Train Sim World 3 approaches platform Xbox and arrives on Xbox Game Pass just in time for its launch. This is fantastic for me as it means I get to practice driving trains. You may be wondering why I’d even want to practice and that’s because I’ll be doing this in real life in the near future. I work for a reputable UK train operating company and I’m currently awaiting a date to go off and become a trainee train driver. So, piling hours into this fresh version of the ever-popular sim is a perfect opportunity for me to get hands-on. Dovetail Games always do an excellent job at accuracy and recreation of the rolling stock and surroundings. This time around is there any improvement on the last outing? Read on and let’s find out together.

Introduction

It’s easy to get a little confused as to what’s on offer with Train Sim World 3 as there are several versions of the game should you wish to purchase it rather than download it on Xbox Game Pass. Rather than spending most of my time delving through the various editions on offer, it is best to go and have a gander HERE. The premise of the game is very simple and that is putting you in the front cab of several types of locomotives and giving you the responsibility of operating them. This could be in several different motions; it could be driving a fully-fledged passenger service. Shunting trains around the depot or simply transporting rolling stock from A to B.

You’ll be tasked with driving from the moment you key into the service, and you’ll be getting to grips with the plethora of buttons, levers and switches that look a little overwhelming, to begin with. During the huge range of tutorials which you can dive into anytime, you’ll be coached through the setting up process, how to adapt your driving style and the approach to platforms to ensure to stop safely to load passengers on and off busy services.

What Routes Are On Offer?

There are a few different routes and traction to get used to in the base offerings, remember that you can also filter in any previous DLC across any of the older Train Sim games you’ve played on. I’ll drop the descriptions of each as extracted from the Xbox Website.

Southeastern Highspeed: London St Pancras – Ashford Intl & Faversham

Experience the unique and exciting blend of classic main line running and thrilling high-speed commuting, in London and the Garden of England with Train Sim World 3: Southeastern Highspeed – now including Ashford International and Dartford! Versatility and modern precision combine in Class 395, Britain’s fastest train, operating at 140mph to offer commuters domestic high-speed services on HS1 and classic main lines.

Take charge of services on the Chatham Main Line with the reliable Class 375/9, running in a variety of formations between Rochester and Faversham. Get a taste of the 90s with the unmistakable motor whines of the Class 465/9 and go full “Kent Link Networker” on the many trains that stretch between Medway, Gravesend and Dartford. Trade-in passengers for some hard-working diesel freight haulage in Class 66. Work engineering and aggregate trains in and out of Hoo Junction.

Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel – Würzburg

Experience the thrill of racing through dense, forested valleys, over viaducts and deep into swooping tunnels. Germany’s classic Inter City Express awaits on our longest route yet with Train Sim World 3: Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel – Würzburg.    Climb aboard the first true high-speed train in Germany, the ICE 1, and accelerate up to 280 km/h through Hesse and Bavaria countryside.

The eloquent mix of tunnels and viaducts offers a unique view as you punch through the landscape. Go for a modern twist and drive the state-of-the-art ICE 3, manage your speed to ensure you don’t give passengers a rough ride.  Weave between the super-fast passenger services and run under moonlit skies in the DB BR 185.2. High-speed lines and freight traffic are no strangers, with cargo haulage taking place in twilight hours, as well as gaps throughout the day. Refine your braking aboard heavy trains as ICEs rocket by.

Cajon Pass

Experience the challenge of hauling a nation’s freight industry on the back of your 4000-horsepower shoulders. Tackle stunning mountain ranges and blinding deserts as you tote tonnage through the winding curves of California with Train Sim World 3: Cajon Pass. Climb aboard the masterclass in design that is the ES44C4, a state-of-the-art diesel-electric locomotive capable of incredible tractive effort.

