Los Angeles. Iconic sites in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
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Welcome to Los Santos! You just can't avoid comparing it to Grand Theft Auto, since Rockstar delivered two absolutely legendary renditions of the City of Angels. Flying over it in Flight Simulator gives you a sense of how far TPP games like GTA are from realistically recreating a sprawling metropolis. But still, it's possible to recognize some places familiar from these games.
LAX
To the left: LAX in Grand Theft Auto 5. To the right, the same place in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The massive LAX Airport features the distinctive dome. In GTA 5, the airport is of course much smaller. In Flight simulator, LAX is one of the super-polished, "hand-made" airports available in the standard version of the game.
Hollywood
To the left, the sign in Grand Theft Auto 5. To the right, the same place in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The famous Hollywood sign appears to have been created from textures rather than specially prepared 3D objects, so it lacks some clarity and colour. It will probably be corrected in the future, as the MFS map shows it as a specially prepared POI point. At Rockstar, the snow-white "Vinewood" looks a little more realistic.
Downtown LA
To the left, Downtown in Grand Theft Auto 5. To the right, the same place in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles also stand out in the Los Santos version, though it's only in the simulator that you feel the crushing enormity of the metropolis that LA is. .
The Griffith Observatory
To the left, the obserrvatory in Grand Theft Auto 5. To the right, the same place in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Flying further, just behind the Hollywod/Vinewood sign, you'll find the Griffith Observatory. The famous object has appeared in countless films and many other games, such as Mafia 2, The Crew, Wasteland 2, and L.A. Noir, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and of course GTA: San Andreas. Judge yourself which looks better.
CJ's House
To the left: CJ's house in Grand Theft Auto 5. To the right, the same place in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
In GTA: San Andreas we spent lots of time on Grove Street. In GTA 5, we could revisit the place, only to see how much things changed. The real Grove Street in LA today is an overpass over the freeway. So, looking for CJ's house in Flight Simulator 2020 can be only ironic. The site is located at the intersection of East Piru Street and 137th Street. It is located in the Compton area and has a characteristic layout of the cul-de-sac, although there are numerous such streets in Los Angeles.
