Introduction

The Okavango Delta is a swampy inlanddelta located in the north of Botswanan in the wonderful continent ofAfrica. The scenery package being reviewed here is the first releasefor MSFS2020 from the team over at SimWorks Studios, and has beenpainstaking recreated in the virtual world to get the best out ofMSFS2020 and show case this wonderful part of the globe.

In real life the area is teaming with wildlife and really is a bushpilot and safari enthusiast's dream, as it offers wide open spaces andlots to see and explore.

The scenery is reported to cover a geographical area of in excessof 9,000km2, contains 9 airstrips and thousands of hand placedobjects, including somewhere around 12,000 animals, such as buffalo,antelopes, crocodiles' hippos, lions and zebras. In addition, thereare 6 detailed field camps and several helipads for the helicopterfans amongst you. I will come back to helicopters in a bit. I likedthe inclusion of a new livery for the Cessna 208 Caravan as a bonus ifyou like flying this aircraft as the developer intended.

So back to helicopters. From reading the very colourful tourbrochure that comes with the download, it clearly indicates thedeveloper was targeting the release of helicopters in the simsomewhere around 2022, as indicated by the Asobo /Microsoftdevelopers. However, the great news is that some very clever peopleare well ahead of the game and have released a couple of helicoptersfor us helicopter fans to enjoy here in 2021. Although I do appreciatethe virtues of fixed wing flying, scenery like this is just made forhelicopter flying, and I was delighted to test out Okavango whilstflying the fabulous FlyInside Bell 47G. This will be subject to afuture review, however if you don't have it, it's well worthconsidering particularly when flying in scenery as beautiful andinteresting as the one being reviewed here.

It is also worth noting that if you want to do more than just somerandom free sightseeing, a couple of bush trips are also included inthe package, and these are intended to give you the best chance ofseeing what the delta has to offer.

Purchase, Download, Documentation And Installation

The Okavango Delta retails at a price of USD$29.99, and I got mycopy over at the FlightSim.Com Store.

The scenery is large at 800MB, however it is extremely easy toinstall. Simply download the package and run the installer. I hadabsolutely no issues at all, very easy. Everything ended up in myCommunity folder along with the other various add-ons that I haveinstalled.

A small colour brochure is provided providing some sneaky peeks ofwhat to expect at each of the camps, along with a separate map of thearea to allow you to get a feel for the various camps, helipads andairstrips. These are very nicely done and show the developers keen eyefor attention to detail.

System Performance

My assessment was using the Premium Deluxe version of MSFS2020, andas I mentioned the fabulous FlyInside Bell 47G. This helicopter reallyis a thing of beauty...

My current system consists of an Intel i9 9900K 3.6Ghz CPU,GTX2080Ti 11GB GPU and 64GB of DDR4 Kingston RAM at its core. Mysystem settings are at ULTRA and I had no issues at all, with smoothflying all the way, night and day.

I also have a number of Saitek panels hooked up, along with myMaxFlightStick cyclic and collective, as well as a set of CH pedals. Iuse Axis and Ohs to connect the panels to the sim, and they all workwell. For head tracking I use the SmoothTrack app on my iPhone, andagain it works well giving an all-round viewing experience. No needfor headsets or other gadgets.

The head tracking really increases my enjoyment of flying,particularly in a place like the Okavango Delta, as there is just somuch to see.

Look And Feel

When you first open the scenery package, you can't help but beimpressed by what you see. First impressions are everything as theysay, and I believe you will not be disappointed if you decide topurchase this package. The level of detail in the buildings andobjects, the stunning texturing and lighting, the blending with thebase scenery, is worth the entry fee in my opinion.

The object texturing really is fabulous, and to be honest, once Igot up in the air I really was blown away. To be able to see elephantsand giraffes scattered across the landscape, as well as wanderingmajestically across the delta, was something out of one of DavidAttenborough's or National Geographic's wildlife extravaganzas. Theway the sim merges with the scenery package is just amazing. Some ofthe camps are beautifully placed within the trees, alongside waterwaysand watering holes, and being able to skim the treetops in the B47 wasquite frankly the best experience I have had in MSFS2020 to date.