Operated by BNSF in their hundreds, this beast of a machine makes easy work of any heavy load and is primed to do battle with the fierce grades and harsh conditions of the Cajon Pass. Sit down in the classic cab of the venerable SD40-2, an all-American hero which is nationwide-renowned for its yesteryear mainline service. Now a veteran, the SD40-2 is kept to secondary duties, as such you will be in charge of local working and switching in yards and industries.

Gameplay

I’d highly recommend before doing anything that you do as much as possible in the training centre before attempting a full-on drive. I’ve learnt the hard way during the previous instalments that you simply can’t go in blind. Jumping in the cab and pressing the multitude of buttons and cranking levers aimlessly won’t get you very far. Once you’ve learnt the basics, you’ll be able to traverse the main lines with full passenger operations and more.

The shoulder and trigger buttons will control the levers you’ll require to motion forwards, you’ll have to be aware of green, amber and red signals alongside speed limits. These are indicated in advance in the HUD or you can simply have your wits about you and look ahead whilst driving. Left and right on the D-pad can be used to open and close doors to allow passenger loading and alighting. As with most things in life, practice makes perfect and before you know it’ll be like riding a bike to you.

Keep An Eye On Your Scoring

As you play through each scenario (there are close to 900 of them) you’ll accumulate scoring based on your performance. You can achieve the best scores by ensuring you stick to speed limits, arrive at and depart stations with great timings and ensure you stop at each platform with decent positioning. When approaching the platforms, you’ll see a guideline of where you need to stop and you’ll be aiming for the green section every time, stop in the red area of the platform and you’ll be penalised or need to shimmy forwards. One thing I didn’t like so much after driving for 40 minutes was that I took my eye off the ball and had a SPAD (Signal Passed at Danger). This means that I accidentally drove through a red signal which ended my entire run completely. Whilst this is realistic as a train driver would be in deep trouble if this happened, it was a shame that I couldn’t just start from the last station to give me chance to have another shot at the situation.

Graphics & Audio

There is a significant difference in the visual presentation in comparison to Train Sim 2, especially on Xbox Series X. I’m not sure how it fares on the last-generation machine, but the game ran super smooth for this review. There wasn’t a bug or frame drop in sight. I immediately noticed that there was more activity in the station environments. Passengers seemed to be a lot more visible than in previous titles. The accuracy of the layout of these stations and the landscape between them is absolutely superb and nailed on. If you were a regular commuter on any of the lines within the game, you’d instantly recognise the surroundings. The attention to detail in the train cab, the liveries, customer information screens, lighting and even the Pringles sponsorship on the vending machine add perfect touches. It looked and felt more fluid and responsive to play and didn’t have that grainy and basic appearance that most simulator experiences have. 

The audio design is equally excellent with all traction echoing how they sound in person. Every little sound to the passenger doors beeping, the loud blast of the train horn to the in-cab sound effects all mirror the exact aspects you’d hear. Weather effects are outstanding with the lash of rain blending in with the well-animated swipe of the windscreen wipers. I simply can’t fault anything when it comes to the overall appearance of Train Sim World 3, it is a fantastic feat which would have been a huge logistical task to obtain such accuracy.

In Conclusion

Train Sim World 3 is indeed more of the same but introduces new routes and traction to a more refined and polished package. You’ll never see any other simulator title so naturally accurate. Visually things have significantly improved, and performance just feels so much better. I found that the training school system was far more intuitive than previous instalments in the series. This in turn spoon feeds you all you need to know to get going. These bite-sized chunks prevent you from confusion as going in blind is not advised. 

This will still be a very niche game for enthusiasts and people with a slight interest in train driving, but I’d urge anyone to give it a crack. With nearly 900 different routes to drive in the three regions on offer in the base package, the amount of gameplay will run into hundreds if not thousands of content if you desire. The only issue is that if you do want to expand the game beyond this, it will cost you a fair whack to unlock all the other DLCs. The addition to Xbox Game Pass presents gamers with the perfect opportunity to try this for themselves to see if they enjoy it. But as Train Simulator games go, you won’t find any better than Train Sim World 3.

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