I think I'd played enough of this game to write a little about it.
So first, don't let the title disturb your mind, this game isn't new, it's the sequel to city bus simulator (aka bus simulator 2012 on steam), so these games are pretty much the same.
As it is CBS2 (City Bus Sim 2), we should see some improvements since the first games so let's enumerate what I saw.
- Graphics are better, but not that impressive. They are OK for a simulator
- Sounds : pretty much the same annoying sounds as in CBS1.
- AI : too stupid to be an IA, just cars on a track. The AI can't see you and won't help you on the road.
Now, let go to the heart of this simulation : the bus, and it's amazingly better than in CBS1.
> All buttons you can see are clickable and have an effect, lights, heating/cooling system, retarder, blinkers, wipers, everything works. And that's pretty cool
> You have a new GPS system (called the co-pilot) that help you during your trips. It shows globally all the essentials informations you should need, from the actual day and time, to the number of stops on your line.
This GPs has another purpose : feedback from/to the central. Unlike in CBS1, you're not free to roam in the city as you wish, the Central tells you where you're needed by radio, and you have to aknowledge. Central can also ask you the number os passengers in your bus (1/4 full, 1/2, etc...), makes you stop the bus because you don't respect the traffic lights or run over a pedestrian... The Central is the thing you should care about, it's very important, and you have to listen to what it is said on the radio.
> You can't anymore give tikets to the passengers ! I find this really annoying as it was a great part of my bus driver acting. All is automated, no change to give, no ticket to print. what a disappointment !
> The bus itself can be play on easy mode (no penalties, no bus failures), medium (penalties on, minor bus failures), or pro (penalties increased, major failures, bus breakdown). I think this is a major improvement, but failures are not realistics, I mean, the way they occurs are realistic because if your oil filter become faulty, and you jsut continue driving, ignoring this, you finish with overheated oil, with max pressure, the bus will smoke a lot, and if you continue ignoring the trouble, your bus will die, leaving you and your passengers on the road... But the way you have to repair the bus isn't realistic at all : you should hit the escape key, and then look into many sections and numbers and find what is faulty and put the right numbers in it. I don't know anything in mechanics and it's a pain guessing what to do in case of sudden oil overheat without any other help on the dashboard.
But the biggest pain in this sim is the physic engine, and it's a shame it doesn't been improved since CBS1. It's just the same with unfair collisions, invisible walls and your bus going and turning like it is a brick.
So here am I, again with a yes/no answer, and I don't know what to tell you. If you are like me, able to forgive a lot to a game just because there are so few bus simulations, and that you just love acting you're a bus driver, or if you liked CBS1, well that's a yes. But the price is a bit high, Wait for a sale.
