Have you ever wanted to take charge of a commercial airliner and fly around the world? Well X-Plane is about as close to the real thing as you’re ever going to get on your PC. Claiming to be the world’s “most comprehensive, powerful simulator” it’s so accurate that the US and Canadian aviation authorities have given it official approval to train pilots towards their commercial licence.

Of course, those guys are not sat behind a PC in their bedroom - their training is done in a $150,000 simulator - but what they see is exactly what you get on your PC. What’s more, you’re not limited to Earth – in X-Plane you can even fly around Mars!

Firstly, be warned. X-Plane is one MASSIVE program. Don’t be fooled by the 1.8MB file size in the game description – that’s just the installer. Once you’ve installed that, a very swanky download dialogue opens to download the other 1.3 gigabytes of the game. All those scenarios, vectored graphics and flight controls take up a lot of hardrive space. Depending on your bandwidth, you will be looking at hours, if not days to download the whole thing.

In this X-Plane demo, you are limited to just one aircraft and five minutes of flight but in the full version, you can take control of props, jets, single- and multi-engine airplanes, as well as gliders, helicopters and VTOLs such as the V-22 Osprey and AV8-B Harrier. It also offers subsonic and supersonic flight dynamics, sporting aircraft from the Bell 206 Jet-Ranger helicopter and Cessna 172 light plane to the supersonic Concorde and Mach-3 XB-70 Valkyrie. In all, about 40 aircraft spanning the aviation industry (and history) with several hundred more which can be freely downloaded from the internet. There’s even a plane builder option which allows you to build your own model.

You can pretty much fly to any location around the world and choose from over 18,000 airports to test your landing and take-off skills. You can even test your mettle on aircraft carriers, helipads, frigates that pitch and roll in the waves, and oil rigs. X-Plane naturally features the whole range of weather conditions you might face and the plane reacts realistically to them. The graphics are vector based so they’re not exactly brilliant but they’re what you’d expect from a simulator .

The biggest problem you’ll have is working out how on earth to get started. X-Plane's controls are incredibly complex to mirror a real commercial airliner. I spent the best part of 10 minutes just sat on the runway trying to work out how to start the engines whilst Air Traffic Control went crazy at me. You are prompted with a few guidelines at how to get rolling (such as “hit spacebar to release the breaks”) although you’re not told how to start the engines.

There are so many switches and dials in the cockpit that there’s no knowing what to hit without studying the huge flight manual in detail. In the end, the best I managed was to race around the airport before crashing into and destroying a control tower, killing all on board. For those that do have more patience, they need merely move the mouse cursor to the top of the screen where a drop down menu will present access to preferences, instructions, control configuration and many other options.

For those that just want to fly free as a bird and admire the scenery, X-Plane is not for you. For those that want the challenge of mastering a real airliner or are training for a professional license, it’s the best program out there and will have you absorbed for hours.

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Arma II is an enormous and serious war simulation. From infantry to helicopters, you are thrown into realistic conflicts in an imaginary former Soviet state.

This massive demo lets you go through the extensive training, and two missions. Skipping the training is not recommended because Arma II is not Call of Duty, and simply running around shooting will result is quick death! You're taken through all the controls, vehicles, parachuting and more. It's not easy, and there are lots and lots of controls.

Once you've had the training it's on to the three missions. There is a transport mission, where you have to fly with a group of marines into combat, and there's an infantry mission where an enemy stronghold is being stormed. It's not Hollywood war, and this is very much a game for people interested in simulation. Standing up carelessly will result in bullets hitting you apparently from nowhere. You have to learn to work with your team and be patient!

The graphics are detailed, and with lots going on, so you'll need a powerful machine for Arma II to run smoothly, even with the graphics on the low setting. The sound is pretty good, although the speech animation is quite poor. The focus is so much on realism, that this isn't much of a game. It's complicated, confusing and hard! If that's what you're looking for, Arma II will suit you perfectly.

