Microsoft Flight Simulator becomes Forza Horizon with new DLC

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a known quantity by now. An immaculate and widely acclaimed aircraft simulator with the sort of pedigree that almost no other modern gaming franchise could compare with, and one that’s due for a comprehensive 2024 update to make it even better. But that’s not even close to the full story, as Parallel 42’s wacky Juice Goose third-party DLC can attest to. Indeed, it would appear that some enterprising devs have been working in the background to redefine what Microsoft Flight Sim can and cannot do.

Setting aside the wildly entertaining idea that Microsoft Flight Simulator might unofficially be turning into something along the lines of Forza Horizon, with the whole world being its playable area, the Juice Goose is supposedly a rather high-quality offering. Which it ought to be, of course, given that it’s priced at a non-insignificant $15. The Juice Goose isn’t necessarily the star of this particular show, however, insomuch as it may be a sign of things to come.

Is Microsoft Flight Sim turning into an everything sim?

The fact that Microsoft Flight Sim supports paid third-party expansion packs is not new information, as such. What is new, though, is that devs such as Parallel 42 have silently been working on entirely unexpected ways of enjoying Flight Sim all along. Aside from the aforementioned buggy (which comes with its own comprehensive set of features, customization options, and more), Parallel 42 has also developed a camping DLC, which is precisely what it says on the tin.

These are pricy offerings, naturally, and they won’t be for everyone. After all, it’s to be expected that the millions of people who have played Flight Sim did so mainly because of the aircraft themselves. There is a subset of players, however, that wish to support third-party devs that may attempt to cater to entirely different niches within MFS, and that’s where the Juice Goose and other such DLCs come into the picture.

Developments such as these might not be wholly surprising to those who have kept up with Flight Sim all along. The fact that the game is slowly morphing into something even more comprehensive and interesting might’ve gone over the more casual audiences’ heads, however!