I was able to play a few good hours of TSW2 trying out each route with a scenario or timetable. I have been a fan of TSW since the original game came out two years and by far TSW 2 is a huge improvement. First route I tried out was Sand Patch and the visual difference of the GP38 of the two previous games is night and day. The overall scenery of Sand Patch is amazing from the bustling yards to the surrounding trees and river as you go up and down the gradient. I felt like I was hauling a heavy frieght train up the Allegheny Mountains. Bakerloo line is probably my favorite so far. Love the detail with the underground stations and even driving in the dark underground tunnels. Driving the German ICE train did have it framerate issues while traveling above 125 mph. I did have a sense of travelling at high speed until I passed an oncoming train and then the framerate would have a noticable hiccup. The hiccup is notciable enough to actually ruin the experience. Audio : The sounds of TSW2 has improved with the wheels screeching in the London underground to the monster 4K HP diesel engine going up the Sand Patch gradient. The only thing I wish was different with sound are the horns for the CSX locos. It does not sound like you are outside railfanning near an approaching frieght train but at a muffled sound studio. I will admit as an American I may be a little harsh on that aspect. While driving the Bakerloo line you feel like you are underground just by sound alone. From the echoing of the electric motors in the tunnel to the screeching of the wheels as you are going through tight corners. Physics: During normal weather with the passenger trains you do not noticed the adhesion due to the lightweight constint. But you really notice it with a 40 plus freight train that is trying move from a dead stop on a gradient. New adhesion physics brings some much needed realisim to TSW2. You will not go anywhere if you push the throttle to max at the start. With the nice addition to sand and gradually building up your RPMs you will feel satifiy. Rain and snow does make it more challenging due to the moisture takes away friction. Finally weather actually has a role to pla in the game instead of just scenery. Graphics: TSW2 graphics are a huge improvement. The lush forest of the Allegheny mountains of Sand Patch does not look muddy or a slab of green. Trees look like trees even when you pan the camera high in the sky. I was really impress with the detail in two main stations of Aachen and Klon. It is breathtaking as you are rolling into Aachen station and can see the catherdral in the background. For the Bakerloo line the detail was also not spared. Every station is different and not bland or muddled. Even driving in the underground tunnels make you feel like you are actually driving in the London underground. Now that being said I did noticed obvious framerate lag while driving the ICE bullet train. Framerate lagged while in high speed and passing opposite trains. Other than that the framerate did not have any faults and the game was smooth. Overall TSW2 is a big improvement from the two previous titles. I do believe Dovetail is in the right drection with console Train Simulators. There is no such thing of a perfect game and it seems like a number of people in this community does not understand that. While playing TSW2 on a normal PS4 I did not noticed any big bugs are issues. Overall I would give TSW2 a 8/10. If you are a rail fan or a train simulator fan you will not be disappointed. I am really excited for the future of TSW.