This is a hard game, and not one for the casual player. Despite the parachuting being pretty bad, most of the play modes are well done, and simulation fans will find much to enjoy here

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Getting started in your garbage career

Garbage Truck Simulator is not a game, it is a simulator. It's important to bear this in mind, as it makes no attempt to make Garbage collection fun! However, there are some ways in which Garbage Truck Simulator could have been more accessible. There is no tutorial, meaning you will learn the ropes by responding to error messages, like 'you cannot begin this mission without a garbage truck'. But you can't buy a truck as you have no money, so you have to get a loan from the bank. This could have been a process Garbage Truck Simulator took players through with instructions.

Waste management

Similarly, Garbage Truck Simulator has no in game control instructions, meaning you have to memorize them before you begin your first mission. Once you are in, you control your three garbage collectors. One drives, and two look after collection. The Enter key rotates between them, while Space is a contextual action button. You can start or stop your truck with Space, as well as pick up trash and get on the truck.

Less fun than real garbage collection

Garbage Truck Simulator's graphics are reasonable, and the truck moves quite realistically. Moving on foot is pretty bad, and the camera angles are poor. The action mixes management of resources with garbage collection performance, but it's so slow you would have to be a real fan of the business to enjoy it! Garbage Truck Simulator does what it says on the tin, but it could have been so much more intuitive if it featured tutorials and some character.

As it stands, Garbage Truck Simulator is a very average simulator, that's probably much less fun than the real thing.

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Having been blown away by the previous version of FIFA, we found it hard to imagine how EA could possibly improve its slick soccer sim. However, after a few matches of this demo version it’s clear that the changes aren’t merely cosmetic.

Refined gameplay

The enhancements to the gameplay in FIFA 11 make it feel a lot more like real football. The new Personality+ system means that players move and act as they do in real life. This means, for example, that Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney will charge around after the ball when he’s not in possession; while his strike partner Dimitar Berbatov is more content to stand around waiting for something to happen!

Other tweaks to the AI help to make FIFA 11 the most enjoyable version to-date. For instance, on crosses, it’s now normal to see more than one player coming up for the ball. You’ll also notice that the players are a bit faster than they were in FIFA 10.

Another important change in FIFA 11 is the ability to control the goalkeeper, which feels very natural and adds an extra element to the gameplay.

Handballs are introduced for the first time in FIFA 11. When a defender is positioned in the line of a shot he may stick out his hand to block it. The frequency of handballs is a little higher than it would be in real life, but you can disable them, or define that they don’t occur in penalty situations.

FIFA 11 also features a more refined passing system, giving you more control over ball distribution. The Pro Passing feature lets you measure passes more precisely by weighting them. The repertoire of passes has been beefed up too, and you can now perform swerve passes, flicks, driven lobs and apply backspin to balls.

One of the changes we didn’t like is the new penalty kick system, which is based around a power-bar. Stopping the pointer in the right place is very difficult because it takes a while to respond to your button press. This makes scoring penalties in FIFA 11 a difficult thing to do.

Graphical tweaks

At first glance, FIFA 11’s graphics don’t look that different to the ones in the last version. Once you start seeing replays or close-ups, however, you realize that player likenesses are now more realistic. EA modeled player faces using photographs, and facial expressions are now more varied and change according to the player.

Another neat addition to FIFA 11 is the ability to upload your own audio for use within the game. You can record your own chants, add audio files of actual team chants, and define the music that a team runs out to.

Game modes
FIFA 11 is still stacked with lots of game modes, including officially licensed leagues, exhibitions, training and Be a Pro. The one significant change this time out is the rehashing of the Manager mode, which is now known as Career mode, and integrates with Be a Pro. This is now more involved in that you start out as a player before becoming a player coach and eventually a fully-fledged manager.

These interesting new features, combined with super intelligent gameplay, make FIFA 11 the quintessential soccer sim.

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Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X takes the series into the air, in this fast paced aerial combat game. The demo gives you two missions - a training mission, and a hectic battle over Rio.

