Railroads Online coming soon to consoles This (partially) could challenge TSW's status as the ONLY train sim on consoles. On the other hand, it is mostly in areas that TSW doesn't go into (track building and steam engines) so maybe they'll just co-exist peacefully as different products for different markets. The timeline for the game from the devs is mid-1800s up to the "mid 1920s" I believe. So, there's no overlap in time between the two games in the foreseeable future.
Surely this should be in off topic, as per other discussions about other games, including other train sims. I can't say I have ever played this game on the PC, but honestly it appears to be more akin to Transport Fever than TSW, so do not see it being threatening at all. Completely different game from what I can make of it.
This is a game that I have always wanted to play. I was ecstatic when I heard it was coming to consoles until I then released it was only for PS5 & Xbox Series S/X - I have a Xbox One S sadly.
It can go in off topic, but it's been a common notion discussed in MANY threads that TSW is in a unique position as the only console game so that it HAS to be everything to everyone. I think this has the potential to offload some of that expectation for TSW and they can focus on their core focus. It still leaves some gaps (such as the era between 1926-1958) that aren't really covered still.
Yeah I think the only comparison to TSW players can make is that they both involve trains, aside from that it looks completely different.
About 5 minutes of looking into the dev history of this game will present a soviet parade of red flags. Any game which is in early access on PC, which then announces a console release is an immediate red flag, and boy does this game have plenty of those.
There have been at least two serious rows in the dev/support team. In both cases resulting in many people running away. The dev/owner of the game bans almost everyone wha has been critical to this game and what happened. For now Railroader is a good alternative. It is far more suitable for single play, but laying your own track is not supported. (In Railroads Online this used to be a fun factor, but you needed a mod to do it a bit effectively and the devs of the mod stopped, because they did not get any information from the dev about changes in the data model). If you can wait a while, Spirit of Steam looks great. It has a beautiful landscape, detailed physics and a lot of features. We still need to wait a while though
Those of us who love trains are catered to across a fair range of genres on console, from direct driving sims, to management, to other genres like puzzles, or even post apocalyptic survival. Buy Train Life: A Railway Simulator | Xbox Buy Metro Simulator | Xbox Buy Railway Empire – Complete Collection | Xbox Buy Train Valley Collection | Xbox Buy Train Station Renovation | Xbox Buy The Final Station Collector's Edition | Xbox
By now, the game is out on consoles. Has anyone tried it yet? I have taken the plunge on PS5 and put some hours into it. My feelings are very mixed. I've only played singleplayer because I'm not much interested in the online component. I do like the general gameplay of building and running your own railroad. I'm on the Alaska map and currently still optimising my "main"line from the logging camp to the sawmill, but it is quite nice to pull my train along with the cute starter loco. The track-building is somewhat cumbersome and janky but works well enough for a more arcade-style game. Same for the driving - it's obviously not a simulator in any way but still serves its purpose if you're treating it like an arcade game focused on running your own railroad (in contrast to driving a train). As an aside, the ability to quill the whistle is amazing. None of that helps the negatives though. As mentioned before, all gameplay elements feel janky and weird. There's nothing that really works in a satisfying way. I think the best way to describe it is that it all feels like a beta or tech demo rather than a released game (not unsurprising given the "early access" history). It also doesn't look like there's any way to get the economy flowing in singleplayer. Since there will always be only one train running and each industry relies on you to deliver supplies and pick up products, you'll always lag behind. This I can excuse though given that the game is intended for up to 16 players and not singleplayer. Worst offender is the sound though. When you switch into control mode (think: sitting down in the driver's seat in TSW), all loco sounds completely break and the loco goes silent with only occasional sounds returning. This is only fixed when stationary or getting out of control mode. You can also run the engine without the control mode in a way similar to derail valley, in which case the sound works but it's very awkward to drive. I'm curious about the patch that's supposed to come early next year (I think), but in its current state, I wouldn't recommend the game. I'll keep playing around with it (no refunds on PlayStation anyways) and see how I get on. My verdict so far is that the game could be fun, but was very much not ready for release. It's not a polished game that you can sit down and play.
