I interviewed one of the developers of the Train Sim World team a few years ago. I talked to him about a dream scenario where you could go onto any rail line in the world, and drive a train on any route. We laughed and talked about how much power it would take, and the resources required.
But I secretly think that is Dovetail’s plan, as the body of different trains and routes available in their Train Sim World franchise are starting to become quite substantial, covering a fair chunk of the world.
And we are now back with Train Sim World 5, to see what is new and what has changed.
The good news for fans who have Train Sim World 4 is that you can currently upgrade for free. For the purposes of this review, I have taken in the Deluxe Pack, which has three new routes. There is a 50-mile route that covers the West Coast Mainline route from London to Milton Keynes. There is the pretty San Bernardino line, dropping 57 miles from LA to San Bernardino. Finally, we have the Kinzigtalbahn line from Frankfurt to Fulda, covering a whopping 103km. Within these routes, you also have a ton of new trains; some of which you might have heard of. For me, even though I have played every single one of the Train Sim World games previously, it’s still a bit foggy.
There are lots of things to learn from the exhaustive tutorials, but these are also very important; at least they are for me because I forget everything I have learnt, every time a new game comes along.
The new features in Train Sim World 5, apart from the vast amount of scenarios and timetables to tackle, are quite deep. They come in the form of the Conductor Mode where you let someone else do the driving, left to wander the train and check tickets, annoy passengers, and sort out luggage. This is a fun mode that brings something different to the franchise. However, it’s not quite enough to keep you away from the real job of driving the trains.
The next feature is route hopping, where you connect previous routes used (if they are in a similar location) so you can play through rather than go back to the home screen. There is a live map and fast travel sections to allow you seamlessly to go to different locations on the map instantly.
I think the new routes in Train Sim World 5 are great and offer something different, catering for multiple tastes. I know the West Coast Mainline route quite well, so it was nice to see that from a different viewpoint. The San Bernardino line is a favourite because it seems very exotic, seeing the locations and different challenges on the trains and track. And Germany is brilliant too, what with the high-speed trains and their futuristic dashboards.
There seems to be a lot of things to get involved in with TSW5 with tons of replay value, from driving the trains to designing your own and sharing them with the online community. I would say, however, that at times the menus do get a bit confusing.
My criticism in the past, especially in regards to some of the early games in this franchise, was focused on the passengers. There were too many twins or triplets, all sitting together in a carriage. Now the passengers do seem a bit more varied, but the other change is that it all feels much busier, as stations should be now. Train Sim World 5 bustles with action and life, which helps the authentic feeling of the game.
The visuals feel like a step up too, whilst a lighting overhaul seems, at times, to make the game almost photorealistic. Trains and interiors look amazing, and switching to the camera outside is always a delightful experience, watching the world go by. The whole presentation of Train Sim World 5 is of a high standard and continues to go from strength to strength and that’s without even mentioning the amazing weather effects.Â
There is no denying that Dovetail Games are the masters of this genre, and even though some will question whether we need a new game quite so often, I feel they do continue to improve the franchise with every step. This time around with Train Sim World 5 that comes in the form of Conductor Mode and the route hopping.Â
Perhaps that vision of being able to drive any train, on any track, in any location is closer than we think.
Train Sim World 5 Now Available: A Must-Have for Rail Enthusiasts? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/train-sim-world-5-now-available-a-must-have-for-rail-enthusiasts/
Buy Train Sim World 5 on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/train-sim-world-5-standard-edition/9N9FR8CSZP56/0010
