Trainz Simulator 2009: World Builder Edition Review (PC)

Finally a simulation game that’s making progress into the 21st century. Not only do you get to be a driver of the trains, but you can create your own routes for trade and commuting and share them online with other train lovers. Just make sure you don’t de-rail and drivers who lose passengers lose their jobs.

Personally I didn’t think this was a game I was going to enjoy, but weirdly enough after a while I gave it a good fair shot and I started playing it more and more although I still haven’t figured out why. I think there’s something about it which slowly turns you into a train freak (no offence to any loco lovers out there). I’m not sure if it was the sound of the train connecting as you drove it around the various routes or just taking in the scenery while you concentrate on keeping to the limits and making sure you pick up your passengers. There are 3 main modes to this game the first being surveyor mode where you get to build your own tracks, routes and scenic views. I did find this one of the most challenging aspects of the game as the U.I is pretty complicated and getting used to it took up a lot of time although I did managed to produce a pretty basic but cool coal route none the less.

There are literally hundreds of different types of trains in this game and for me to even start naming them well I really wouldn’t know where to start, I will however tell you that there are electric, diesel and steam trains and loads of them in many a variety. Steam trains are particularly cool but each train comes with its own route and even some from a classic era just to give you that feel for the origins of the train and what its purpose was. Controlling the trains was not too hard with tutorials explaining everything you need to know from the brakes to moving forward, reversing, changing junctions and adding more carriages to your train. You have two options, cab mode for the more experienced train sim driver where you use the actual train controls levers and pulleys to manage your train. This was tricky at first but after a bit of practice you do get used to it and it does make you feel like you’re actually doing something to control what the train does. Where as the DCC mode is controlled by a dial which controls speed forwards and backwards and some buttons next to it to stop the train, sound the horn ect. good for getting a general jist of the game but doesn’t offer too much in the way of a challenge.