Bus Bound
Review
All aboard
by Howie Howard
reviewed on PC
All aboard the fun bus
"All aboard" might be a train thing, but I think it can also be used for the sequel to the 2021 version of Bus Simulator. Since I enjoy playing all kinds of work related simulations I enthusiastically put up my hand to take a look at Bus Bound. After receiving the game code I set sail, or rather - started the engine - of my simulated bus and set out in my new job as a bus driver. Bus Bound is developed by game house Stillalive Studios with Saber Interactive publishing and promoting the project. As I worked my way through the game I discovered that it is much more than just another driving simulation. It can be better described as being a bus driving sim and city enhancement project. Please stay with us as we take a walk through a very immersive simulation.
Learn your lessons well...
As with most video games, Bus Bound begins with a tutorial that walks the player through the basics. Bus Bound has a nicely done tutorial which is actually the beginning of your career as a bus driver. The tutorial steps through an already laid out bus line and the new bus driver sets out on their first day on the job. While in control of the first bus, various hints are provided along the way that serve to enhance driving ability. It also instructs on how to enhance experience gain which translates in to passenger likes, which in turn is how advancement in the game is achieved. Additional perks, new buses and many other options are unlocked as the career moves on. There are up to six stops along the line where passengers board the bus and others disembark. This is where the passengers opinion on their ride comes in to play via likes or thumbs up.
Why are my passengers always complaining?
All of it isn't a complaint, but there are many things a rookie bus drivers needs to learn in order to be a successful bus driver in a bustling city such as Emberville. As you proceed from bus stop to bus stop, passengers will not be accepting and happy about everything that occurs on the bus ride. The other half of the time, passengers will praise their driver like there's no tomorrow. As an example of the rather vocal reactions; if the bus travels over a speed bump too fast, complaints and objections will be made and this will lessen the 'Likes' modifier. If on the other hand the bus slows down to under 15 miles per hour while going over the bump, then passengers will praise your bus driving abilities. As a result your experience gaining level will rise just as fast as it declined because of an earlier mistake. So don't give up by thinking that any particular incident will totally mess up a driven route, it won't.
Your 'Likes' modifier will take a hit of you're in an accident, but it will regenerate as you complete upcoming driving tasks in a positive manner. Accidents with other vehicles, for myself, did happen rather frequently in the early stages of my driving career but it was barely mentioned again after the passengers voiced their displeasure. I expected that an accident with another vehicle would tarnish my driving record but it had no effect other than reducing my passenger 'Likes' modifier. However, as I learned how to handle each bus in a proficient manner I was able to wheel the bigger buses around like a pro and my mishaps were reduced. I would have thought having an accident should carry more of a consequence - such as immediately ending your run when you require a tow truck to tow the bus and the car it hit away. Then a determination could be made because it's not always the bus drivers fault. Cars sometimes seem to cut you off and do other not so good driving things.
Yet another night time accident?
No, not always at night but in addition to having accidents with other vehicles - which seemingly is always your fault - there are other hazards present in this bus sim at night. Night time driving where truck drivers tend to fall asleep in intersections is present in the game and it is carried off very nicely. Just sound your horn and the truck driver will wake up! The day starts out with a morning drive, then you do an afternoon run and finish up with a night time effort, with all of them possibly containing road obstructions. I'm not exactly sure whether these drives represent one day or three separate days. Since weather conditions change frequently from one drive session to the next, this made me look at these driving missions as being separate days. What cemented this belief for me was the often times drastic weather changes from being raining and foggy in the morning to being perfectly nice and sunny in the following afternoons run. Plus, working a rotating schedule seems more plausible
What are these other drivers on the road doing?
Cars sometimes cut in front of your bus when it is making what you believe to be a clear turn. They might stop in time and an accident doesn't happen or they continue barreling along and crash in to your bus. This also happens when going through a yield rated intersection or turn so it's not a rare occurrence. The situation is more common in night time driving and even worse with fog and rain with the best tactic being to simply slow down. One complaint I have at night time, is that approaching traffic doesn't seem to have strong enough head lights that can easily be seen. This has caused most of my accidents when I try to beat the light before it turns red. After the accident, the car driver will complain that you destroyed their new car and you will proceed along like nothing ever happened.
That nasty left turn and the disappearing car
I wish the tall building on the corner would disappear instead of the car. I don't believe this is a bug because it seems to happen in other driving games I have played, so it's probably inherent in the programming. In third person view while waiting at a stop sign for traffic to clear so a left hand turn can be made safely can be problematic when a tall building is on your left. The issue is that the camera view sinks down below the side of the bus and you are unable to look over the bus to be able to see oncoming traffic. Another issue I observed a few times was when cars that were present in traffic suddenly disappeared. Also, it seemed like if you drove the exact same route the next time that the same vehicles would appear at the same stop lights. Not really a game breaker though. I will mention that as I played the game these minor inconsistencies didn't come up again. This tells me that Stillalive Studios was still fixing and updating various issues.
Be careful on that next turn, it's bound to be tough!
Some of the turns in to side streets seemed to be rather tight with a rather sharp curve which caused my bus to become stuck on the curb when I failed to perform the turn perfectly. Going very slow does help, but of course the passengers complain about being late to arrive at the stop. I soon realized that this is an important part of the game in that you need to make smart choices when matching the bus up to the chosen route. The small electric bus, after it's unlocked, might carry less passengers but it will be able to make its way through tough turns much easier than a 60-foot double bus can. The bigger the bus on the route, the more passengers it can carry, but it might not be the most suitable bus for that route.
A lot of happy passengers
Folks, there is so much to this game. There is a time limit given for each bus stop but it's not a problem to meet once you become a proficient bus driver and follow the speed limit. Every aspect of the game from the buses to the bus stops to the districts the stops are in need to be unlocked. You need to plan out your routes and then gain the experience necessary to continue unlocking everything. Each bus and stop needs to be levelled up in order to be able to unlock the perks and modifiers contained in each. The unlocked bus items can be both perks and additional customization possibilities such as colors and designs that can be applied to busses.
After saying all of that, the city council will be so happy after each district is levelled up that they will provide you with a new bus to drive along with an opportunity to take a special drive through the newly enhanced district in the new bus. The beautiful and expansive city of Emberville loves the fact that you personally provided great bus service to the cities various districts that the city council beautifies each city district right after it is upgraded. Everything certainly is bound to look beautiful!
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9.2
fun score
Pros
Very in depth experience system based on passenger likes - modifiers that constantly decline or rise based on driving performance.
Cons
Replayability might be limited. However allowing fans to create scenarios and content of their own will definitely alleviate that.
