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0 Dovetail Games have recently dropped Train Sim World 5 on us and let me tell you, it’s glorious! We first covered the news of this release back in August and I’ve been so excited to play it ever since. Released on consoles and PC, this review will focus solely on the PC version of the game, available on Steam, the Epic Store as well as the Standard Edition available through Xbox Game Pass.
I Choo Choo Choose You!
So head to your nearest station, purchase your ticket and hop aboard the review express. I promise that this review won’t leave you board of the puns.
Gameplay
The great thing about Train Sim World 5 is getting a Free Starter Pack. Giving you access to several features all for free you can dip into the game and then decide whether to purchase more. There is something for everyone, whether that’s more locomotives or scenarios.
Firing up the review copy of the game I first decided to dive into the tutorials. Off I went, straight into some of the amazing trains available to get behind the controls off. Being walked through the procedure for getting these behemoths in motion gave me a great appreciation for those who choose that for the profession. Full disclosure, during the day I work for one of the biggest rail companies in the country, however, I am not a driver. Playing Train Simulator games is something of a guilty pleasure for me, so you can imagine my joy as I got to put the power down!
The Training centre covers everything that you might need from the game. From the straightforward controls of walking, to the procedure for coupling your trains with freight wagons. It’s all there to refer back to later as well, which you definitely will. Thankfully even if you dive into the other parts of the game it helps you along the way.
Alternatively, if you are a professional you can switch this help mechanism off completely and go alone! Personally with my memory almost being as good as the trains in the snow, I decided to keep the help running.
Tickets Please
If you’ve played Train Sim World games in the past then you will know what the game is generally all about. Drive trains along a predetermined route and live out your life as a train driver. Well not to derail your thoughts, but Train Sim World 5 looks to mix it up. With the introduction of a new mode where you can live out the tasks of a train conductor. Head into one of the available scenarios and off you pop, straight to work. Release the doors, let the passengers get to their seats, and then you have a predetermined amount of time to check their tickets. Compare where they are headed with the route your train is taking. You then get to choose whether to let them enjoy the rest of their journey or chuck them off at the next stop. Unfortunately, you don’t get any unruly customers nor do you have to call the British Transport Police.
It’s a great little addition to the game which helps if you fancy something different. Although playing this mode I was able to signal the driver to start heading onward before I had even closed the train doors. I’m pretty sure that isn’t meant to happen. Checking tickets between stations was never a rush, and it never felt like it was too difficult. Instead, I often found myself sitting in one of the seats and enjoying the view as the train hurtled down the tracks.
Trackside
Talking of trackside, there are a few things that you can do, for example how to change points. You can either do them from the interactive map, or you can even head onto the ballast and do it manually. I managed to find a fellow orange wearer during the tutorial missions.
Whether you are driving the trains, or checking tickets, there is still more to do. Head out into the free roam section and you have a number of tasks to do at the stations. These range from route maps of the relevant route you are on, to fixing delivery robots. There is a bunch to collect, so you better arrive early at the station just to get them done before your train departs.
Graphics & Audio
Train Sim World 5 looks great. With some graphical enhancements such as volumetric fog and top-of-the-range rain effects, it looks fantastic. Whilst some of the environments further away from the track can look a bit basic, what can you expect with a game that has over 100 different routes available? The in-cab view looks great, but I quite often found myself orbiting around outside, checking out the sheep in the fields, or the cars driving on adjacent roads. It’s a pretty neat experience.
In terms of the audio, well what do you need? You get the proper sounds that you would expect. Each engine type sounds vastly different, and even the train horn sounds great. As someone who has worked around trains for over 10 years, I can tell you from experience, Train Sim World 5 is spot on. Dovetail Games have done the railway proud.
Longevity
With a game that has as much content as Train Sim World 5 you will be able to lose hours upon hours. Not to mention there are over 100 pieces of DLC available at launch! Add to that the Creators Club where the community can create scenarios for you to download direct to your game. There is even a quick play option where it asks how much time you have spare to be able to jump straight into something. There is so much to enjoy with this game.
Final Thoughts
Dovetail Games has done it again, they have brought another fascinating train simulator onto the track. As a train fan, this game feels incredibly authentic with everything where it should be.
Train Sim World 5 reaches it’s final destination and gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received to write this review.
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