I to have played this demo, and its amazing how smooth it does run, with all that is going on around you...(I was playing in sim mode, with the sensitivity up about half way) I am not a real life pilot, so im not going to sit here and say something dosent feel "real". I have played quite a few flight sims though and with the Fm controls set the way they were the plane still felt on the "arcade" side...as many before me have mentioned. I loved the graphics, and the shadows in the cockpit was really well done....that being said, when i think of a great sim, i think of the immersion factor.
As an example, i will throw this out there...In the game European Air War. When you started the game, it felt like you were part of something bigger going on around you. It seems like games these days try to make the war revolve around you...if that makes any sence. In EAW you started off in a squadron, and as you progressed you got to be the squadron leader and got to make decisions that affected what was going on around you. You would feel a bond between you and your pilots that were flying with you. As good as flight sims have gotten graphics wise and FM/DM wise...i still havent gotten that feeling with any other sim. There were alot of times that i would have my engine shot up so bad ,that i would turn back over the channel only to have my engine give up half way across. Instead of ditching... i would do everything i could to glide my plane as far as i could to reach the otherside and desperately find a base to land so i could survive to fight again...
It wasnt my intension to turn this into an EAW post, but when i think of immersion/fun factor/realism...its not always just great graphics and realistic FM's. Correct me if im wrong, there is a reason that we are all here discussing realism or the lack there of in some cases... deep down we all wonder what these guys REALLY went through everytime they strapped into the cockpit of the fighter or bomber that they flew.
And another thing that really bothers me! In this day and age, why are we STILL piloting Pilotless aircraft! U look at any of the Racing games out right now and most of them will put you in first person mode where you can see the drivers arms and body. I cant believe this isnt more of an issue than wether the terrains color pallet is closer to Hollywood than real life...Really???
I would also like to see more campaigns in flight sims with pilot career mode, so that players could feel more attached to there pilot. Maybe implement some way of playing your pilot on the ground (after you crash land or ditch)in first or third person mode,to get back to your base safely! I realize that it sounds crazy, but instead of having a ton of flyable aircraft and diffrent campaigns to choose from... i would rather have one map like BOB with a small set of flyable plane sets and implement stuff like what i have mentioned ..how fun would that be? S!