AirportSim - What We Know So Far
There were plenty of interesting titles announced in 2022, including a plethora of simulators that took many by surprise. Entries like "Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator" and "Alaskan Truck Simulator" were highlighted during various summer shows. "AirportSim" was also among the simulation projects discussed, an entry that could see unexpected success.
Airport simulation titles have rarely done well, with some even landing among the worst Steam games ever released. However, flying simulators have enjoyed massive audiences, most notably "Microsoft Flight Simulator." With gorgeous landscapes and hyper-realistic gameplay and airports, the franchise has done incredibly well for years and passed impressive player count milestones. The most recent title even earned a 91 score on Metacritic. Now, fans look forward to the prospect of "AirportSim" bringing realistic and beautiful gameplay to an airport sim, something that could breathe new life into the genre.
If simulation games are up your alley, then you'll want to keep "AirportSim" on your radar. Luckily, there's a lot of information to get prospective buyers excited for the project.
What's the release date for AirportSim?
There's no release date for "AirportSim," but according to the Steam page, it's supposed to arrive in the second quarter of 2023. The title will come to both PC and next-gen Xbox consoles, which may hint that it'll be available on Game Pass either at launch or some point afterward. Developers explained in a Steam update that the project was still in early development as of June 2022, so more information on a Game Pass release could come at any time.
Established in 2018, development studio MS Games is fairly new to the scene. The company produced two entries prior to "AirportSim," but neither was a simulator. "Road Builder" might sound like one, but it's actually a puzzler with the goal of managing traffic by creating roads around various blocks, like water and buildings. The other title, "Land of War," is an FPS that is about as far from an airport simulator as you can get.
Is there a trailer for AirportSim?
During the 2022 Future Games Show, "AirportSim" was revealed with a trailer. While it's only about one-minute long, there's quite a bit packed in. Most of the trailer shows off various airports, but some of the scenes reveal that there won't be static backdrops.
For example, one airport is highlighted through the seasons, indicating that there's a sense of time and potentially gameplay changes that will happen depending on the time of year. There's also an airport sequence where the sky goes from day to night with weather changes, further driving home that time will pass in some way or another.
While there isn't much gameplay on display, the trailer showcases the graphics of "AirportSim," which are looking pretty darn good. In fact, one YouTube commenter pointed out that the upcoming title looks better than prior airport simulation games.
What's the gameplay like in AirportSim?
The Steam page for "AirportSim" gives a good idea of what gameplay will be like in the simulator. For starters, players will take on the role of an airport ground handler. This means there are almost an endless amount of tasks to do, such as "welcoming passengers, offloading baggage, refueling large aircraft, pushing aircraft back for departure," and more.
Part of the setup involves running various equipment, which the description of the game says has all its own handling to get adjusted to. It also pointed out that weather will impact the way the machines run. It's not as simple as just doing the tasks, either. Players will have to focus on timing to boost their efficiency.
There will be several modes to choose from, including Campaign Mode, Free Play Mode, and Visitor Mode where you can just explore airports around the world. "AirportSim" will also include a multiplayer option to play with anyone else who owns the game.