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0 Railroad Corporation 2 by Ukrainian-based devs Corbie Games and published by Iceberg Interactive is, as the title suggests, a train-based strategic simulator. Releasing on PC on 21st October, I was lucky enough to play the early access demo.
Time To Electrify!
Following on from the reasonably successful Railroad Corporation that was released in 2019, the golden age of steam is about to move into the electrified 20th-century era.
The idea of the game is a simple one. Connect cities with a rail network and profit from the transport of their supply and demand requirements. Can it be carried out easily and in a fun way?
Gameplay
Railroad Corporation 2 allows you to play either single-player or up to 4 players online, either competitively or co-operatively. At the time of writing, the early access demo did not have the multiplayer functioning and so I could not give this a try. The Campaign and Sandbox were the only two available modes.
Starting the game, you create your company office in one of the cities. Where you choose to locate is affected by that city’s economics. For example, you may find that you pay more tax for each building you construct.
Once you have settled down, you use the mouse to hover over the cities to see what resources they require and also what they can supply. You will notice from the headquarters office that there is access to various insights as well as the research, geology, financial, lobbying and construction departments. Each plays a significant role as the game unfolds.
The toolbars are easy to navigate and not over-complicated. Creating a train station in each respective city is a simple affair. Buildings show as green or red depending on if they can be built in the chosen location. Rail lines are a case of clicking from one station and then navigating the layout as it displays on the land. Depending on where you settle the line, affects the speeds that the trains can achieve. A little bit of savvy is needed to ensure that the route is both strategic as well as economical to construct.
Time To Invest
Once the line is in place you can purchase trains. Initially, you have one type of steam train to choose from. You do not have to worry about buying the carriages however. When the train is selected, the origin and waypoints can be input. It is from the train window that you then set your orders for what the train is to do at each station. My city had wood as an outgoing resource, therefore wood was selected to be picked up. You have to keep an eye on the maximum weight that the train can transport as each carriage is added on. If you go over, the train will struggle or fail. Likewise, at the destination train station, you must remember to tell the train to unload the wood and the same quantity. Trains can be mixed in what they transport, with the process being simple to implement.
What I liked about Railroad Corporation 2 was the simplicity of track building and designating the trains. Bridges & tunnels are automatically constructed without any hassle. If you decide to run 2 trains along the same line, rather than build another track in parallel, it is easy to add sidings and deploy signals. There have been several rail games in the past that have made me scratch my head to understand the mechanics!
All Aboard!
As you begin to turn a profit, you can build more stations, lines and purchase more trains. Upgrades are also possible that allow additional platforms as well as room for staff at your headquarters. Buying industries within cities becomes a lucrative investment when carried out well, as well as building your own. Very quickly your Railroad Corporation grows.
Keeping a tab of each train is carried out via the train window as it is very easy to lose track of what routes you have on the go. Thankfully you can also rename the trains to remind you, helpful as their name is displayed above each train as they thunder down the tracks.
When you are ready, electrifying the tracks is carried out by a simple track upgrade. This allows you to add more expensive electric trains to your transport fleet. This brings with it a considerable overhaul on the amount of carriages/trailers that you can then pull. Just remember to build station power! Onwards and upwards as they say!
Graphics & Audio
Railroad Corporation 2’s graphics are fairly well-detailed. I liked how you can zoom right in on the action as well as spin the camera around. The ability to track a train is helpful if you are checking for any issues or have massive anxiety about the transport transaction being made.
Strangely though, there was the one thing that didn’t sit right. The colour of your Railroad Corporation’s brand on the roof of your buildings. Although it was a good visual indicator as to whose station or building it was, it just seemed to look odd. Especially when the written titles above the building already identified the owner.
The minor point aside, the GUI is lovely and bold as well as straight to the point. I found it easy to manage what I was doing. This was a welcome contrast when compared to some of the other business-based games that I have previously played.
The soundtrack to Railroad Corporation 2 is a lovely relaxing score. Chilled Sunday afternoon vibes, slow beats with piano accompaniments, and slick moody guitar and saxophone solos make for a warming ambiance to your gameplay.
The sound effects such as the weather and trains rushing down the tracks remind you that you are trying to run a profitable train transport industry and to stop sipping your wine while listening to the soundtrack.
Longevity
Railroad Corporation 2 will have some serious longevity in my opinion. From what I have played, it is certainly an engaging game that isn’t too overly complicated. Many features allow you to upgrade and progress your corporation’s wealth later on, however, it is easy to get into. I am intrigued to see how the multiplayer mode performs. I know that my father, who loves these types of games, would probably love to play this with me!
Final Thoughts
There are many railroad transport games out there to test your skills in running a successful business. I have been there since the original Railroad Tycoon! While graphics, audio and gameplay get increasingly better over the years, thanks to new hardware and software products, not every game manages to always achieve what they wanted.
I am pleased to say that Corbie Games has created an exceedingly good piece of escapism in Railroad Corporation 2 and I cannot wait to see how it progresses after launch.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
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