The action takes place in 2021, and the world hasn't got any more peaceful, luckily for gamers. This is not a technical flight sim - while there are of course numerous keys to use, it's a forgiving, arcade-like control system.

The training mission takes you gently through basic controls and maneuvers, including what seems to be the game's party piece: dropping thrust to flip over and fall back behind an enemy. There are two flight modes, a traditional behind aircraft view, and the 'unassisted' mode that allows you to pull off dangerous moves, with the camera much further away from the plane.

This, along with the easy controls, make dogfights a little easier to manage, and give the battles a really cinematic feel. Your wingmen are in constant contact, and you are given running updates on the battle as a whole, along with new objectives. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X fights are intense, exciting and great to look at.

In terms of story, it doesn't seem like anything revolutionary. Your pilot is described as a maverick, for example, which is nothing new! However, the story is less important than the gameplay, and it's really fun in Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X is a surprisingly accessible, visually impressive game that keeps the emphasis on action rather than detailed simulation.

Download Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X Demo in Softonic

Bus Simulator puts you behind the steering wheel of a traditional urban bus and challenges you to complete "missions", that is, complete any of the city routes that bus must follow. But Bus Simulator is not only a driving simulator, meaning you'll have to take care of the business by deciding the price of tickets or renting the vehicle's ad spaces to make them more profitable.

Driving in Bus Simulator not as easy as it seems at first sight: not only you have to find your way in an unknown city (note you can open the map with the M key) but you also have to stop at every single bus stop in your route, open and close the doors and follow your way to the next one. Also, don't forget to respect road signs: I didn't stop for any red lights (too much GTA IV is seriously affecting my driving style, luckily only the virtual one) and got fired in about 5 minutes.

Graphics in Bus Simulator are just fine; quite realistic, but certainly not the best ones I've seen. Physics is not very elaborate, especially when it comes to crashing against objects or other cars (hey, don't laugh at me: I'm not that bad at driving, I just have to test everything!). Other than that, Bus Simulator just an original game that seems as exciting as driving a bus in real life.

The main feature in Bus Simulator is undoubtedly its originality; apart from that, it's just a standard driving simulator with some business management tools that may entertain you for a short while.

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Trial may not be the most popular motor sport but it's definitely a spectacular show with incredible jumps and spins that make our jaws drop. And guess what? You can now reproduce those movements without compromising your physical integrity.

Trials 2 is a realistic trial simulator that puts you in control of a powerful bike and challenges you to complete very varied tracks – all indoor. Tracks are categorized according to difficulty and also to different gaming modes. Though the demo version doesn't include all of them, you can still get a glimpse of what the whole game should be like. There are some tutorial levels as well, but I don't understand how they work, because instead of explaining movements bit by bit (as you would expect from a tutorial) you're just presented with a basic circuit you can use as training. You can also choose between several camera modes, but if I were you I'd stay with Action mode: the other ones are a little confusing.

Trials 2 features an easy gameplay, with only a few keys to learn, but at the same time is quite challenging and difficult to master. Graphics are very detailed and the excellent physics engine contributes to the sensation of realism. However this realism sometimes goes a bit beyond the line, especially when the driver falls from the bike: it always looks like you're on the verge of dying even if you simply crashed at about 5 mph.

If you'd like to test an original motor sport, far from the typical bike and car races, Trials 2 may be the game you're looking for.

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If you were ever a trainspotter or just want to see what driving a train is really like, then you'll love Rail Simulator. It might not be glamorous but there's no denying that this is a stunningly realistic simulator with lots of great features.

In Rail Simulator, you can choose from contemporary and historic trains on three levels of driving difficulty. Each train can be driven in easy, intermediate or expert mode. Easy provides a wonderful “install and go” experience which allows even novice drivers to experience the thrill of train driving. Expert mode is for professionals only - you won't even get out of the station if you're not.

