*I scroll through my emails when I see one requesting a review of a game called Bus Simulator 18. Suddenly, a large bus drives through from a portal. Someone gets out and throws me in. I’m given a brief of what to do and a manual before I get dropped off, in some metro city. * Ah, shoot. Here we go again. My first review was a Bus Driving Simulation game, and that didn’t fare well. Here I am again, and this time it’s from a different company. Good thing I have the manual with me.
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Let’s see, Bus Simulator 18 is developed by StillAlive studios. What an ironic name, when putting into consideration of any whereabouts of my activity on here as well as anybody else’s on other sites. The studio has produced games like Bus Simulator 16 and 18, Son of Nor and Rescue HQ- The Tycoon. That game is really interesting, but that’s not what I’m here for. Now, the publisher of Bus Simulator 18 is Astragon Entertainment. According to their Bio on Steam, they basically publish simulation games. The other simulation games they published are Construction Simulator and Fishing: Barents Sea.
Alright, now that I got that out of the way, I need to get out of the way of the oncoming buses, because I just accidentally wandered onto the road!! (I do a quick dodge and get myself back to the safety of the sidewalk) Phew!
Now, Bus Simulator 18 looks rather too similar to the very first game I reviewed. As according to what it says in the manual, Bus Simulator 18 has you in the role as a bus driver. What makes this strange is that the title says 18… wait! It says here, this game actually released already, in June 13 of last year. However, it was only for PC, and according to the manual, it recently released for the PS4.
What makes Bus Simulator 18 different from that of Bus Driver Simulator 19 is that Bus Simulator 18 can be played with up to four players in multiplayer mode. Fortunately, I found the ‘Mechanics’ section in the manual, so I’ll get to that right now.
Of course, the player(s) must abide by the traffic regulations of the city, while additionally tasked with the necessary interactions with the passengers. And of course, it isn’t a bus simulator unless it also has the tedious struggles of driving such as traffic jams, road accidents and vehicular breakdowns. Additionally, there are random problems caused by unruly passengers. Players can run their own bus-driving businesses, building up their reputations and eventually getting new buses, which will have improved driving.
Two interesting things this game has, unlike that other game is that 1. This game also offers two driving models: Realistic and Simplified. Simplified model is for the newer players and/or beginners, and 2. It has variable weather and day ‘n’ night cycles.
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I suppose I should give it a score now. Honestly, the score for this game shall be 8.5 / 10. The Multiplayer mode as well as realistic weather and unruly passengers among other things add for a more interesting experience.
Check Out the Bus Simulator 18 Trailer:
Bus Simulator 18 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is now available for 39.99 USD / 39.99 EUR (RSP) as a digital download in the PlayStation Store and the Microsoft Store.
PlayStation 4 Review
I'm the kind of guy who LOVES games with rich storytelling elements, but still finds enjoyment in the other games that don't have those. I am always intrigued by how new and upcoming game developers either bring something new to the table or take something existing and bring an exhilarating twist to it.
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