in [b]locomotion[/b] you guide a train to the exit, ideally picking up all the gold scattered around the levels while you're at it. there's also a narrative to unfold with some unexpected twists. don't expect too much, but it's fine for a puzzle game.
the train is controlled directly, you can move forward and backward, click intersections to change rail direction, and holding the left mouse button rotates the level. carts can be pushed around, but you can (and obviously often have to) connect them to either end of the locomotive. some carts have magnets that attract other carts, and there are those that push carts away, plus pressure plates, crumbling blocks, and so on.
the [b]52 levels[/b] are divided into 5 worlds with different themes. they're mostly easy, but there are a few head-scratchers in the bunch, and sometimes even if you know [i]what[/i] to do, it can take a while to figure out [i]how[/i] to do it, then a bit more to actually do it, turning carts around, switching directions, etc.
usually there's more than one level unlocked and you don't need to complete everything in a world to move on to the next, plus you can replay them any time and gold already collected during a previous attempt will be see-through, no need to worry about those. speaking of gold, you will run into most of it while solving the levels, would be harder to avoid them than pick them up, but there are a few pieces that require a bit of extra effort.
it's important to note that [b]for the most part there are no timers or fail states[/b], but on some levels you can paint yourself into a corner and have to restart. there are also situations where timing is important, pressing a plate at the right time, etc. and [b]you have to act quickly in the final few levels[/b], which I found off-putting, frustrating and unnecessary. the game could let you finish these levels in your own time instead of resetting when you fail (trying to keep spoilers to the minimum here), not everybody aims for perfection or achievements.
[b]the graphics are great, diorama-like[/b], lots of details. there wouldn't be much point in zooming in/out, levels fit the screen just fine, but it'd be cool if more of it could be clicked, birds flying away, cows mooing, etc. as it is, you only need to look for tiny horses for some achievements, there's one in each world.
as for the audio, the music's okay, but I would've turned it off relatively fast, except [b]each world has its own rendition of the same tunes[/b], which I found really neat. sound effects are fine and there are separate volume sliders, so my only complaint is gibberish sounds during dialog.
not only the levels themselves, but [b]the whole game shows a lot of attention to detail and polish[/b]. it plays really well, the train isn't too fast, nor is it too slow, camera controls work well, intersections can be changed while the train is moving, level completion stats and dialog can be clicked to appear instantly, and the 'keep conductors on' setting lets you skip dialog re-appearing during replays of a level.
there are still a few things that could be tweaked though. the level select screen should mark completed levels with a different color (though there should be at least one unmissable gold piece on each, and those are marked), and of course it would've been 100% relaxing and stress-free without any timing and especially the final few levels with the constant pressure to act quickly.
it's an excellent game otherwise, top notch presentation, just the right length, not to be missed if you like puzzle games, just be prepared for the occasional frustration if you're not into timing-based puzzles.
