SimRail: The Railway Simulator: Prologue is a train simulator that takes the driving side of railways pretty seriously. I am put into the cab of either a passenger train or a freight locomotive and expected to actually pay attention to things like speed, braking, signals and stopping at the right places. It is not really a game I can rush through. The whole point is taking my time, learning how the train works and trying to complete the journey properly. I like that because it makes even a normal trip feel like something I have to concentrate on.
The passenger scenario has me driving an EN96 unit along the Dąbrowa Górnicza Ząbkowice to Będzin section in Poland, stopping at the stations and trying to get passengers there safely and on time. The other scenario puts me in an E186 locomotive pulling 20 coal wagons through the industrial areas of Silesia. I actually like having both because they give me very different things to deal with. The passenger service is more about keeping to the timetable and handling regular stops, while the heavy freight train makes acceleration and braking feel much more important.
The driving itself is where the game does a lot right. I have to learn the controls rather than simply pressing a button to make the train move, and the tutorial helps me understand the basics before I am left to handle things myself. I like the feeling of gradually getting more comfortable with the controls because there is a real difference between knowing what a lever does and being able to use it without constantly thinking about it. The physics also make the heavy freight scenario feel different from the passenger train, which adds some useful variety even though there are only two scenarios in the Prologue.
The scenery is another strong point for me. The routes pass through industrial areas, mines, railway infrastructure and greener parts of Silesia, and the long stretches of track give me plenty of time to actually take in the surroundings. The trains themselves also look good, and being able to move around parts of the train and cabin adds to the feeling that I am actually operating a piece of railway equipment rather than controlling a vehicle from a normal game camera. The sound is important too, especially the locomotive and track sounds, because they make the slower sections feel more immersive.
The biggest problem is the limited amount of content. This is a Prologue, so I am only getting two scenarios and a small taste of what the full simulator is supposed to offer. Once I have completed them a few times, there is not a huge amount of new content waiting for me. That is completely understandable for a free Prologue, but it still affects how I rate it as a standalone game. I also found some of the controls less comfortable than I would have liked, especially when dealing with certain switches and cab controls. The simulator is aiming for realism, but sometimes that realism makes the interface feel more awkward than it needs to be.
I also think the game has a fairly specific appeal. If I want constant action, rewards and something happening every few seconds, I am probably going to get bored pretty quickly. There are long periods where I am simply driving, watching the signals and managing my speed, and that is exactly what the game wants me to do. For me, those quieter sections can actually be relaxing, but I do have to be in the right mood for them. The Prologue also shows some rough edges with performance and presentation, although the overall visual quality is good enough that I can still get properly immersed in the journeys.
Overall, SimRail: The Railway Simulator: Prologue is a very good introduction to a more serious train simulator. I like the realistic driving, different passenger and freight scenarios, detailed trains, industrial scenery and the way the game actually makes me learn how to operate the locomotive. The limited content and occasional awkward controls stop me from rating it alongside my favourite simulation games, but the fact that it is free makes the package much easier to appreciate. For me, it succeeds because it gives me a proper taste of train driving rather than turning it into a simplified driving game, and I can see why the full experience has room to build on this foundation.
Rating: 7.9/10
