If you’ll forgive a veteran virtual train driver a moment of indulgence, Train Sim World is one of the few series this writer has returned to over and over again. There’s something deeply soothing about commandeering a hunk of metal through an otherwise uneventful afternoon, making passenger stops as you soak up the scenery.
We’ve been reviewing these games for about six or so years now, and the series has come a long way in that time. We skipped coverage of Train Sim World 4 as its release date didn’t align with our work schedule, but just 12 months later we find ourselves in the cockpit of a Class 390, exploring the stretch of track between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
While we’re not especially keen on the annualisation of the franchise, it should be noted that Dovetail is offering a free client upgrade for owners of previous expansion packs. This means, effectively, you don’t need to buy Train Sim World 5 to benefit from it: you can download the complimentary client, import your existing routes and rails, and get to work. This starter pack will only be available until 17th October, however, so act fast.
For the purposes of this review, we’re playing the Deluxe Edition, which includes three new routes and a ton of locos. The most appealing to this author is the West Coast Main Line, which in real-life runs roughly 400 miles, from Glasgow to London Euston. The developer generally selects smaller sections of railway with services that can be completed in under an hour, so you only get up to Milton Keynes here, as mentioned previously.
The various graphical improvements that have been implemented over the years genuinely impress, though; no longer is this a scrappy low-budget affair but one that borders on photorealism in places, owing to some lovely sky boxes and dynamic cloud cover. You really feel the progression of time over the course of a journey, as weather changes and the sun sets.
The Class 350 is perfectly modelled, but it’s the siren-like whir of its engine that really stunned this author. Having travelled on this train dozens upon dozens of times, the developer has really captured the soul of it – and the scenery in and around London Euston feels more accurate than ever. Yes, the developer still relies on copy-and-paste assets, but the walls of graffiti as you enter the main station hub are all accurately reflected and represented.
But it’s the Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino that we were most excited to drive – or, as this writer’s Mum calls it, the “fast train”. Some of you may be familiar with this loco in its Virgin livery, and we’re happy to report one user has already meticulously recreated this look in the Creators Club, which is where fans can edit the trains and share their creations online.
We’ve had a lot of fun sprinting between London Euston and Milton Keynes in this rapid rail, and while we’ve encountered very familiar bugs – like signalling issues which have prevented us from completing timetables – we suspect we’re going to spend a lot of time replaying this route over and over in the coming months.
Those of you who have less of a connection to the West Coast Main Line will still find a very busy and fun stretch of rail, which has a ton of passenger stops if you’re commandeering the slower Class 350. The game’s standard edition also comes with the Los Angeles to San Bernadino and Frankfurt to Fulda lines.
One new feature is the ability to “route hop”, effectively connecting two disparate DLC packs together. That means you can run services in the San Bernadino area and then transition to the more scenic Cajon Pass, which we suspect is going to become a bigger feature for the franchise moving forwards, as the developer works to ensure expansions intertwine.
While we’re not massively keen on the American trains, which we tend to find fiddly to drive, we enjoyed the rustic sun-baked scenery of San Bernadino leading into the bustling metropolis of LA, and the Metrolink MP36 – colloquially known as the ‘Baby Bullet’ – is a bit of a beast. We definitely had fun getting to grips with its double-decker formations.
There’s actually very good variety in terms of the included routes and rails, because the long-awaited ICE-T (not to be confused with the rapper) offers an extremely smooth driving experience, through the scenic surroundings of the busy Frankfurt station. All three flagship inclusions bring their own character, but it’s a shame to see the same old emphasis on the UK, USA, and Germany yet again.
This is perhaps the biggest thing that Train Sim World has been crying out for: more international representation. While we understand Dovetail needs to prioritise commercially viable routes, its game is predicated on the idea of driving trains around the world, and the routes in France and Switzerland have been among this author’s favourites.
The Tadami line, a beautiful Japanese scenic route running through Fukushima, is planned in the future – and we imagine it’ll be among the game’s best-sellers when it does eventually deploy. We sincerely hope this convinces the developer to use the release’s very strong foundations to start introducing other locos and rails from around the world.
In the meantime, Train Sim World 5 feels like it’s in a good place. Other additions in this version include the conductor mode which was previously teased in Train Sim World 4, and allows you to take a break from driving the locos in order to operate doors and check for tickets. While it’s not something this author will be doing a lot, the inclusion makes sense. Meanwhile, fast travel and a new live map feature seem like smart improvements, too.
Conclusion
Train Sim World 5 shunts the series forward with a number of smaller improvements. While the base package feels a bit unnecessary, it’s effectively a free client upgrade for existing expansion owners, and therefore worth your time. Of the new routes included with the Deluxe Edition, we really love the West Coast Main Line, and the other two additions bring their own character and challenges. We just hope, moving forwards, the franchise starts to live up to its moniker – it’s Train Sim World, not Train Sim UK USA Germany.
