Posted on: January 31, 2021
wvpr
Games: Reviews: 47
Dated but unique
Reviewing based on the original experience, not the rerelease. This game goes way back. Limited colors, PC speaker sound effects, clunky keyboard controls and so on. Despite that, the presentation is clean and efficient, setting the mood without the ugliness of many games of its age. Gameplay is repetitive but mixes a lot of different tasks. The route is completely under the control of the player, with lots of switches to choose between. The player must keep the boiler running without running out of supplies between stations. Planes attack at random during travel, requiring some AA gun attention in between shoveling coal. Stations are the sites of shootouts with guards peeking from the windows. Bridges are defended by gunboats that must be destroyed using an artillery piece. It's a frustrating game. The keyboard controls for targeting made it hard to hit targets in time. Braking in time for stations and checkpoints requires advance planning. Plane attacks can get in the way of maintaining the engine or making a crucial stop. Damage builds up fast if you can't hit your targets. A single mistake can end a long run. It all gets old after a while, and there's little reason to replay it once you are able to get the train to safety. But the game successfully creates the feeling of operating a steam train as you escape through hostile territory. I'm gifting it an extra star because nothing else delivers quite the same experience. Check it out if the trailer appeals to you.
Is this helpful to you?
