Train Sim World
Train Sim World (abbreviated to TSW) is a train simulation game developed by Dovetail Games. It was released on 24 July 2018.[1] For the first time, Train Sim World allows players to walk around the game world in first-person mode. This mode is utilised in tutorials, scenarios and services where the first-person mode is required to complete tasks such as refuelling or changing switches.[1]
Train Sim World | |
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Cover of TSW depicting some of the operable trains (from l-r: Siemens ACS-64; British Rail Class 43; Bombardier Talent 2) | |
Developer(s) | Dovetail Games |
Publisher(s) | Dovetail Games |
Engine | Unreal Engine 4[1][2] |
Platform(s) | |
Release | 24 July 2018[1] |
Genre(s) | Simulation |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Releases
Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul
During beta release, the game was originally called Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul, which consisted of one playable route, Sand Patch Grade, based in the United States.[2]
Train Sim World: Founders Edition
The second version was Founders Edition, which was available on Xbox One, containing Great Western Express.[4]
Train Sim World
The third version, simply Train Sim World, was available on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, featuring three routes: Great Western Express, Rapid Transit, and Northeast Corridor: New York, as well as Sand Patch Grade for the PC version only.
Train Sim World 2020
The fourth version, Train Sim World 2020, is available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, featuring four routes: Great Western Express, Long Island Rail Road (Penn Station to Hicksville station), Main-Spessart Bahn (Aschaffenburg to Gemünden), and Northern TransPennine (Manchester Victoria to Leeds route add-on), as well as Sand Patch Grade for PC only. The 2020 edition featured a digital deluxe edition containing a bonus route containing Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor (San Francisco 4th and King-to-San Jose Diridon route add-on).
On 12 December 2019, Dovetail released an East Coastway line add-on. In addition to the Brighton to Eastbourne route, there is a branch route between Lewes and Seaford. The release includes the Class 377/4 and the Class 66.[5] Further add-on routes included Rhein-Ruhr Osten (Wuppertal to Hagen), Ruhr-Sieg Nord (Hagen to Finnentrop), Haupstrecke Rhein-Ruhr (Bochum to Duisburg), Tees Valley Line (Darlington to Saltburn-by-the-Sea), West Somerset Railway (Minehead to Bishops Lydeard), and Canadian National Oakdale Subdivision. Several individual locomotives were also released as DLC, including the British Rail Class 20 "Chopper" and the former East German BR 143 and BR 155.
Train Sim World 2
The fifth and current version, Train Sim World 2, was announced on 9 June 2020, with an original planned release date of 6 August 2020. The announcement promoted new features, including the Livery Editor and Scenario Designer. There were two new routes and multiple trains planned for its release: the ICE 3M and Talent 2 running from Cologne to Aachen, and the London Underground 1972 Stock, with the Bakerloo line.[6] The game also comes with Sand Patch Grade route, featuring the following locomotives: AC4400CW, GP38-2, SD40-2. While the route is not new, it has been updated for PC and now also available on the confirmed console operating systems PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with major optimization to the consoles. The Deluxe Edition also includes East Coastway as a Preserved Collection route.
The Preserved Collection allows players to import their previously owned Train Sim World and Train Sim World 2020 bundled routes and DLC into the new game. This means players can continue using them without the need to pay for them again. DTG announced the game would be delayed on 16 July, with a rescheduled release date of 20 August, from the original 6 August.[7] This was to allow them to make "Preserved Collection" add-ons compatible with their new Scenario Designer. They confirmed that content from this category will not be compatible with their new Livery Designer, due to a change in the way they develop trains, although such compatibility might be provided in a future upgrade (this has since been confirmed; Livery Designer compatibility for East Coastway was included in a February 2021 patch, with more routes to follow[8]). They also announced within one of their Community Q&A livestreams that their Northeast Corridor route add-on, as well as their Amtrak SW1000R and CSX GP40-2 loco addons were not going to be part of the "Preserved Collection" due to technical issues.
