Microsoft Train Simulator

“Train, train, take me on out of this town …”

Some games come along leaving gamers wondering just what the joy there will be in the effort of playing them. Microsoft’s Train Simulator is one of them. But launch the program and you will be immediately aware of the joy of it.

Earlier this year, there was a case of a runaway train. Engineers conspired to make sure the engineer-less train did not harm anyone. Earlier in life, I happened to work for a national railroad company, and had several opportunities to ride in the engine. What happened up there was a mystery. Not anymore – thanks to Train Simulator. Jump on that train and stop it – not a problem now.

Microsoft has managed to combine the joy of America’s love affair with the train with the power of game playing.

There are setbacks though, and some of them are a combination of transitioning from tutorial to actually running a train.

You can cruise through three engine types – the electric-powered Acela HHP-8 (easiest to run), the diesel Dash-9, and the steam-driven Flying Scotsman. You can learn the basics, but then it is out to the real/cyber-life adventure of driving trains, making schedules and enjoying the scenery that is provided along the way.

There is a major difference in running the trains, learning to gauge the tracks, whether to lay down sand for traction, or power forward. All of this with solid graphical elements, realistic sound effects and a demanding schedule.

There are several detailed routes, from Japan (enjoying the sunrise while trying to making sure you make the time schedule in place) to traversing snow-covered European routes.

This program has a route editor in place to allow you to design your own routes. All-in-all, the program is a challenging, power-driven ride through wonderfully solid polygonal scenery. Forget the miniature train sets, this program – with its multiple camera angles – gives a solid perspective on what it takes to power up and course a train down twisting tracks.

The  game consumes a massive amount of hard drive space, almost 2 gigabytes. It is keyboard, and mouse-driven. Be very aware of the keyboard controls before jumping in and trying to make the schedule. The game does demand a lot, but by taking it slowly, you will be able to negotiate your way through the preliminaries.

The game play is tough, the graphics are solid and the sound is wonderful. If there is anything missing from this game, it is the gentle rocking of actually riding the rails.

Every train song starts to hum its way through your head, every experience on or near a track comes flooding back, and the total joy of this game circumvents any deficiencies the program may have. And there are not many of the latter. Yes, the graphics may not be the hottest the industry has to offer, but they are extremely good. You can even take a ride on the rail line as a passenger, instead of the engineer.

The manual is an in-depth look at what it takes to place you in the engine of powerful locomotives. You can treat this game as a casual escapade through the world of trains, or – if you are a train-ophile – then this is a must-have.

Train Simulator is rated for everyone, and would be especially appropriate for parents and children to share the joys of riding the rails.

In some segments of society, trains have taken a backseat to other modes of transportation, but Microsoft brings that seemingly-gentle and simple transportation to the forefront. As complicated, in some ways (especially in terms of the steam locos, which can require constant attention to fire, steam and water as the train’s fireman) as flying high-powered jets, this program is a joy to launch, and drive.

Install: Hard.
At little more that 1.8 gigs of hard-drive space, and a two-CD installation, this game takes a while to load. There is no intermediate install available, it’s all or nothing.

Gameplay: 8.
Once launched, the program runs seamlessly, and the maps are camera-dynamic, allowing players to view the action from a variety of views.

Graphics: 8.
These may not be the absolutely best graphics available in games (some of the RPGs are stunning), but the game does have terrific graphics for a driving sim – which is basically what this is.

Sound: 9.
From the train whistle, to the sounds of pulling into a station and the tracks beneath the steel wheels, this game has wonderful audio support.

Difficulty: 8.5.
You can walk through the basics in the tutorial, but that really does little but give you the basics to tackle the major objectives of meeting a train schedule.

Concept: 8.
There have been train sims in the past, but this takes it to another level.

Multiplayer: N/A.

Overall: 8.5.
This game rocks along the rails, providing a very close experience to the actual experience of riding or working for a railroad. From traversing the mountain passes to rolling along scenic coastlines, this is a wonderful outing.