While the world was excited about Microsoft Flight Simulator, a small indie dropped that got little attention. Airplane Mode is about experiencing a multi-hour flight, as a passenger, published by AMC (yes, American Movie Classics!). You can look around, look out the window, eat airplane food, experience the sound of a crying baby, or watch and play the in-flight entertainment. The in-flight entertainment includes a real-time map, two movies and a cartoon. Even details such as the in-flight safety video, and the way your ears pop during takeoff and ring later on during the flight, are simulated!
You also have a bag of your own personal belongings (make sure you open it before you put your tray down!), which include headphones and books. You can use headphones and your phone to listen to real podcasts and music, as well as to be able to hear sound on the movies and cartoon, since it connects to the in-flight entertainment via bluetooth, which you must manually activate on your phone.
Your choices are a 2.5 hour flight from JFK to Halifax, and a 6 hour flight from JFK to Iceland. Can you tolerate the full plane ride to Iceland?
Clearly created as a joke, but it does provide an example of an impressively detailed simulation.
This game contains examples of:
- Cute Kitten: If you check your phone and look at the photos, almost all of them are of cats.
- First-Person Ghost: Partially averted. You don't see your hand pressing any of the buttons or interacting with any of the interactive things, but you can look down and see your torso and legs.
- In-Game Novel: There are multiple actual books you can read, as well as a magazine with multiple articles.
- In-Game TV: The plane contains a TV you can use to watch two movies and a cartoon. The movies are very old and only about an hour long each. The TV also lets you adjust the brightness and volume.
- In-Universe Game Clock: Combined with being in Real Time, this shows the passage of time over the course of your long flight.
- Lost Forever: If you don't open your bag to get out your headphones, which are used to be able to actually hear the sound of the movies and cartoon you watch or the music and podcasts to listen to, before deciding to order food or drink that's put on your tray, you lost your chance! At least until the flight attendant takes your trash and you can put your tray up again, which won't happen for a long time.
- Mini-Game: Blackjack and Solitaire are both playable in the in-flight entertainment.
- Non-Player Character: The other passengers and the flight attendants, can also be seen in the plane.
- Public Domain Animation: You can watch a public domain Merrie Melodies cartoon while in the plane.
- Real Time: The exact speed of everything in the game. Nothing is sped up!
- Simulation Game: Simulates airplane flight! As a passenger!
