Nearly a decade after Netflix released the first season of Stranger Things, the series has long evolved beyond its original TV format. What started out as a supernatural mystery set in small-town Indiana now reaches audiences through stage shows, licensed events, and a wave of comic books, novels, and games that extend beyond the main storyline.
Now, following the release of Season 5 Volume 1 on Netflix, “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” has launched an official Stranger Things expansion. Watch the trailer below:
A Terrifying New Stranger Things Experience Has Landed
The expansion drops players into Hawkins after Vecna’s attack at the end of Season 4, complete with the split landscape. The blurb invites players to “enter the world of Netflix’s Stranger Things and explore the faithful recreation of Hawkins,” and challenges them to fly a UH-1H Huey to help residents “in their latest encounters with the Upside Down.”
It’s a new style of storytelling for the franchise: part horror, part simulation, and entirely outside anything the show has attempted before. The only closest comparison are the two virtual-reality based games, but this new simulator experience seems less story-driven and more immersion-focused.
For those unfamiliar with “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024”, the official website describes it as “the most technologically advanced” game of its kind by allowing players “to create flight plans anywhere on the planet and experience real-time atmospheric simulation”.
Related: Shocking Report: Millie Bobby Brown Ditches ‘Stranger Things' for a Major MCU Role : Disney Fanatic
Will We Ever Get a AAA Stranger Things Game?
This latest crossover joins a growing lineup of official Stranger Things games and tie-ins, but the move into high-end simulation could potentially pave the way for something bigger. With the series concluding on Netflix, competition among publishers and streaming platforms makes a major AAA video game adaptation more likely than ever.
With other major franchises from Star Wars to Harry Potter having already been given that treatment, Stranger Things seems inevitable.
A Brief History of Stranger Things in Gaming
So far, we've had VR, mobile games, and tabletop releases, but none have tackled the scale of Hawkins through a modern RPG or open-world format.
With animated spinoffs, novels, and stage productions continuing the franchise after Season 5 ends this year, a flagship video game would likely go down well with fans looking for more adventures from characters such as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour), or perhaps a new ensemble altogether.
Whether or not it will happen remains to be seen, but for now, the “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” Stranger Things expansion (available now) is the next best thing.
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).
Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
What’s your favorite Stranger Things experience so far? Let us know in the comments down below!
