Flight Unlimited II concentrates on 46major airports (and many minor ones) within the confined area of the San Francisco Bay area. This decision cuts two ways. Microsoft Flight Sim folk will undoubtedly be disappointed to find only one region mapped, since they are used to cross-country jaunts. But by narrowing the range, Looking Glass has been able to re-create its little spot of terra firma in exacting detail.

Graphically, it is probably one of the most complex representations of a single region available in any sim. With its 3D-accelerated graphics, terrain and objects flow smoothly on even the higher resolutions, though things do begin to bog down once you go much over 800x600. Software acceleration is also available, providing a good show even without the hardware. The result of all this detail is to provide the pilot with true visual flight rules and terrain following. Navigation with the Mark 1 eyeball is rarely this well implemented. A full complement of locations (Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz) and beautiful scenery makes it all the more enjoyable.

Graphics are only one part of the equation that creates the quite realistic feeling of FU II. Looking Glass has spent a great deal of time perfecting the physics, the instrumentation, and, most importantly, the traffic and tower AI. Instead of the high-performance stunt planes of the original, FU II models some staples of civilian flight: the Beechcraft Baron twin-engine, Piper Arrow single, de Havilland Beaver float plane, P51-D Mustang, and the "Trainer 172" (which looks like a Cessna to me). The performance and handling are top-notch across the board, right down to the weather effects and the unique handling of the Beaver during water takeoffs and landings. These are tight, effective flight models that truly capture the feel of these planes, two of which I've actually flown. Each has a full complement of instruments for true cross-country instrument flying, unlike the simpler cockpits of the original FU.

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