Simulators have never been my genre but Train life- A railway simulator might be the game to change that. For those who don’t know what simulators are, it is a genre of games centered around placing players in various roles that require players to act out the role that they are put in with various levels of details. There are a ton of simulation games that range from flight simulation to things such as mowing lawns. Train Life has players in charge of their own delivery company while also traversing the land in their own train.
The story is light since players will take the role of a newly licensed conductor. The tutorial takes players through a practice exam that goes over everything from starting the train to adjusting the many settings presented. After players finish up the tutorial, they can take on different jobs from different companies so that they are able to upgrade their company. Money is also spent on the upkeep for the train, so players really must make sure they are careful during the ride to minimalize any costs. Players are able to stop to fuel up the train as well as pay for any repairs caused by things such as pulling the emergency break for last minute stops.
Train Life lets players control the train from two different perspectives. Players can have a view outside of the train where they can turn the camera around the see the other carts attached to their train. This is probably the best way to start so that players can gauge how long it takes their train to come to a complete stop as well as look at any terrain changes coming along the tracks. If players aren’t careful, they may not stop in time when going down a hill and might run into another train or pass their destination. Once players get accustomed to how the train process works, they can move into a 1st person view and get a look up close at everything going on.
When players are the sky view camera setting, they can handle a lot of the controls on the keyboard with various gauges to help with the navigation. There are indicators for how fast the train is going as well as if the train has its emergency break on. In 1st person mode, players can still control the train with the keyboard but can also interact with all sorts of levers and switches from the inside of the train. There is even an in-game radio that offers a multitude of stations that players can listen to, and I would be lying if I said that the talk show channel was boring.
Train life- A railway simulator is a beautiful game as well with all the scenery as players pass by. The trains offer a lot of detail from both the inside as well as the outside and I found myself being pulled further into the simulation as I passed by signs telling me I was going too fast or during moments when I realized that the train needed some fuel. This is definitely a fun game for those looking to get into the genre but is also good for those who have a lot of experience in the genre.
