Stillalive Studios and astragon managed to do something with their title, Bus Simulator, that I honestly never thought was possible… they made a fun game where you play as a bus driver. That’s literally all this game is, and it does it perfectly. You get what you pay for with Bus Simulator and if you want an absurdly realistic game about being a bus driver then download this game immediately.
To start off the game, the player is walked through a generally comprehensive tutorial on all of the various controls (which are far greater in number than I could have anticipated) and has the option to customize their character’s appearance. While the graphics are not necessarily spectacular, the attention to detail in terms of the bus itself and the controls are highly realistic and the subtleties of driving a bus became readily apparent to me as significantly more complicated than I had assumed.
This game could actually be used for educational purposes in my opinion as it does not let the player run their bus line like something out of Grand Theft Auto as certain actions such as missing a turn signal, failing to stop at a light, tardiness, or cutting across the curb all not only have financial penalties in terms of maintenance required, but also affects the reputation of your bus line and the satisfaction of the customers. I found that this only added to the realism of the game and my enjoyment of Bus Simulator because I drove in-game as if I would drive a real car. I checked all of my mirrors, paid attention to distance between my bus and other cars, used turn signals, and had to keep the speed limit in mind as well. Whenever I play a simulation game I like it to be as accurate and realistic as possible (even if it is not necessarily as thrilling or fast-paced) and Stillalive nailed it in this regard.
Another nice touch in Bus Simulator was that, as the bus driver, you had to efficiently deal with people coming onto the bus and purchasing tickets. It may not seem like something that is too complex, but having to quickly give each person the type of ticket they asked for and then calculate how much change to give each of them in enough time to make the next stop punctually creates a bit of time pressure on the player that contributes to the multitude of moving parts that the player has to consider in the operation of the bus line.
Some people would also leave trash on the bus occasionally and as the owner of the bus line, I would have to clean up said trash in order to keep the bus sanitary for the enjoyment of future customers, yet another nice touch by the developers. One thing that I really loved about Bus Simulator that may seem a bit odd was the music. The soundtrack was full of this sort of jazz-infused funk music and I loved it. I found myself nodding along and jamming to the music as I navigated my bus through the city and while it is a small detail, it certainly went a long way for this gamer.
At the end of each trip the player is shown an in-depth analysis of statistics regarding their trip such as maintenance costs (if the player hits anything), weekly income from the routes, average speed, accidents, and even catching fare dodgers! This aspect of the game was the cherry-on-top that really made me feel like I was running a business because I had to account for so many variables in order to make a profit, it wasn’t simply driving from point A to point B. The ability for players to gain money through advertisements and the ability to hire and fire new drivers and members of the company as I grew my bus empire were also great aspects of this game.
I was also quite pleased with the map expansion pack as it provided a much more impressive environment and set of routes for your bus line such as the airport and scenic ocean views. The expansion pack also provided for a little extra challenge and change of scenery from the city landscape of the base map pack.
Overall, while Bus Simulator was not necessarily my cup of tea in terms of video games with replay value, it was objectively one of the best simulation games I’ve ever played. The developers obviously put a lot of thought into this game and their hard work did not go unnoticed as I have nothing but praise for what they have accomplished with this game.
Score: 8/10
Check Out the Bus Simulator Map Expansion Trailer:
For more information, please visit: https://www.bussimulator-game.com/
Xbox One Review
I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.
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