I was fortunate to go on a safari in eastern Africa many years ago,and this really brought back the feeling of being in the scrub, theheat, the smells in the air, and the excitement and anticipation ofseeing many of the animals most people only get to see on televisionor in a zoo. In my opinion, the realism in this package isexcellent.

I have been a big fan of helicopters over on one of the otherplatforms for many years, and although like many others I am extremelyimpressed with MSFS and the visuals it has to offer, I never reallygot the bug. That all changed since testing out this package.

Having the ability to go pretty much anywhere I want in the B47,fly slow and low and turn on a six pence has transformed my simexperienced. The Okavango Delta was just the place to really get afeel for MSFS2020 and the beauty of this sim. I really can't put intowords the feeling of seeing a heard of elephants majestically marchingtheir way through the brush as you sit on the ground. The sunlightdancing off the water surface of a nearby stretch of water as many ofthe animals take a drink or attempt to cool down, is really somethingto behold. I can only imagine what this looks like in VR! For me,MSFS2020 has just come alive!

In combination with the base sim, this scenery package is a work ofart as far as I am concerned, and being able to hop between thevarious camps and POI (Points of Interest), keeping an eye out forwhat might come trundling out of the bush was truly an amazingexperience. I was also able to practice my helicopter piloting skillson raised helipads, and this package had the lot. Gorgeous scenery, somuch to see, wonderful details and textures, and technical challengesthrown in as a bonus.

At night-time, the lodges are stunning (although not overly lit),and the atmospheric lighting really is 5-star stuff. The attention todetail in and around the lodges is very authentic, from localornaments, the texturing of the woodwork and the interiors, the oldstorm lamps, to uneven floor rugs. I can't believe I even saw crumpledrugs, simply amazing!!! You may want to talk to the maid though...

I was also extremely delighted to also see a smattering of guests(some animated) in various places, really making the scenery comealive. To truly enjoy this, I hooked up an old X-box controller I hadand used Showcase mode. That way I was able to get into all the smallcorners of the scenery which I highly recommend. Just flying frompoint 'A' to 'B' at 5,000 feet you won't really get a feel for thelevel of detail the scenery has to offer in my opinion. The developerhas clearly put a lot of thought and love into this release in theplaces most people won't look, which suggests to me a quality mindsetof the team behind this package. This can only bode well for futureupdates and other titles that they release in the future. I for onewill be keeping a close eye on the market.

The only small suggestion for improvement I would like to make, isthe fact that the lights on the raised helidecks are notilluminated. This means at night it is very hard to see the helideckswhen attempting a landing. Just a very small observation, which to behonest didn't really detract from my overall enjoyment of the scenery,although this would be a very nice cherry on top of an already verygood cake. Other than that, I was very impressed with this scenery andthoroughly enjoyed the few hours I spent exploring this small cornerof Africa.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy it?

As always, these reviews are based on my own opinion, thoughts andexperiences, and everyone will have a different perspective on theirsim demands and what they want to get out of the hours they spendbehind their PC. However, I really was blown away with the whole MSFSexperience this time around, and particularly the Okavango Delta. Thescenery from SimWorks blends beautifully with the base scenery, thetwo working flawlessly to create an excellent end userexperience. When you throw in the Bell 47, this is the perfect packagein my opinion when it comes to eye candy, interest, and technicalchallenges. I am sure fixed wing pilots would also enjoy the OkavangoDelta and get a real kick out of it, as this adds additionalchallenges, however being able to skim those tree tops looking down ona heard of elephants....oh man.... I just can't put into words whatthat feels like.

So, if you are looking for something completely different, andperhaps fed up with the more traditional tube liner or GA flying thatmany of us do most days, the Okavango Delta is certainly worthconsidering.

Stuart McGregor

Purchase Simworks Studios - Okavango Delta for MSFS 2020

Also available from SWS - Zenith CH701 STOL - ideal for exploring Okavango Delta