Train Simulator

Fortunately, TS has a ton of different options to keep players interested. You can ride as a passenger, which isn’t exactly engaging, but it makes a good screen saver. Driving is much more interesting. To complement the number of drivable trains (steam, diesel or electric), there are a number of routes to travel as well, such as the Marias Pass in the US, the Hisatsu Line in Japan, and the Settle & Carlisle Line in England. If that isn’t enough, you can choose the time of year, day and weather conditions on each route. Starting in the middle of the line is just a click away too. But the most important list is the list of Activities.

Activities give you a reason to play. Activities are basically challenges for each line that you’ll have to complete on schedule and without violating too many rules (i.e. crashing). Several of the activities appear on all the lines but since the trains and tracks are different, the approach to success must be rethought. Some are unique to each, such as the "Murder on the Orient Express" scenario for the Innsbruck-St. Anton line (in which you receive orders as you go from the detective on board). You’ll receive a work order as each Activity starts that lays out your timetable among other things. But just following orders isn’t enough, you’ve got to watch for signage indicating hazards or speed changes, and worry about how smooth the ride is if you’re pulling passengers. Each scenario can be played in any order, as many times as you want. And if you don’t want to play through the longer Activities in one sitting, you have the option to save your game. Once you finish an Activity your performance goes through an evaluation based on aspects like how on time you are, train handling, and obeying posted speed limits. The evaluation is tracked over time so you can see how you’ve improved. Or, in my case, gotten worse in my attempt to beat my best times by going all out, full steam ahead. I have yet to derail a train, but since this is a serious simulation and the focus is on safety, the manual doesn’t tell you how to successfully do it. (At the back of the manual there are some gruesome stats about trains.)

The graphics and sound are very good. After doing some research, I can safely say that the engines look like their real world counterparts. There are towns and bridges to drive passed and they look good, while not repeating too much. Some areas you travel through are sparse in the "neat things to look at" category, but that’s just like real life. The weather effects add a certain level of believability – the rain looks like rain, the snow looks like snow. I especially like the night runs where you can turn on your headlights. The sound matches the graphics. It’s good, especially the voice acting during the tutorial sections. The main controls look slightly cartoony, which is most noticeable when you look left and right in the cockpit. (Those areas look sharp but you don’t need to worry about handling any controls located there.) Everything moves along at a good pace.

Mouse control isn’t very responsive. Sometimes you’ll click on a control and nothing will happen for a few seconds. Holding the button down doesn’t help. I found it far easier to manipulate the controls via the keyboard. Sure, there are a plethora of commands to memorize but it’s far less frustrating than trying to apply the brakes with the unresponsive mouse as you arrive at a station. And even if you forget which keys do what, the help menu is easily accessible for view and printing.

Train Simulator is clearly aimed at locomotive enthusiasts and hardcore simmers. If you fall into those two categories, you’ll not be disappointed. There are many Activities to try out and trains to drive in a variety of real-world conditions. And if you get tired of the game activities, try making your own with the included Editor. (I hate technical stuff so I didn’t spend much time with it.) The Editor is sure to spawn many homemade scenarios for download off the Internet. I have to admit that I somewhat enjoyed my time with Train Simulator. It didn’t make me a convert to sims but it did help me relax after a long day at the office.

- Omni