So I just bought Derail Valley on Steam, and only put around 8 hours into it so far. It feels a lot like Snowrunner on rails. Things I've noticed so far: - Graphically more impressive than TSW (and this is a Unity Engine game). - Cold starting locomotives a thing. - Better sense of game progression. - Steam trains are a thing. - Steam boilers explode if you run out of water. - Train crashes are more realistic, with better physics and effects like fuel tanks exploding. - Overhanging tree branches are pushed away by the locomotive cab, instead of hitting you in the face through the cab. - The game only cost £33.50 and there is no DLC. - Overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. If DTG made a "Snowrunner on rails" game like this in UE5, instead of a "Need for Speed train racing slop" UE5 game that nobody wants, people might actually buy the thing.
I'm just waiting for the if it's not real I ain't buying that rubbish squad that will ultimately probably show up. As for me though I'll happily buy both derail valley if it was on console, and will be getting the new train racing oddity from DTG, I love train games of any flavour......
I actually quite enjoy DV in measured doses but the map does get repetitive. Could do with some new routes to play with, maybe something more linear.
It's a different, more limited game. Can you imagine TSW only offering 1 map and 8 locomotives after years of development? They went after different design elements. A dynamic economy instead of a "scoring" system of trophies for example. One map in one country instead of 100 maps in 7 countries. 8 locos instead of 60 locos. It's a "fictional" map too, which is verboten to many TSW players. They're about as different as two train "sims" can be. It does have it's drawbacks as well. Beyond the lack of new tracks, new locos and new stock, look at the terrain for example. Still no passenger services after all this time. I love DV as much as TSW, but it's an entirely different focus. They are both good for very different things. Could some company (not DTG) do a route and populate it like Derail Valley, expanding on a fictional route with a dynamic economy? Sure. They could. If they want to compete with DV. I'd imagine the comment section would be a LOVE show however as people cry murder over how it's a "fictional map" with "fictional locos" and it's "so much money for just one map" and "there's no passenger service", it's "too full of curves to go full speed", and the "graphics aren't up to TSW standards" etc. There's more reasons to just keep playing DV than there are trying to do that in TSW and potentially face a wall of criticism just to compete with a game that already exists and does a good job. There are hugely different expectations for each game.
It's a very "different strokes for different folks" situation when it comes to the markets for these two games. Apples, oranges, etc.
