As part of Jingle Jam, I’m looking at various games from the Jingle Jam Games Collection. One game that I have been curious about is Train Sim World. TSW6 released earlier this year, and though what is featured in the Collection isn’t the full game, it still gives a great idea of what it is like. So, is Train Sim World 6 a great game to be enjoying? With these experiences, I’ll provide a great idea of Dovetail Games’ latest.
To start with, I loaded into the Training Centre after choosing one of the few characters to represent me. This Training Centre is a great way of learning the rails. There’s a lot of depth to it, with each module teaching just one part of the overall experience. I got through a few of these training modules before feeling I had the basics of riding the rails. Enough to mess around with the trains in free mode, at least.
Away from the Training Centre, I checked on what routes I had. There are three that the Jingle Jam Edition features. The southern France route, the American Boston to Worcester route, and a Christmassy house with the Holiday Express: Runaway Elf route. The most joyful of the routes, even if it looks a little moody. Shrunk down to toy size, I get to ride around on a train set in a living room full of Christmas cheer.
Each route has several modes playable with them. Along with a few training modules that give introductions to the routes and the trains they come with, there is the timetable mode, scenario mode, and the already mentioned free mode. The Holiday Express, understandably, only has scenario and free modes available. The scenarios are also somewhat different from the regular routes.
While there’s the usual train rides to stations, delivering items to them, there’s also on-foot scenarios, too. These allow exploration of this room as a tiny being, finding the items needed to complete it. There’s a lot of great details to this room, such as the lift buttons being cardboard. And the Train Trumps cards that act as ramps. It’s simply a joy to roam around in free mode, seeing all those details. And spawning in various other trains to enjoy seeing them driving around the Christmas tree.
Once I’d had my fun with the Holiday Express route, I jumped across to the other routes. On the Mediterranean route, running from Marseille to Avignon, I tried out one of its scenarios. I had a journey to make, with this scenario also being a way to learn some operations of the high speed train the route uses. While in the rain. Why I decided to jump straight into using a high-speed train from the slow ones I’d previously been using, I don’t know. But I was at least successful with it.
Swapping over to America, I took a look at the timetable mode. Here, there’s a load of services for me to choose from. Each will have its own start and end points, along with numerous stations along the way to stop at. I was ready to take a good run at a service and gain confidence with driving a train over distance. However, maybe I should have took an introductory course on operating the train, as I was stumped at the first hurdle. Opening the doors.
Train Sim World strives for accuracy when it comes to the trains, and so each is different in how it operates. So, while looking at the control board for this new train, I couldn’t see where the door controls were. Fortunately, the most important controls are mapped to controller buttons, so a quick pause and a look at the controls meant I could easily get underway. And then immediately find myself in a thick fog.
And let me tell you, a beginner driving in a thick fog is not the best experience. I was doing my best to stay to the speed limit, which is easily seen on the HUD. But then I was slowing too early to stop at stations, meaning I was always running a few minutes behind the schedule. Near the end of the service, thanks to taking a risk on speed during the longest stint between stations, I did get back to arriving on time.
When in any mode other than free mode, AP is earnt. These points are how I am scored on performance. Keeping under the speed limit, stopping at places on time, and many other things. It seems rare for points to be taken away, as I wouldn’t lose any for being late. And when over the speed limit, I still earnt points. Even if not as many as I would for being under the limit. There are four medals to be earning, with platinum being the ultimate challenge.
With the service complete, I had the choice to return to the timetable menu to try another one, or jump into free mode from the station I was at. Taking in a bit of an explore of the station once in free mode, I noted beams of light around. These allow jumping into specific scenarios which start at that particular station. The HUD was also alerting me to the fact another service would be starting soon, which means I could easily have gone for another ride along the route.
Free mode is also the best way to find collectibles found on these routes. Each route has various tasks to complete, which can be tracked from the main menu. For the Holiday Express route, that means finding 20 hidden coins around the room. Those collectibles, the timetables, scenarios, and even the guided tour mode (which I’ve yet to get into) mean there’s a lot to be partaking in with this Jingle Jam Edition. Which, I feel I must say, is not the full game. Though the cost of each individual part included amounts to such.
Upon completion of every training module, scenario, and timetable, the game would bring up the purchase options. Standard, deluxe, and special editions are on offer, with various new routes and trains added. I’d be interested in adding the standard edition routes to what I already have, especially as there’s an Exeter route that includes Paignton. And maybe I might be convinced to add the Birmingham to Crewe route via the DLC options, too.
Train Sim World 6 has been a great one to play. A lot of detail in the routes on offer, with various ways to play on them. A few issues with performance do make themselves known on occasion, with those issues getting worse if trying to play it on a Steam Deck. However, they don’t taint what has been a lovely experience for the few hours I’ve played so far. As such, Train Sim World 6 gets an easy recommendation from me.
Train Sim World 6: Jingle Jam Edition is part of the Jingle Jam Games Collection. Jingle Jam, running from 1-14/December, is a charity event that helps support various charities each year. Various fundraisers are streaming across these two weeks, all to help raise awareness and funds for the charities. For donating £35 or more to the cause, you will get the Games Collection, which features this game along with 14 others. And a few extras, such as a Fanatical Wheel Spin.
Images Taken From:
Train Sim World 6 | PC
