The Hidden Game Within Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, played as intended, is absolutely fantastic—its 1:1 recreation of earth is a technical masterwork. That said, I was interested in actually exploring that world beneath its beautiful cloud formations—what I found was absolutely not what I expected. Here's the story of how I accidentally managed to turn Flight Simulator into a walking sim—how a seemingly simple shift in perspective led me on one of the wildest journeys I've had with a game in some time, uncovering things about Flight Simulator that I never thought I'd find. It also got me thinking about intended play, game preservation, speedrunning and, well... my own place in the universe.

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This video was sponsored by Skillshare

[tomoakley]

If you stare long enough into Microsoft Flight Simulator, so too shall Microsoft Flight Simulator stare into you.

[HurricaneTracker]

Was expecting a video essay but my man just found this game's entire lore. I am officially accepting that MSFS taking place in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by beings that look like motor vehicles while the last humans struggle for survival is canon.

[Ikcatcher]

We went from Microsoft Flight Simulator to exploring a weird creepypasta house

[russetwolf]

When your home is so messy it becomes a video game location.

[digimanga]

I love that there are mods to show the ever given stuck in the Suez Canal 😆

[TheThunderbirdRising]

Congratulations, you recreated no man's sky on launch day

[ZacFrazier]

we need this kinda shit for the ocean, being lost down there, seeing giant squids melded with schools of fish and reefs

[melonysnicket]

Me and my friends adored the mystery of the "Kentucky House", as we call it, so much that we even included it in our roleplaying sessions. Hell, one of us made a whole ARG centered around getting their character out of this place, where the cat turned out to be evil indeed! Very pleasant surprise to see it mentioned here

[genericytprofile]

Yooo dude, I used to browse google maps all the time. I used to think the exact same things you did! I remember when they started doing the more detailed 3D maps. I was just a young kid so it freaked me out that these places had turned into post apocalyptic wastelands. I would spend hours wandering the cities looking at all the deformed buildings making up stories and such. This brings back so many memories. Thanks for the vid!

[Cslice]

I wasn't expecting existential dread when I clicked this video.

[Weighty]

What a starkly curious video. I enjoyed every last second of this one! I was listening through my earbuds as I went to the store on my break, but ended up rewinding a whole 2 minutes once I got to the house/bathtub story so I can actively watch when I got back given I was so immensely reeled in. Thanks for this one and glad to get some deeply involving and anecdotal videos of this kind every once in a while.

[justanalt]

I don't expect my comment to make it but,
I just want to say that I've had this love in games and media like this for several years, i remember playing open world games and looking too in depth into some under developed areas, and just falling in love with their imperfections.
I made up fun stories on why some buildings in Fallout were destroyed like they were, and id act like weird design choices were on purpose and had their own backstory id make up.

Those moments will always have a spot in my heart,
thank you for this video and showing I'm not the only one in love with details like this.

[taylor]

This is how I engaged with the game as well. It's always lovely seeing another articulate why I find interacting with various digital spaces in possibly unintended ways that highlight the artifice of them so meditative.

[sleepinbelle]

Pretty sure flight sim is now set in the SCP universe.

[PlebNC]

Public perception of walking sims pre-Covid 19: Lol you're a joke.

Public perception of walking sims during Covid-19: My precious escape...

[TrevorNWhite]

Comparing Flight Simulator to the Blue Lick Road house is absolutely genius. This also reminds me of this one town that went viral in like 2012 because it showed up all distorted and creepy on Google Maps for some reason... can’t remember the name of it, though, New Binghamton or something?

[harkingmadwing]

This is absolutely the best video game essay video I've EVER watched. No hyperbole. This is next level for you.

[orangefox]

I am absolutely astonished that this isn’t a video meant to troll us or be a shitpost

[memeascent]

Her: Come Over
Me: I can't right now
Her: My parents aren't home
Me: 11:19

[jackcochran]

This is why I am subscribed. Its 9am, I'm having a bath in lockdown and deeply contemplating my place in the universe by juxtaposing its position to that of yours to a flight simulator game. This could be your best video yet, Hamish. Thanks mate.