Train Simulator 2013 (PC DVD)

Being new to train simulators, I found this all a bit confusing. Firstly the game is allied to a site called Steam which has many different types of games. There seems to be different versions of Train Simulator 2013, and Amazon did not list what one got with this product, but I went ahead and ordered without knowing what exactly I would get. In the end this version contains London to Brighton, Isle of Wight, East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line. The installation is fairly lengthly along with the updates so allow an hour or two, and a broadband connection is mandatory. The initial game takes about 15-20 seconds to load, and each game or scenario about 30 seconds. The graphics are brilliant, especially if you can run with max. detail (reasonably powerful PC/graphics are required). However the game does freeze or abort quite often, so I have got used to frequently saving the game whilst playing. Some of the documentation says F2 key will save the game, but I have found this doesn't, so one has to pause the game then select 'save' from the menu. The other main problem (and a known bug) is that despite opening the doors at stations and passengers appearing to get off and on, the game often tells you that you have failed to collect passengers and you should proceed. Despite its failings, it's a great game.

This is a fantastic Simulator and 10 times better than the 2003 version. The layout of the design and the use of loco's etc are second to none. Now, what I dislike about it was the time it took to download and install to my laptop. I have a pretty fast laptop for Photoshop use however if you are like me and don't have the best Broadband speed then you will expect to wait around 7/8 hours until you get to play with it. It took a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to install and then when it was installed it took an age to update from Steam. Oh, and you have to create an account with Steam before you can use it. Another disappointment is having to pay out MORE than what the SIM costs just to add an add'on, they are ridiculously priced. Ending, I really enjoy playing it and have spent many an hour up late with the addiction of completing a run. Thanks!

I'm not sure how I ended up with this, having been a flight sim bore for many years. I figured that it must be worth a shout so gave it a go last Christmas. What a revelation and what fun! This is probably as good as it gets - I'm just knocked out by the quality of the graphics, the modelling, gameplay, scenery, weather, railway stations and most of all, the sound. I subconsciously know so many of these various engine sounds, but never really appreciated the uniqueness of the sound of an Electrostar and the low revs squeaking of a Class 66 freight hauler, or the singing rails as a driver pushes to the speed limit. I have truly been introduced to another world, undoubtedly labelled by some as nerdy, but what is and what isn't nerdy? Depends on your perspective. Eg, why isn't an interest in mobile phone technology classed not as cool, but nerdy? Beats me. This is probably better than model railways - they seem such had work and now you can drive a multitude of trains in and out of some of the great railway stations in Britain with this simulator, and at a good price. True, you must subscribe to 'Steam' and it takes an eternity to load before you get going. Plenty to get on with in the package, but the add-ons are expensive. All of this has been a real catalyst for reawakening an interest in all things rail, resulting in uncontrolled book purchases and visits to heritage lines. It's such a stress-buster just to take a train out of Paddington and work your way through the stations westward to Reading. Very glad I took the plunge.

Having played previous versions of TrainSim, I think that I am able to provide a good comparison to previous versions. To start off with, I would like to start off by saying that the game is rather limited. The creators clearly want the user to pay the extra money for add-on packs (available from the Steam Shop) and as a result, the fundamental game play is vastly limited by the absence of the extra missions. The add-on packs are easily downloadable, however they are very expensive (at the time of writing the cheapest one available is £9.99) although I myself haven't purchased any of the packs, other reviews have come back saying they are not good value for money. The designers also decided that they would plague the start-up screens and game with adverts for the aforementioned add-ons, which both slows down loading times and the enjoyment. There are however, vast improvements made in the game. The graphics of the game have improved massively on the last version, giving TrainSim 2013 a very unique and realistic feel. This makes for a more enjoyable experience, and goes some way to account for the limits of the game. The graphics do use a lot of processing power unless used on a high powered machine (To start off with I had to turn shadowing off and reduce quality to very low - however the game was still very clear and aesthetically pleasing). The much improved HUD on the game has also improved since the last version, providing more information, with added clarity and ease to understand, which makes the game more universal, enabling even the less avid TrainSim fans to enjoy the experience alongside the die-hard TrainSim fans. This is particularly useful when it comes to the new online gameplay feature, which enables you to connect with people over and internet connection (provided the connection is reasonably good) making this years game a lot more personal to the user. In conclusion I would say that purchasing this game has both pros and cons. If you have a newer, powerful laptop and are willing to spend money on packs, then this game will surely be a good purchase, however for the rest of us, I'm afraid I would have to suggest looking at other Simulation Games available for reasonable prices.

great game, works great and detailed, should have more content, instead of pushing ppl to the DLC content (for extra payment)

Prodotto molto utile!

J'avais TS 2012 deja tres bon mais TS 2013 est encore au dessus.J'ai été obligé de supprimer TS 2012 pour pouvoir installer TS 2013 car sinon le jeu ne se lance pas(tres longue installation environ 1h30mn et connection internet obligatoire).Il y a toute sorte de trains et de parcours avec une simulation vraiment incroyable.On peut acheter des trains et parcours supplémentaires mais tout ça au final reviens très très cher c'est le seul hic de ce jeu

Il prodotto è conforme a quanto descritto, l'invio è avvenuto in tempi rapidi, l'imballaggio è ok. Molto bene. Sono soddisfatto.

Jeu de simulation distrayant lorsqu'on a envie de voyager un peu (sans bouger de chez soi, bien sûr). Quelques vues intéressantes avec les différentes caméras disponibles, et possibilité de réer soi-même des parcours (mais nécessite beaucoup de patience)... Il y a plusieurs niveaux de difficulté et parcours, sans quoi on ferait vite le tour du jeu... Des mises à jour sont proposées régulièrement. Possibilité également d'acheter des parcours et des machines sur Internet lorsqu'on veut diversifier... mais ça rend cher le jeu au final !