Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop is here, and it’s bigger and better than before! This European version is perfect for those who want a slick and relaxing experience. While the game still has a few rough edges and AI bugs, it will keep you entertained and engaged for hours on end.
If you’ve never played the game before, Bus Simulator 21 straddles the line between a tycoon game and a simple simulator. Players need to build transportation routes in the fictional city of Angel Shores, which has an American-style feel. There’s also the German-inspired Seaside Valley map, but the US version is more memorable, with familiar landmarks and districts strewn throughout the map.
The guided story mode will assign you specific quests as you build up your transportation empire. However, a newly added career option lets you skip all the tedious quests and concentrate on the fun part – driving! Your core task is to build balanced routes that serve the needs of your commuters, then drive them yourself. As you improve your driving skills – by stopping in the right spot and indicating correctly, among other things – you’ll earn stars, which will determine how well your AI drivers perform when you’re busy completing other routes.
The gameplay structure is a smart way of encouraging players to drive perfectly, maximizing their income while setting up other routes. It’s surprisingly dynamic, too, as players will face multiple obstacles, such as customers asking to get off the bus before the next stop, ticket dodgers, and serial litterers. All this is accompanied by great humor, with inane banter from the passengers behind you.
Bus Simulator 21 has a 60 fps frame rate on the PS5 and has haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that allow players to feel the sensation of driving a large double-decker bus. Even when players have mastered all the extensive content available at launch, there is more in store as post-release support promises new school bus-inspired gameplay and trams.
Although the game doesn’t look particularly visually pleasing, it remains bright and breezy throughout gameplay. So, if you’re looking for a fun yet relaxing gaming experience, Bus Simulator 21 is the way to go!
- Zen-like, relaxing gameplay
- Rewarding, moreish loop
- Tons and tons of content
- Great sense of humour
- A bit buggy
- Ugly and overwhelming UI
- An acquired taste
Overall rating: 6/10
Review copy provided by astragon Entertainment.
—–
According to https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/bus-simulator-21-next-stop
The material in this article is written on the basis of another article.
Fiction Fixer