For years, Netflix’s Stranger Things has lived far beyond the streaming service giant where it first started. It’s appeared on stage in London’s West End and Broadway through Stranger Things: First Shadow, taken over venues with immersive walkthroughs, and has even made numerous appearances at Universal Studios’ annual Halloween Horror Nights.
Now, just weeks after the Season 5 premiere on Netflix, the franchise has entered another corner of entertainment: aviation simulation. The newly released Stranger Things expansion for “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” gives fans the chance to fly over Vecna-ravaged Hawkins as seen at the end of Season 4, and even venture into the Upside Down.
A New Kind of Stranger Things Experience
“Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” is described on its official website as “the most technologically advanced” game of its kind to date. It allows players “to create flight plans anywhere on the planet and experience real-time atmospheric simulation”.
Watch the official trailer for the new experience, which launched on December 9:
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With the add-on now available for free to owners of the game, players can tour landscapes split apart during Season 4, navigate through corrupted skies, and pilot a UH-1H Huey in missions tied to the story’s aftermath.
“Enter the world of Netflix’s Stranger Things and explore the faithful recreation of Hawkins,” the synopsis reads. “Two iconic franchises have come together to combine the authenticity and realism of ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ 2024 with the exciting, mysterious world of Stranger Things. Think you have what it takes to fly a Bell UH-1H Huey and help the residents of Hawkins in their latest encounters with the Upside Down?”
Past Stranger Things Gaming Experiences
Of course, this isn’t the franchise’s first venture into the world of gaming — we’ve had mobile games and two virtual reality games. Whether we’ll ever get an AAA RPG or open-world game set in Hawkins remains to be seen, but it would certainly help keep the franchise alive beyond the upcoming Season 5 finale, which arrives on December 31.
With that said, there are already plans in place for Stranger Things to live on in animation, with Tales From ’85 landing on Netflix sometime next year.
Where Can I Watch Stranger Things?
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 4 and Season 5 Volume 1 are now streaming on Netflix. Volume 2 will premiere on December 25 and the finale will premiere on December 31 (although availability depends on your region/time zone).
What’s your favorite Stranger Things experience so far? Let us know in the comments down below!
