It’s been a year since Train Sim World 2 invited fledgling railway aficionados to master their Rush Hour scenarios on PS5, making the sudden arrival of sequel Train Sim World 3 more unexpected than London Northwestern’s cancellation. With significant engine and user interface improvements, however, it’s the best simulation developer Dovetail Games has created to date – and with some great routes included at launch, it also represents better value for money than a British train ticket. does.
Those of you upgrading from a previous release will appreciate the UI improvements almost immediately, as the whole package feels fast and premium. There’s a cool new ambient soundtrack that backdrops the menu, and blends the sounds of the weather (more on that later) with subtle melody – it really gets you in the right frame of mind, as you’re on the rails. want to rest. Now you can search and filter locos, and you can even jump into an activity based on how much time you have.
A major change is that the trains have been separated from their original routes, and this is facilitated by a new training area inspired by a famous German test track. This beautiful Bavarian-esque sandbox hosts all your currently owned engines, and really gives you the freedom to examine them in 3D space and appreciate all their details. More importantly, it provides significant training practice and an opportunity to familiarize yourself with your characteristics in a no-pressure environment.
Once you’ve got some timetables to meet, the standard edition of Train Sim World 3 comes with a trio of routes for you to master: the heavily freight-based Cajon Pass, the impressively huge Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel-Würzburg, and extended southeast high strata. Fans of the franchise may take issue with Dovetail’s decision to effectively repackage old add-ons, but the later expansion to Absfleet in Ashford includes a ton of track — and it’s already one of the best routes in the game. was one of
In fact, as a trio, there’s quite a bit of variety here. Personally, we’ve never been a big fan of chunky American freight timetables, so the scorching trek of the Cajon Pass from Barstow to San Bernardino doesn’t exactly turn up our master key—but it does for different people. There are different strokes to play, and one is the multitude of different ways to buy this sequel to make sure you get the content you want. It should be noted that you can also import any old route – and you can transfer your progress to boot.
However, the Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel-Wurzburg is a revelation. Boasting over 186 kilometers of spectacular German scenery, this route effectively takes you from the top of the country to the bottom at speeds of up to 280 km/h. It’s an incredible route, leading through viaducts and tunnels, as you master the oft-requested ICE 1. In fact, the opening salvo for this particular route’s campaign sees you run a speed test, meaning you can only fly from one end. For another, without needing to worry too much about signals or speed limits.
It’s a great demonstration of what Dovetail is headed, because it feels like a true journey—like somewhere you’ve actually traveled. At times in previous train sim world titles it felt like you were completing objectives without actually going anywhere, but major visual improvements mean the beginning of the journey can now look completely different to the outdoors than at the end. Is.
Contributing to this is the new volumetric cloud system, which has a huge impact on improved lighting in a big way. This means that clouds can form or clear dynamically in real time, which means that the scenery is constantly changing. Sometimes it will appear bright and clear from outside; Other times it’ll look dull and dreary—and you’ll also encounter a spectrum of different permutations in between, which when paired with the day-night cycle helps create the feeling of the passage of time.
This is important because some train journeys can take more than an hour to complete, and the idea that time is moving along with the train helps to create the illusion that you are on the journey. It should be underlined that this feeling is further enhanced by the addition of dynamic weather, meaning you can start a service in dry daylight conditions and end it in a snow storm at night. Of course, this all affects how the trains handle and what kind of signals you get.
So, the game is a lot more immersive overall, and it looks better, with those all-important lighting changes adding a vibrancy to the presentation. However, despite significant improvements, it’s still uneven – it’s a niche, relatively low-budget product. Even on the PS5, there are still significant issues with the LOD, or level of detail, which means assets are drawn as you approach them. As you can imagine, this is especially problematic in a game where you’re always moving through scenes at high speed.
Likewise, the sheer complexity of the game means that bugs abound. Whether it’s basic things like failing to unlock trophies or more specific issues with signaling, you’re going to encounter moments where the game doesn’t function the way you expect it to. In our opinion, one of the biggest blunders is how the game sometimes fails to present key concepts – despite some pretty robust tutorials across the board – which leads you to google for solutions to those problems. Will miss watching whom the title never even tries to teach.
But it’s also fair to say that Train Sim World 3 knows its audience, and if you’re buying a simulator as deep and complex as that, you’re probably going to adore the idea that you need to dig in for more details. You may need to do this when you get stuck. This is an area Dovetail could improve on, but the training center at least gives you the opportunity to experiment and feel your way around a loco before you get to the good stuff.
conclusion
Train Sim World 3 is the most immersive railway simulation ever from dovetails. For the first time since the series debuted, the game really sells the illusion that you’re on a journey – and impressively expansive routes like the Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel-Würzburg help out. While there are still obvious visual flaws in the release, the new lighting, volumetric clouds and dynamic weather system take the presentation to the next level – and the user interface improvements shouldn’t be underestimated either. The target audience for a title like this will never be particularly large, but some other franchises find a balance between simulation, virtual tours, and zen-like relaxation.
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