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The first thing that grabs you about X-Plane on loading it for the first time is its no-nonsense emphasis on flight. After a run-of-the mill splashscreen and loading screen, X-Plane 8 drops you straight into the cockpit. No flashy UI, no intro movie, just you, a runway and the 2D pit. Speaking of the UI, it's… well… a little unfortunate. All of the sim's options are reached via a menu at the top of the screen, in a move reminiscent of Microsoft's Flight Simulator series. That's about where the similarity ends, though; while Flight Sim has a relatively friendly series of interface screens, the interface of X-Plane is decidedly clunky, and perhaps intimidating to those that are a little unsure of the 'under the hood' detail which is able to be manipulated.

The utilitarian nature of X-Plane is reflected in many other aspects of the sim, most notably in the implementation of the scenery, and detail in the cockpit. In another unavoidable comparison to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, the terrain of X-Plane comes off as slightly raw and lacking polish. While X-Plane models the entire world, as does Flight Sim, the newer 'version 8' scenery only covers the continental United States. While the version 8 scenery is remarkably accurate, it feels a little stale - sure, cities and roads are rendered with excruciating detail, but the world otherwise still takes on the appearance of a hilly billiard table for the most part. Flight Sim 2004 may be less accurate, but it feels a lot more convincing.

The cockpits in X-Plane are yet another dichotomous experience. The 2D pits which are included for the majority of aircraft are very good: the clarity and authenticity of the gauges for the most part are excellent, and are certainly a step above those included with Flight Sim 2004. Where X-Plane drops the ball is in the implementation of the 3D 'pit. In a major sticking point for this reviewer, the majority of included planes simply omit this feature; the few freeware aircraft we tried out that included a 3D pit were of very low quality compared to what is available for Flight Sim 2004. The system for moving the eyepoint in the 3D pit seemed very unwieldy and difficult to set up, in the end we resorted to using the keyboard for this function as opposed to the more intuitive hat switches on the flight controller. If you're like yours truly, and spend most of your flight time firmly in the 3D pit, this issue is obviously going to be a major headache for you - for now at any rate. If you spend all of your time in the 2D pit or in the external view, however, you'll doubtless be happy as Larry.

While it may seem like all bad news for X-Plane so far, there are several areas where the sim really shines, the most obvious being the modelling of flight. X-Plane 8 has what is perhaps the most convincing flight model ever experienced in a PC simulation, and that's saying something. The light aircraft feel and behave like light aircraft, and, in a complete departure from Flight Sim 2004, the heavier jet aircraft now feel convincingly like a train with wings, instead of a scaled up version of the light aircraft with more inertia added. VTOL aircraft and helicopters are also modelled with a degree of accuracy previously only seen in dedicated study sims of the subject matter.

Weather modelling is also very well done. Wind, thermals, and even wake turbulence are all modelled with stunning complexity, making activities like powerless gliding a possibility straight out of the box. X-Plane, like Flight Sim 2004, includes an option to download real-world weather from the Internet. This feature seems somewhat better implemented and more realistic in X-Plane, the weather seems like an active flying challenge rather than something pretty to look at.

The real gold of X-Plane lies in its 'what-if' capability. Included are several of the world's more interesting and esoteric aeroplanes such as the X-15 rocket aircraft, which is capable of reaching low-earth orbit, and the Space Shuttle, which is pretty much only useful for getting back down again. The effects of tropo- and strato-sphere are all accurately modelled, and a set of high-res earth textures that kick in when you reach the edge of space really add to the experience. Earth isn't the only atmosphere accurately modelled; X-Plane includes a simulated Martian environment sure to offer a challenge to even the most hardened flight sim fan.

Besides the included fanciful aeroplanes, X-Plane comes with an included 'plane builder for all you wannabe aeronautical engineers out there. Anything you can imagine can be designed and flown in X-Plane. The beauty of this system is that the flight dynamics of your aircraft are calculated in real time, based on the shape of the aircraft. If it can fly in X-Plane, you can be pretty sure it will in real life as well. While we haven't had a great deal of personal experience with the plane builder, it's been described to us variously as "amazingly cool, powerful and friendly" and "the most obtuse, annoying piece of software ever written!" Which, we think, sums up the entire X-Plane experience quite nicely.