Rail Simulator
by Electronic Arts
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Video Game Reviews of Rail Simulator
Customer Review: New game has promise
Summary: 4 Stars
This can be a very good game, the graphics are great, the scope is limited now, but hopefully add-ons will expand it. The directions are limited, but getting on the forum,you can learn a lot. The scenery for the Cajon Pass is quite accurate. I have watched train tapes of this area to see it in real life. There are set scenerios you can use, make your own or just make up a train and go where you want. New engine skins, freight cars etc. are coming up almost daily. If you like trains and want to see what its like to be an engineer, This is for you.Customer Review: Rail Simulator
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great train simulator (not a tycoon type game), though its early in its growth (US version has only been out a month or so as of this date) expect much content from both its creators and fans both as time goes on.
It has editors included out of the box so you can make your own maps and such, as well as developers tools which can be downloaded from the official website.
For more info on the game you can visit their website and also check out their fan forums as well.
Customer Review: Nay-sayers not always right!
Summary: 5 Stars
Rail Simulator (RS) is an extremely good simulation that is extremely well supported by a website that includes additional downloads, a forum, news, etc. Add-on content is appearing on a regular basis and a major, free upgrade has already appeared, along with editing tools for the more adventurous. RS beats the pants off MSTS and Trainz, which isn't even in the running anymore because it is not compatible with Vista.
If you want to try driving trains, this is the simulator to get!
Customer Review: Train Sim
Summary: 5 Stars
Rail Simulator is a fun game for train lovers. I will spend many an hour with this program. I have purchased past games of this type and have enjoyed them greatly and am enjoying this one also. So if you love to drive trains, create routes, or stations, etc. then this is for you.Customer Review: Flawed Train Simulation
Summary: 2 Stars
Two and a half years in development this game was eagerly awaited by the train sim community as the title which would re-define the genre after a long gap between genuine new releases.
Unfortunately I can only concur with previous reviews regarding the buggy and flawed game we have been given. It appears as if all the money and effort has been expended on the graphics engine, which does not look a whole lot better than improved MSTS/Trainz anyway, rather than the core features such as signalling to make a train sim work properly. The cabs are quite detailed and 3D but not many of the switches or levers work correctly. In external view the train often looks like a sprite floating over the ground and in both cab and exterior view there's a disturbing and nausea inducing side to side "hunting" of the track which, if it's supposed to represent the cab swaying, is totally wrong.
Sound is not much better. The HST is quite good but the Turbo DMU sound like it was sampled from a bin lorry. The Deltic is rather weak and the Class 47 just doesn't sound right. there's no distiction between the level or type of sound heard in exterior or interior view either. Track sound is awful a sort of disembodied tinkle every now and again or when you cross over points. A Gameboy would put it to shame.
The North American version is missing the York to Newcastle route of the European release with a version of Cajon Pass in California instead. Although the publisher (now working under the Rail Simulator Developments - RSDL - banner rather than Kuju) has stated they will release the respective routes at some stage (free or paid unclear) this creates an immediate incompatibility between the two versions for third party routes etc. which use objects not found in its transatlantic counterpart.
One reasonable point (which is why it gets two stars rather than one) is the train physics. The HST actually takes a realistic time and distance to accelerate and brake though the top end of the power curve is questionable on all the traction. They should just about hold top speed one notch below full power but they want to keep on going. steam physics is about on a par with MSTS, that is to say a reasonable stab but wide of the mark. It does not seem possible to induce wheelslip on any of the locomotives.
Where the sim really falls down is on the operations and signalling. The signalling is poorly scripted and implemented - it does not give proper warning of upcoming junctions and can easily cause your train to derail or collide with another even when you get the correct aspects. The German signalling seems to be derived from the UK signalling and is totally wrong for DB practice. There's a lack of proper warnings for upcoming speed limits. The "Track Monitor" is useless as it only shows the state of the line about 800 metres ahead.
Very few activities or scenarios are included in the box, some will have beginners scratching their heads with complex shunting while others are "broken" as a result of the pathetic signalling. It's not possible to run to a timetable and the game shipped without the proper tools to create such an activity. The development tools need to be downloaded seperately and only after signing a licence with RSDL - reason for this is not entirely clear, but seems tied up with ensuring any commercial third products sold for this sim pay a royalty fee back to the developer. Route building is not as intuiative or easy as MSTS and light years behind Trainz - everything has to be set up via blueprints and the documentation, which also has to be registered for and downloaded separately is quite muddy in places and seems more aimed at the technical high end (commercial?) orientated user than the little guy. The route editor itself is quite buggy particularly when it comes to joining tracks, creating junctions or laying roads and fences.
In conclusion it's a bit of a mess and a disappointment. There is potential there but it will take a bucket load of patches and/or a major rewrite of some of the code to get there. At the time of writing (Feb 2008) a patch is imminent but if you're really eager for a new train sim you might be better advised to wait and see what Microsoft have to offer in their proposed new train simulation some time in 2009.