GAMES / REVIEWS
T
ransport Fever 2 sees you assume the role of a
budding city logistics tycoon. Your goal is to transform
isolated rural backwaters into hives of industry by
connecting them to the resources and goods they need.
Whether you’re playing through the campaign or creating
your own transport empire in the sandbox mode, the
game’s basic function is the same. You’ll be presented with
a detailed 3D map covered in settlements, each of which
needs one or two different resources that can be created
by establishing a production chain. If a city needs bread, for
example, you need to connect a farm to a food production
factory, then connect the factory to the city.
The fundamentals are identical for all modes of transport.
You need to create stops, stations or ports at each point
along the chain, create a new ‘route’ that connects those
stops together, then assign vehicles to that route. You
earn money each time you make a successful delivery
or collection. Each vehicle type has its own benefits and
drawbacks. Trucks are cheap, for example, but they’re also
slow and have limited carrying capacity. Trains are faster
and can carry more cargo, but they’re also more expensive.
The result is a gently pleasing game of constructing and
refining increasingly intricate transportation networks.
There’s a quaint joy to establishing a new inner-city bus
route that helps people get around without causing traffic
snarl-ups, or seamlessly connecting a new train line to
existing tracks. It helps that the vehicles are so delightfully
detailed – you can even see the route stops changing on
the front of individual buses. Maps also evolve dramaticallyacross the course of a game, cities and factories grow and
thrive, while your transport network evolves from Victorian
wagons and steam engines to bullet trains and jet liners.
Transport Fever’s main issue is engendering a sense of
challenge. It’s hardest at the start, as you need to outlay
large amounts of money to get your networks running.
Once they’re set up, however, your economy quickly
becomes a perpetual money-making machine, and
potential brakes on your growth, such as congestion and
pollution, don’t have the expected impact.
The campaign offers more structure than the sandbox,
going from setting up wagon trails in the Old West to
establishing high-speed rail lines in Japan. However, it’s also
mainly a tutorial for the sandbox mode, and there’s little
more depth to the sandbox than the campaign. This doesn’t
prevent Transport Fever 2 from being an engaging virtual
train set. Just don’t expect it to offer much more reward than
a new vehicle every now and again.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
Transport Fever
2’s simple
vehicular
pleasures just
about make
up for its
simulation’s
lack of depth.OVERALL SCORE
70 %%
BULLET TRAIN
+^ Fun feedback loops
+^ Lovely vehicle^
models
+^ Good introductory^
campaignBRITISH TRAIN-^ Poor economy^
simulation
-^ Sandbox
lacks depth
Transport Fever 2 / £31.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPER Urban Games / PUBLISHER Good Shepherd EntertainmentGAMES / REVIEWS
T
ransportFever2 seesyouassumetheroleofa
buddingcitylogisticstycoon.Yourgoalis totransform
isolatedruralbackwatersintohivesofindustryby
connectingthemtotheresourcesandgoodstheyneed.
Whetheryou’replayingthroughthecampaignorcreating
yourowntransportempireinthesandboxmode,the
game’sbasicfunctionis thesame.You’llbepresentedwith
a detailed3Dmapcoveredinsettlements,eachofwhich
needsoneortwodifferentresourcesthatcanbecreated
byestablishinga productionchain.If a cityneedsbread,for
example,youneedtoconnecta farmtoa foodproduction
factory,thenconnectthefactorytothecity.
Thefundamentalsareidenticalforallmodesoftransport.
Youneedtocreatestops,stationsorportsateachpoint
alongthechain,createa new‘route’thatconnectsthose
stopstogether,thenassignvehiclestothatroute.You
earnmoneyeachtimeyoumakea successfuldelivery
orcollection.Eachvehicletypehasitsownbenefitsand
drawbacks.Trucksarecheap,forexample,butthey’realso
slowandhavelimitedcarryingcapacity.Trainsarefaster
andcan carry more cargo, but they’re also more expensive.
The result is a gently pleasing game of constructing and
refining increasingly intricate transportation networks.
There’s a quaint joy to establishing a new inner-city bus
route that helps people get around without causing traffic
snarl-ups, or seamlessly connecting a new train line to
existing tracks. It helps that the vehicles are so delightfully
detailed – you can even see the route stops changing on
the front of individual buses. Maps also evolve dramaticallyacrossthecourseofa game, cities and factories grow and
thrive,whileyourtransport network evolves from Victorian
wagonsandsteamengines to bullet trains and jet liners.
TransportFever’smain issue is engendering a sense of
challenge.It’shardestat the start, as you need to outlay
largeamountsofmoney to get your networks running.
Oncethey’resetup,however, your economy quickly
becomesa perpetualmoney-making machine, and
potentialbrakesonyour growth, such as congestion and
pollution,don’thavetheexpected impact.
Thecampaignoffersmore structure than the sandbox,
goingfromsettingupwagon trails in the Old West to
establishinghigh-speedrail lines in Japan. However, it’s also
mainly a tutorial for the sandbox mode, and there’s little
more depth to the sandbox than the campaign. This doesn’t
prevent Transport Fever 2 from being an engaging virtual
train set. Just don’t expect it to offer much more reward than
a new vehicle every now and again.
RICK LANE/VERDICT
Transport Fever
2’s simple
vehicular
pleasures just
about make
up for its
simulation’s
lackofdepth.
OVERALL SCORE
70 %%
BULLETTRAIN
+Funfeedbackloops
+Lovelyvehicle
models
+Goodintroductory
campaign
BRITISHTRAIN
- Pooreconomy
simulation - Sandbox
lacks depth
TransportFever 2 / £31.99 inc VAT
DEVELOPER Urban Games / PUBLISHER Good Shepherd Entertainment