Calum Petrie reviews Train Sim World…
Train Sim World is the next in a long line of simulator games, one where the players takes the role of a pilot, driver, conductor or even a farmer. This brand of “game” may not be to everyone’s taste, but there is no denying there it market for them in the modern day.
This simulator puts you in the role of a train conductor learning the ropes and heading out onto the open …. well, just the tracks. Where deadlines have to be obeyed for fear of penalty, players can also get to see what exactly is in that little cabin at the front of a train. Players will venture out onto the British railway system and be very familiarised with places such as Paddington Station.
The game is not the most intense of simulators, though I will admit this is my first attempt of a simulator since probably something back on Windows XP. The game kicks off with a creating your profile and selecting an avatar, which is pointless as the game takes place in a first person viewpoint. You are familiarised with the inside of a number of different trains, and once you learn the layout and the starting sequences to all the different trains you are ready to go. Some trains have to have the brakes pressurised or warmed up before the train can even start to move, a consideration you never give when you are passenger.
The detail that goes into the creation of such a project must involve months of preparation and planning. Not to mention the level of programming that goes into making sure you cannot stray from the correct sequence of events to start up a train. This also leads me to talk about the controls, where the first person viewpoint will let you highlight and select with a crosshair or allowing you to manipulate the thumb sticks for more in depth control. The other option is learning the controller shortcuts, where triggers are used to speed up and brake and quick keys are in place for changing your type of lights and even the window wipers.
Once the tutorial is finished you are handed a list of scenarios to act out, which involve getting into your train and setting out on a specific destination. Now sometimes you can be given a single stop and other times you will have to stop at appointed stations. This involved judgement and timing; knowing when to slow down your train so you do not overshoot or stop short is a hard task. When out in the train, players will also have speed limits to adhere to, and failure to obey these will result in penalties and failing the journey. This can be a major upset as the game’s timer takes place in real time, where one second is exactly the same in and out of game. Failing a 70 minute mission at the last second will result in you having to replay a 70 minute mission all over again.
The graphics are actually very nice, they are not totally photo realistic but at the same time they do hold a lot of detail. Longer journeys will have players looking at the surroundings while you wait the 45 minutes till your next stop. The inside of the trains are very well detailed with switches and knobs that highlight their purpose if you hover over them. This seems like a very nice addition to people who are very interested in trains, and for people who just appreciate a good simulator.
There is not much to talk about in the way of music, unless people want to put the radio/music on in the background to get a realistic sense of a long haul journey (I opted for podcasts).
I played the game on both the Xbox One and the Xbox One X to make sure I could get a fair graphics comparison between the both. My observations were that between the two consoles, there was no great jump in graphics quality. The biggest thing I did notice is that the Xbox One struggled to run at a stable frame rate while the Xbox One X had no issues at all.
I am probably not the proper target for this type of game, if you can call it a game. I am not going to lie, I thought this was a management simulator, like a theme park style game; boy did I get a shock. I stuck with it and tried something different; I was very surprised at how much I was drawn in by the journeys. All of a sudden I would be trying to work out my speed, distance and time management to make sure I did not draw up to a station to early.
There is a certain joy when playing this type of adventure, where you start to appreciate the railway that you take for granted. I am not a big train user in real life (due to bloody ticket prices), I do enjoy how relaxing it can be to not worry about the travelling. Next time I am on a train though, Train Sim World will make me spare a thought for the poor soul at the front of the train with no radio, a tiny working space and lots of buttons.
Good Points
- Engrossing Gameplay
- Great for train fans
- Enjoyed the real time aspect
Bad Points
- No music to enjoy while driving
- No checkpoints on journey
- Not the easiest to grasp
Rating – 5/10
Calum Petrie – You can follow me on Twitter – @Cetrie
