Train Sim World 3 (TSW3) is the newest version of Dovetail Games' popular Train Sim World series, and after a few updates following release from the developer, what do we think of the newest iteration?
 
Dovetail Games very kindly sent RailAdvent a copy of the Deluxe Edition to review. here is what we think!
 
What's Included for the Price?
 
The Deluxe Edition of Train Sim World 3 will set you back £49.99 here in the UK, and for that, you get the base game update (worth £29.99) as well as 4 routes, Cajon Pass Barstow-San Bernardino, Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel-Würzburg, Southeastern Highspeed London St Pancras-Ashford International Faversham, and Spirit of Steam Liverpool Lime Street-Crewe.
 
As well as from Steam, the base game is available on Amazon for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
 
Whats better, your TSW2 routes transfer over to TSW3 in the preserved collection (Spirit of Steam's update is only available in the Deluxe Edition).
 
One of the main updates to the base game is the new sky graphics as well as new lighting, wind, and weather physics.
 
Optimisation and Detail
 
With new skies and variable weather, all routes in TSW3 continue to play well.
 
We noticed that occasionally, the FPS counter would dip, and the screen would go fuzzy for a second and then return to the 40-60 fps we have come to expect from TSW, so maybe just a map load issue.
 
We have already reviewed Spirit of Steam for TSW2, and unfortunately, some of the detail on that route is still missing (IE some areas feel a little empty of trains and vegetation, and the fireman still carries an empty shovel), but as for SouthEastern High Speed, this is a lovely route to drive with great scenery and enjoyable scenarios.
 
As for Cajon Pass and Schnellfahrstrecke, whilst we normally prefer UK routes, we enjoyed our time testing out the routes, Cajon Pass can be challenging with its heavy loads and gradients.
 
Having said the above, Dovetail is constantly sending out updates which is great to see when spending quite a large amount of money on the game.
 
All the animations in the game are smooth and high quality, walking through the the various trains is lovely, and you can see the hard work that has gone into modelling them.
 
Sounds for the various trains and locos are great, we felt the Class 66s horn was a little soft, but this could be fixed in a future update (we also heard some odd jumps in audio with the 66, maybe connected the FPS issue above?)
 
General Gameplay
 
What is the newest Train Sim World like in general use then?
 
Well first things first, the new menu system is so much better than before.
 
It is simple yet effective, and can get you into your favourite train straight away.
 
We like how you can either narrow it down by route, or loco, to easily drive where or what you want.
 
Graphics wise, it is similar to other TSW games.
 
However, the sky and weather enhancements make all the difference, we like how the weather can change rapidly and this changes a lot of driving physics so you definitely need to keep an eye on things.
 
We love that you get snow being drifted off the back of the trains as you pass by at speed!
 
Each train included is fun and engaging to drive and this is taken further with the changeable driving factors.
 
We brought over our TSW2 profile and this linked up nicely into the new game and brought our progress across.
 
What is nice, and something I havent run into before, is that it asks me if I would like to do a tutorial scenario if I haven't driven the loco/train before.
 
Speaking of tutorials, we really liked the new training center, whilst a relatively small addition, it provides new players with a space to go and learn about all of the different aspects of driving before heading off into a scenario and not knowing what to do.
 
Moving onto the scenarios, we found that TSW3 loaded a lot quicker than past iterations of the game, allowing you to get straight into driving.
 
When you are in, each scenario is different, and are enjoyable to drive.
 
Any Bad Points?
 
Well, after a few updates since release, are there any bad points in Train Sim World 3.
 
For starters, Spirit of Steam still feels a little empty, yards could be fuller, and more detailed line side scenery, but maybe this is in the works and is coming soon.
 
As I said in our SoS review, perhaps the empty yards has something to do with the game being available on Xbox and PlayStation.
 
We have already mentioned the various stutters on both visual and audio, this could be my machine, but I don't remember any audio stutters on a Class 66 in TSW2 for example.
 
One thing that I would love to see come to Train Sim World is Free Roam Scenarios, whilst this is not a major problem, sometimes players just want to place whatever locos they want on shed and take them for a spin, with no end point or goal.
 
Train Sim Classic has this feature and I feel this would be a great addition to TSW.
 
Final Thoughts
 
Bringing our review to a close then.
 
What do we think?
 
Well all the benefits of TSW are brought together with great new Weather Enhancements.
 
We really do enjoy that.
 
Spirit of Steam gets some changes and this is great to see.
 
What is also great to see is that Dovetail Games are really on the ball with sending updates out.
 
Whilst £49.99 for the Deluxe Edition sounds a lot, especially if you already own Spirit of Steam, and solely want its upgrades, when you think that the base game costs £29.99, an extra £20 for more routes is brilliant.
 
I would definitely recommend picking up Train Sim World 3 Deluxe Edition, and adding it to your library, I'm sure you will enjoy it!
 
Michael Holden.