From the moment our demo loaded, it instantly became clear that this isn't going to be your father's Flight Simulator. The demo took place in an eye-popping tropical paradise that featured sandy beaches, lush foliage, and crystal clear waters. One could seemingly see miles into the distance with perfect clarity, and there wasn't a bit of pop-in throughout the demo. Michael Gilbert, the game's Program Manager, zoomed in on the helicopter we'd be flying in to show off the stunning lighting engine. As he rotated the camera around the chopper, you could see reflections off of the windows, and there was even a bit of color change depending on the angle the fuselage was viewed from. There's no denying that this will be one of the best looking PC games ever released.

The first thing that we noticed when Michael took off was the fact that he was actually using an Xbox 360 controller (a PC-compatible USB version has been available for a few months now),rather than the joystick that many people prefer. He confessed that while he was a longtime joystick user, the 360 controller just felt more natural and made precise controls a bit easier. While flying around, he mentioned that while the previous games featured unrealistically sterile environments, the processing power found in today's high-end PCs makes it possible for the developers to create a living, breathing world. Flocks of birds flew through the air, dolphins frolicked in the surf, and cars drove down the roads we cruised over. All of it contributed to making the game much more immersive than its predecessors.