This is a game I'd completely forgotten about lol, so it's not worth the investment then as it stands?
In its current state, the price is very steep for what’s being offered - so I’d say no. That is unless you have some friends that you really want to play with. Then, it might be a fun sandbox to play around in. I do believe a big patch is scheduled for next year, at which point I’ll probably dig this thread up again and report back. As it stands, it’s a janky, unpolished but sometimes fun plaything.
I'm hoping to get some Playstation giftcards for Christmas, if I do they'll go towards it at some point, thank you.
I'm just gonna disagree with Lamplight 100%. I don't find it "lacking" or "janky" in any way. The physics seem pretty good too. I think it's more personal taste. It does give you a lot of appreciation for early railroaders and track builders because you easily see that the steam engines were very low traction and a few degrees of gradient can really be an obstacle, so you have to plan a lot for your railroad routes. There are a lot of features that you have to get to know are there (like auto cargo loading/unloading) that you can use for convenience to make things smoother/easier but you don't have to. I'd say it's no "jankier" or "unrealistic" than TSW. About the same level graphics and physics but it's a lot more steam and railroad building so the driving is only half of it, rather than all of it. And yes tracklaying takes some practice to get better at, but it's not "wrong" so much as just something new. No other game has 3 dimensional track building in that way, it's usually just in editors or scenario builders, etc. It's something you pick up by doing it until it's intuitive. There are some "hit box" issues that are still in progress, but nothing game breaking. (Like a little sapling can derail your train if you don't remove it when you lay track) but to be fair... that's kinda use error. If you are leaving even small trees in your railroad track you're not the best engineer.... I have it on PC, so can't say how it plays on consoles but from gameplay I've seen it looks the same as the PC version. To me it's a very different experience because you can see how the rail lines are set up and work from the "ground up" (literally) so you acn see how things like marshaling yards, track curvature, gradient, switches, refueling stations, etc evolve over time and impact a railroad. It's not just already there. You learn the "why" of a lot of things by experience. ("Oh.... ran out of water 3/4 of the way there... THAT'S why there's so many coaling and water towers along those old tracks!") The economy gives goals to make money to buy new things like locos. One interesting part is that you DON'T have to buy scenery, so you can put as much as you want up in props (buildings, signs, etc) That really changes the whole game once you realize that because you can build whole towns and even put your own industries on the map (rather than just connect the ones that are already there in sandbox), so the game is everything you make it. It's up to you to build what you want and run. Think of it less like TSW and more like a Trainz or something where you are building a model railroad...only it's not/ Everything is full size on a huge map. If you want something with more economics, where you have to service industries but you don't want the track building, then I'd go with Railroader.
Yeah nah... this one's a pass chief. Especially now that SimRail has been announced for console testing.. it just seems a bit too suspicious from what I've seen. I wish them the best though, hopefully they'll find maybe a little bit as it does seem like an "okay" game.
"Suspicious" meaning you suspect what exactly? What conspiracy is taking place in your mind? I paid money. I play a game. In fact they keep adding new content to the game at no charge. What nefarious scheme is afoot?
Sorry, I just want to specify what I meant specifically. The weight of trains does feel good and braking without continuous air brakes is appropriatly hard. I meant the driving physics themselves. The locos don’t use steam pressure unless your fire is out and wheelslip is non-existant. It’s fine for this type of game, just obviously not concerned with a true-to-life driving simulation. As I love RPGs, I can easily immerse myself in the early days of the railroads depicted in the game. It’s mostly the sound issue described above killing it for me at the moment. What’s a steam loco without sound? Oh, is there news? I had assumed that the console release had been quietly buried given the lack of any news for a long time.
Boy oh boy.. they do not make it easy to find information on this but this is from a recent Q&A on their forums:
Please read my post again: Thank you. Just checking: Do you know if a PlayStation version is still coming as well given that this only mentions XBox?
