 Review By: Jared Black |
Developer: | SCS Software |
| Publisher: | Meridian4 | |
| Genre: | Driving | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | N/A | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Unfortunately, when it comes to the actual simulation the wheels start to fall off of Bus Driver just a bit. A few traffic laws are seemingly ignored; for example, on several occasions other cars would make a right or left turn across multiple lanes (when there wasn't a corresponding lane on the road being turned onto) and cut me off in the process. Not only that, but I was penalized several times for turning right on red, even though I first came to a complete stop before beginning my turn and there were no signs indicating no right turn on red. The game would still see me as running a red light as soon as I crossed the threshold. There were also no speed limit signs in sight, and while going too fast is rarely a problem in a bus, it would've been more realistic to have actually had to worry about staying within the speed limit.
My biggest complaint however comes from the camera angles the game uses. During play the game uses a behind-the-bus viewpoint, pointed down towards the road slightly. While this provides plenty of viewing distance to the horizon, in heavy traffic it makes it harder to see cars immediately in front of the bus. While the front of the bus does turn transparent when a vehicle is directly in front of it, it fades in and out rather than staying consistent, which is distracting and not ideal when you're trying to maximize your route time without slamming into other cars. The camera also proves problematic when taking banking curves (cutting the visibility down considerably), or when it frequently cuts off a stoplight at the top of the screen making it hard to tell when it's red or green (although you can sometimes see a glow from it at the top of the screen). All of these problems could've been remedied if SCS had offered several different camera angles, or even just an alternate first-person view that would've also been more realistic.
Despite its flaws though, Bus Driver is still a fun driving game. The challenges inherent in driving a bus make it unique in the market, and I definitely felt compelled to complete “the perfect route” a number of times. After all, what other driving simulation allows you to judge the proper angle to take wide right turns, or try to stop perfectly in the zone for each bus stop (which reminded me a lot of the parking mini-game in 18-Wheeler American Pro Trucker)? Then there's the challenge of not over-breaking at a stop light, keeping your huge bus in-between small cars without ramming them, and judging the game's incredibly fast green lights properly.
Graphically, the game has a pleasing, but basic, look to it. All of the routes are contained in and around one large city, which contains a lot of diverse terrain and weather throughout its districts. I was pretty impressed with the overall scale and layout of the city, as it seems to be logically constructed and mapped out. Buildings around each route are distinguishable, although the geometry used is fairly basic. Overall the game's look reminds me of most titles from 2-3 years ago technically, but in a pleasing way. The game also sounds right, from the “whoosh” of the air brakes to the clattering children at school bus stops.
Bottom Line:
I had fun with Bus Driver despite its flaws and technical shortcomings, because it's a different kind of driving game that focuses more on patience and technique than pure speed. It’s not a must-own by any means, but if you’re a driving fan it’s definitely worth trying out the demo to see if the $30 MSRP is right for you.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 6.0 |
Posted: 2008-06-04 14:24:39 PST