This is not really a game. It is an authentic train-driving experience adapted from an official training simulator.
This simulator is released directly by East Japan Railway Company, the JR branch operating lines in the Kanto, Shinetsu, and Tohoku areas. With additional DLCs, you can drive on dozens of routes, not only from JR East, but also from other JR branches and some private railway companies. More routes are expected to be added in the future.
The motor sounds, announcements, pointing-and-calling voices, signal systems, timetables, and cab interfaces are all faithfully modeled or recorded based on their real-life counterparts. Everything works the way it should, and the overall atmosphere is extremely authentic.
The lack of a scoring system is also a good design choice. It lets you fully immerse yourself in the driving experience without being interrupted by unnecessary notifications or game-like feedback.
That said, I would love to see more train melodies included.
I genuinely love this railway simulator. However, it also has several drawbacks that prevent it from becoming more popular.
First, the DLC prices are extremely high in the eyes of most players. They almost never go on sale after release, and some DLCs are priced close to full AAA games. The replay value is also somewhat limited because there are no dynamic or random weather effects, passengers on platforms, pedestrians, road vehicles, construction workers, or opposite-direction trains.
That's because the visual media are recorded videos. It is the major limitation of this game. The resolution is only 1080p/60fps, which looks a little blurry on my 4K display. Most DLC routes are also one-way only. On the other hand, considering that all DLCs together already take up hundreds of gigabytes, this limitation may be understandable. Make sure you have enough disk space before buying more routes.
Yes, many Japanese railway simulators use recorded video footage, and I agree that this can be an effective way to provide realism. However, for an official product, it also feels like a cost-saving choice that makes the product more profitable. In the 2020s, we already have the technology to build realistic environments through computer rendering.
In conclusion, I recommend this “game” mainly to people who truly love Japanese railways, Japanese railway culture, and serious train simulation experiences.
