ic-games Review - Trainz Railway Simulator Passenger Edition - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

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Trainz Railway Simulator Passenger Edition

Information
Reviewer: Andrew St.Denis
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Just Trains
Reviewed: PC
Genre: Simulation
UK Release: 07th Nov 2003
Article Date: 24th Sep 2004
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price:
Price Comparison:
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Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 90%

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Pros

Easy to grasp tutorials

Nice graphics and sound

Free downloads available

Cons

Struggles speed/graphic wise if not playing on a fast system

Screenshots

18 of 26

If you go back a few years, one job boys always wanted to do ‘when they grew up’ was to be a ‘train driver’, and about as close as you got to that was with model trains. Well, thanks to developers Auran and publishers Just Trains you can now indulge again. Trainz Railway Simulator 2004 (TRS) is a game that lets you step onto the running plate of steam trains or in the cab of diesel and/or electric trains that you had running around your bedroom/attic/basement (delete as applicable). With a multitude of trains to choose from, from the UK, Australia and North America plus even more that can be downloaded.

The game lets you be the Engineer, running the train, whether it’s a passenger run between stations or goods between industries from the cab. While another option is as the controller, placing orders to the drivers, and making sure everything runs smoothly (or not, if you’re a ‘Gomez Addams’ setting out to create crashes)

There are several selections that can be made after starting the game off; Driver – lets you take the training missions, covering all the aspects of the game, using basic or complex controls, learning how to drive and care for steam engines and how to meet the delivery needs of the industries within the game. It also includes some missions based on the tutorials and the lessons learnt.

Scenarios – Gives you a list of several missions, including running a passenger service to strict timetables and obeying signals along the way, or running to the speed limits along a track.

Surveyor – Is where you get to make your own track up, place stations, population centres, industries and just about anything you want. Indeed this is what is going to give this game its longevity. This is where you get to select which engine and consist gets it’s run out, and doing which job. Since there are the single ‘Driver’ missions available for you to load and check out, it’s easy to learn what to do to create your own.

The graphics are for the most part very nice indeed, now while there are glaring mistakes in places, such as vehicles just disappearing into thin air and running just off the road, these can be forgiven. However, the trains and majority of trackside items are beautifully detailed. The inside view of the trains, and the number of differing views available are impressive, while all the dials accurately depict the speed, air pressures etc.

The sounds are equally impressive, from the noise made by the train and cars going over the tracks to the bells ringing at the level crossings. There is no music at all during the game, but that’s certainly not a bad thing, and to be expected with a simulator.

The one good thing about Trainz Railway Simulator is that when you buy the game they don’t then expect you to fork out more money for the little extras you tend to get with a game like this. There is a website available to you, through a code that you get with the game, and once activated that gives you access to downloads that include more trains and new scenarios or single missions produced by other fans and professionals. This is what, along with the ability to produce your own and send them to the site for possible download by others, will make this game last a lot longer

Trainz is without doubt an excellent game on its own. It’s not as real life as the Microsoft train simulator series, and the industries don’t play the part of the Railroad Tycoon franchise but what Trainz Railway Simulator does do, is take a middle ground that works extremely well. Along with the ability to create new tracks with relative ease (something that the Microsoft Train Simulator over complicated) and with the free downloads available now and in the future this makes this train simulator that much more playable and viable. If you love vehicle simulations or are a model railway fan then you greatest dream has just come true

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