Rail Simulator has Passenger and Freight mode with hours of missions which do get a bit boring but this game is all about the realism, not thrills and spills. However, meeting the demands of a busy commuter train or collecting the components of a freight train are certainly challenging tasks. If you prefer a more leisurely approach, free-roam allows to you explore the routes at your own pace.

Rail Simulator is a great game that might not be big on adventure but is sure to thrill train enthusiasts everywhere..

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There are two main kinds of football games: the ones where you actually play the match against your competitor, moving the team players across the field, and the ones where you play as the manager of the team.

Football Manager obviously falls in the latter, as you can tell from its name, and offers gamers a comprehensive simulators that covers every single aspect of football management, from hiring players to game tactics, including training schedule, salaries and of course, dealing with team supporters.

In fact, the game is so complete that it feels just too overwhelming when you run it for the first time. Also, the fact that the tutorial is broken doesn't help either. But after playing it for a while, you can tell that this game is going to get you hooked on your computer for hours. Just one tip: use your own background music because the game doesn't have any.

Football Manager 2008 enables you to make your dream come true and manage your favorite football team with highly realistic detail.

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At 07:53 in the morning of December 7, 1941 the Empire of Japan air-attacked the United States of America military base on Pearl Harbor. This marked the beginning of a fierce struggle between the United States of America and the Empire of Japan.

Play as either nation

Finely Tuned Controls

Jaw-Dropping Visuals

Fight on Either Side

Aircraft Carrier Action

Historically Themed Campaigns

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It’s not often that Microsoft gets it exactly right but this is one product which has received almost unanimous praise from developers and game players. Simulator X is Microsoft’s much improved follow-up to Flight Simulator 2004. Compared to X-Plane, it’s certainly got far more graphical detail, presentation and playability and gets very close to the real thing.

Firstly, be warned that this is a big download – 636.2MB to be exact. Once the five minute installation is complete, you’re presented with three choices – dropping flour on targets, introductory test flight or Caribbean landing. The first involves a simple bit of target practice whilst the others involve getting to grips with the basic controls and mastering landings.

Whichever you choose, you can take control of anything from ultra-lights to Cessnas, commercial airliners and even helicopters. However, to make it more interesting, Simulator X also features 50 different missions to stop you falling asleep at the controls. The missions come as an urgent update from Air Traffic Control and can be fun or serious. Due to a runway closure, you may be asked to land the plane on top of a moving bus or, due to an explosion, you might get asked to rescue workers on an oil ring before they burn alive. Other missions include search and rescue, “Area 51” missions and even one where you have to pick-up film-stars.

In the full version, there are 24,000 airports from around the world to choose from and chances are you’ll be able to fly from your local airport. The realism is impressive, including fuel trucks, luggage belts and walkways being extended from the craft to the airport. If you should get too close to the ground (i.e. crash land), you’re treated to the sight of wildlife running around the fields and amongst the wreckage, proving that Microsoft really have gone to extremes in trying to recreate a virtual world. They even claim to have mapped the accurate positions of the stars according to location and time of year. You can also fly according to the current weather conditions in certain zones by connecting to an online server. Otherwise, you can set the weather according to your wishes to see how the plane handles in a storm or blizzard.

For those that want the real deal, options include a full pre-flight briefing where you discuss the flight conditions, weather predictions and other factors that might affect your flight. If you want a bit of drama, you can also pre-program the plane to malfunction during the flight. See how your co-pilot reacts when he realises that the undercarriage is either jammed or dropped off somewhere over Denver.

Another unique feature in the full version is the possibility to add another person to the cockpit. If you have a friend connected to the net, they can log on and come along for the ride or guide you down as Air Traffic Control.

In comparison to many other simulators such as X-Plane, this simulator is a joy because of many fun additions and the option to choose the difficulty of the flight mode. The only major problem is that its very heavy on resources and I had trouble running this alongside various other apps. This can be solved by reducing the frame-rate in the options menu but the game doesn’t run quite as seamlessly as a result.

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