Dovetail Games unveiled their first Roadmap on 18 August, which presented their plans for future additions to the game, as well as the timeline for the additional "Preserved Collection" addons.
Train Sim World 2 was released to the public on 20 August, for consoles at midnight local time, and on Steam for PC's at 17:00 UTC. More DLC followed: Hauptstrecke München-Augsburg, LGV Méditerranée: Marseille - Avignon, and Southeastern High Speed: London St Pancras - Faversham, together with Isle of Wight: Ryde - Shanklin from third-party developer Rivet Games.
Editing Tools
Train Sim World was confirmed to in the future have editing tools. In a September 2018 studio update, it was revealed that the tools, based on the Unreal Engine 4 editing tools, will be the same as that used by Dovetail Games to create content, allowing users to create routes, locomotives, wagons, coaches, scenarios and services.[9] However, it will not be possible to edit existing routes released by Dovetail Games at launch.[10] It was planned for an open beta of the editing tools to be released. Dovetail Games also planned on creating a series of video tutorials for the editing tools.[9]
During a Train Sim World 2 Q&A Livestream held on 11 June, developers announced that tools related to Unreal Engine 4 would not be made public. This continues to be reaffirmed on Dovetail Games' forums by community managers, citing "additional considerations make a public release impossible" though the editor has been released to 3rd party developers.[11]
Train Sim World 2 features a livery editor and a scenario editor, with further plans on adding features to the current toolset. While previously stating that trains in the Preserved Collection would not be compatible with the livery editor, Dovetail Games announced on their November 10 Roadmap that compatibility was in production.[12]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | PC: N/A[13] PS4: 56/100[14] XONE: 65/100[15] |
Publication | Score |
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Digitally Downloaded | [16] |
Xbox Tavern | 8.4/10[17] |
GameSpew | 8/10[18] |
Trusted Reviews | [19] |
XboxAddict | 7.0/10[20] |
PlayStation Country | 6/10[21] |
COGconnected | 48/100[22] |
PlayStation LifeStyle | 3.0/10[23] |
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Train Sim World were released to "mixed or average" reviews, according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[14][15]
References
- "All Aboard for Train Sim World!". Dovetail Games. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- "Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul review". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- "TSW: The Journey to Xbox". Dovetail Games. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- Lowry, Brendan (16 March 2018). "Train Sim World Founders Edition for Xbox packs real railway authenticity". Windows Central. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Gateway to the Coastway - Gamasutra, 12 December 2019
- Holden, Michael (9 June 2020). "Dovetail Games announce Train Sim World 2!". RailAdvent. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- Dovetail Games Staff (16 July 2020). "TRAIN SIM WORLD 2 UPDATE!". live.dovetailgames.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/train-sim-world/articles/article/tsw2-roadmap-26-january-2021
- "Train Sim World: Studio Update". Dovetail Games. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Train Sim World Studio Update – Your Questions Answered". Dovetail Games. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Dovetail Games Fourms: "The Editor's Mess"". Dovetail Games. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- "Train Sim World 2 November 10 Roadmap". Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- "Train Sim World". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- "Train Sim World for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- "Train Sim World for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- S, Matt (2 August 2018). "Review: Train Sim World (Sony PlayStation 4)". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Sherwood, Mark (24 July 2018). "Train Sim World Review". Xbox Tavern. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Mc, Chris (24 July 2018). "Train Sim World Review: All Aboard!". GameSpew. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Freeman, Will. "Train Sim World (Console) Review". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Dileva, Adam (11 September 2018). "Train Sim World Review (Xbox One)". XboxAddict.com. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Mike (1 August 2018). "Train Sim World - PS4 Review". PlayStation Country. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Anderson, Patrick (2 August 2018). "Train Sim World Review - All A-Bored". COGconnected. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Barnes, Ken (24 July 2018). "Train Sim World PS4 Review - Stuck at the Station". PlayStation LifeStyle. Retrieved 26 May 2019.