Review for Railway Empire. Game for PC, Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the video game was released on 26/01/2018
The railway genre is perhaps one of the most abused themes in the videogame field and, in addition to the great milestones of the past, numerous tycoon or simulation games that adopt the logistics of rail transport as the protagonist have filled the virtual shelves of our trusted drug dealers. The new Railway Empire continues this offspring that never seems to get old and we can call it the direct successor to one of the most successful railway games, the famous 2003 hit Railroad Tycoon 3.
The relaxing whistle of the head train as a new beginning
We can talk about a new beginning because many fans of the famous brand just mentioned have been waiting for a worthy successor for years and Railway Empire seems to be answering this call. Numerous modes, which can be tackled with different levels of difficulty and customizations, season the initial menu and, among many, we have the single player campaign. In this story we retrace the stages that made railways in North America great and famous with the very classic conjunction of the railway lines from West to East to form the first great transcontinental railway.
During the campaign we will have to meet numerous victory conditions, including secondary missions that can really give even the most experienced a hard time. In sandbox mode, however, we will decide every aspect of the challenge, such as the number of competitors or the desired level of difficulty.
World Wide Rail
On the Railway Empire game map we find many cities in which to build our stations which, linked together, contribute to the thickening of the transport network. Each city has needs that can be met by transporting the right kind of goods required to foster demographic and industrial growth. As industries evolve, new products become important so as to take us further and further away in search of profitable connections.
Laying the tracks is very simple and we just have to be careful to avoid the steepest stretches, so as to limit the costs of production and future maintenance of the locomotives but, unlike its illustrious predecessor, moving on tracks becomes more realistic. Consequently, the options increase, including the possibility of inserting switches and signals to allow two-way traffic on the single track, to create busy intersections that will delight fans of the genre.
A good entrepreneur has thought of everything
The real stars of Railway Empire are the locomotives and we cannot be disappointed, because there are so many iron horses available. As the years progress, you earn more research points to spend on new and more modern means, as well as an intricate maze of upgrades such as new boilers, cushioned springs, covered mail cars and so on. These benefits are sometimes made available with a fun auction that wins the highest bidder.
Once the locomotive has been chosen, all that remains is to click on the various stations that the player wants to make a stop on the new railway line et voilà, the travel plan is fixed; It will then remain to be seen whether we have designed the infrastructure well, with the right switches, supply towers and maintenance warehouses. A novelty concerns the staff on board the train, made up of train drivers, stokers and even guards that we must carefully deploy to fight the saboteurs sent by the treacherous rival companies.
A good investment is judged over time
With great pleasure we have found the same ways of managing money we were used to from the old Railroad Tycoons. Our company can issue bonds to apply for loans and buy (or undergo the purchase) of shares from competing companies. As the empire on rails grows, the cash value of the company also increases and so it becomes increasingly difficult to gnaw percentage points from the opponent's balance sheet. If we're particularly good at underhanded financial careerists, we may also be able to successfully merge companies.
The only negative note concerns the artistic choice of the various portraits of the characters, made in cartoon style. We would have preferred a more traditional and “serious” approach in order to better identify with the rich industrialist of the 800th century, which is impossible given the childish squabbles between these characters, just like a cartoon. We conclude by saying that, for train lovers, the classic views on board the locomotive remain unchanged, allowing you to roam the great North American plains.
Having to make a comparison with the past, in addition to the obvious improvement in the graphics sector, we are in our hands a very valid game that in some ways simplifies the gameplay and in others adds various functions, complicating the gaming experience in an intelligent and fun way. Railway Empire remains a management software with a learning curve that may discourage some, but which is certainly rewarding for those who have waited years before being able to try again this war fought with money and steam trains. It is currently one of the best (if not the best) railway simulation game on the square.
► Railway Empire is a Management game developed by Gaming Minds Studios and published by Kalypso Media for PC, Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, the game was released on 26/01/2018
