Wilco Publishing has something of a mixed track record in flight simulator enthusiast circles. Some of their products have been above average. Many others, however, too often come up a bit short. Unfortunately, their new 737 PIC Evolution falls into the latter camp. To be fair - there are aspects of it that are quite good. However, it also has a number of shortcomings that are downright maddening. When the original 737 PIC was released several years ago, it was well-received as the only game in town for flying a quasi-realistic 737. Unfortunately for Wilco, PMDG and iFly have both since appeared on the scene and upped the ante with their 737 products. Wilco needed a home run to stay in the game with the 737 PIC Evolution, but unfortunately, they just aren't there yet.
Before I get into why I find the 737 PIC Evolution distasteful, let's start out with a view of the exterior model. This is a repaint of an Alaska Airlines 737-400. Looks nice enough:
Here are some shots of the 3D VC. I'll give Wilco some credit here for actually rendering the clickable buttons in 3D on the 737 PIC Evolution, rather than relying on flat textures as they did in the old 737 PIC:
By day, it's actually a rather nice virtual cockpit:
Although not shown here, you can optionally switch out the digital instruments in the middle of the panel with old steam-style analog versions.
Here is a view of the main 2D cockpit panel, sized adequately for widescreen monitors. Some have described it as a bit unrealistic looking. It's not horrible, at least...
Here is the 2D overhead panel:
Here is the INS panel:
Here are the radios, transponder, and TCAS controls in a 2D panel:
This little 2D panel allows you to change the range on the EHSI. It is also included in the previous 2D panel above:
Here is our good friend, the FMS:
This 2D panel controls throttles, brakes, flaps, and spoilers:
And here is an action shot of the 737-400 taking off from Portland International Airport (KPDX), eventually bound for Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho (KBOI):
Cruising past Mt. Hood:
And now, we get to the aspects of the 737 PIC Evolution that really annoy me. (This is with the v1.1 update, too.) The taxi and turnoff lights are turned on here, but you sure wouldn't notice by the lack of reflection on the ground:
Only when you turn on the landing lights can you see any sort of reflection on the ground:
Next, the 3D VC is entirely too dark without any lights on. Even the glass displays are abnormally dim. Turning on the lights in the cockpit turns on the lights for the entire cabin - is this normal? It seems to me that there should be a way to just turn on the lights that backlight the key instruments on the flight panel, but I confess I am not an expert 737 Classic driver here, so maybe this is expected.
However, what isn't expected is how strange and funky some of the night textures look when they are lit up. The lighting just looks very unnatural - it's way off somehow:
I guess these things are mostly aesthetic, and do not affect the operation of the aircraft. And arguably, I'm terribly spoiled by the attention to detail on the PMDG 737 NGX. Still, you would think Wilco could have done better than this on the 737 PIC Evolution. The whole thing just seems like they were in a big rush to get the product out the door and cash in, without paying attention to all the little details that make a product truly special. If I'm given a choice between this and the NGX, I'm going with the NGX every single time.
So, to summarize:
Pros:
- The 737 PIC Evolution flies reasonably well. Most important functions seem to work correctly.
- Winglets are now modeled on the 737-300 series.
- No problems with crashes to desktop or similar fatal bugs.
Cons:
- The lighting bugs are really glaring, and detract from the overall enjoyment of the aircraft.
- Not as realistic as other 737 products.
Conclusion:
I went back and forth over how to rate this product - in particular, whether it should merit the very first Pretend Flyer "Recommended" rating. The Wilco 737 PIC Evolution is functional, and generally seems to be an improvement over the original 737 PIC. However, the 737 PIC Evolution is uninspiring, and has some substantial flaws. It's difficult to say that this one will see a lot of time in my virtual skies when there are other, similar products that are just better.
The bottom line is that, ultimately, to whom would I recommend this product? I honestly cannot come up with a great answer to this question. If you are just looking for a decent 737 to add to your virtual fleet, and you do not really care whether it is a newer 737 NG versus a 737 Classic, then the iFly 737 NG is a better choice at almost the exact same price point. If you want the ultimate in realism, then spend the extra cash on the PMDG 737 NGX. But if you absolutely must have a 737 Classic in your fleet, then I guess the Wilco 737 PIC Evolution is your only viable choice at the moment. However, this is a pretty tepid recommendation, given how crowded the marketplace is with various 737 products. There just does not exist a really good reason to purchase the Wilco 737 PIC Evolution otherwise. I suspect the number of people who insist on owning a 737 Classic is probably a very small fraction of the overall market.
Rating - Recommended (sort of)
