PlayStation

Railroad Tycoon II

Railroad Tycoon II is the follow-up to the hit PC game, ported over to the Playstation console. Gamers will get to experience just what it must feel like to own and operate their very own railroad company. You will be responsible for all of the day to day operations of your fledging business and even get to roll your sleeves up and place tracks and select and maintain your trains. Heck, you can even commandeer a bulldozer and start knocking over trees and leveling the ground…but beware, everything costs money…BIG money. The graphics are certainly not groundbreaking and the sound effects and music were a bit off for my tastes but they do the job and assist this tasty little package into coming together rather nicely. For 'sim' nuts this is a great game to pick up and lose yourself in, for all others I would recommend a rental first to see if you like this sort of thing.

Railroad Tycoon II gives you the responsibility of running your own railroad and charges you with the task of turning a tiny company into a powerful empire. Although it is a somewhat simplified version of its PC brother, the objective of the PlayStation version can be just as daunting. Not only must you worry about laying track, managing stations, hauling cargo, and keeping your trains running, but you must also keep an eye on the stock market and maintain the country's economy. All of this translates into one immersive experience, as Railroad Tycoon II successfully re-creates the burdened feeling the owners of actual railroads must have felt.

Les fans de la série des Tycoons seront peut être séduits par ce dernier opus, mais il est cependant à réserver aux vrais passionnés du genre. La durée de vie (en partie artificielle à cause de l’absence de sauvegardes) et l’intérêt des campagnes n’arrivent pas à rattraper la réalisation médiocre et l’austérité de l’ensemble.

I know I've drawn comparisons to the PC version in every category, from sound to graphics, and that's mainly because RRT2 PC set a great benchmark for what a genre-specific sim could offer for both fans of the genre, and casual gamers alike. That's why I was so disappointed in the PlayStation port. It's not that the game itself is horrible, or that it has lost the depth or charm of the PC version, it's that all this great gameplay is buried under a horrible graphic and aural presentation. Face it, there's no reason to get this game if you've got a PC -- and if you're reading this right now, you've got a PC (and yes, it's on the Mac too). The gameplay is there, but only if you squint.