Simulation games have become a cornerstone for gamers seeking immersive and realistic experiences, and Train Sim World 5 is no exception. Developed by Dovetail Games, this latest installment in the beloved series pushes the boundaries of train simulation with new features, expanded content, and enhanced realism. Released on September 17, 2024, Train Sim World 5 aims to appeal not only to dedicated enthusiasts but also to newcomers eager to explore the intricate world of trains. This article dives deep into the game’s features, gameplay, graphics, and overall appeal, providing a thorough review optimized for SEO.
Gameplay Overview
At its core, Train Sim World 5 allows players to experience the intricacies of train operations. From managing schedules to mastering the controls of different locomotives, the game offers a rich and authentic experience.
New Routes and Trains
One of the standout features in Train Sim World 5 is the introduction of three new routes:
West Coast Main Line South (UK): This iconic route spans 80 km between London Euston and Milton Keynes. Players can control the Class 350/1 and Class 377/2, tackling challenges like high-speed runs and suburban commuter services.
Highlights:
Detailed recreations of 28 stations.
Realistic scheduling for passenger and freight services.
Frankfurt–Fulda Kinzigtalbahn (Germany): A picturesque route covering 103 km, with players operating the DB BR 411 ICE T and DB BR 423.
Highlights:
Authentic German signaling systems.
Varied terrain, including urban and rural settings.
Los Angeles–San Bernardino Line (USA): Spanning 92 km, this route features the MP36PH-3C and F125 locomotives.
Highlights:
Breathtaking scenery of Southern California.
Mixture of commuter and long-haul operations.
Each route offers unique challenges, from mastering advanced train systems to navigating complex track layouts. These additions ensure players remain engaged, with diverse environments and scenarios.
Improved Modes
Driver’s Mode: A new feature allowing players to manage tasks like ticket validation and passenger communication. This adds a human element to the simulation.
Scenario Planner 2.0: An upgraded tool for creating custom routes and schedules. This feature gives players complete creative freedom to design their ideal railway networks.
Dynamic Weather: The game introduces real-time weather effects, such as rain, snow, and fog. These conditions influence train handling, making gameplay more challenging and immersive.
Graphics and Realism
Visual Upgrades
Train Sim World 5 boasts significant improvements in graphics:
Ultra-High Definition (UHD) Textures: Trains and environments are rendered with incredible detail, from rust on tracks to reflections on locomotive windows.
Lighting Effects: Enhanced lighting creates realistic day and night cycles, with stunning sunsets and authentic station lighting.
Environmental Details: Trees sway in the wind, and puddles reflect surrounding scenery, adding depth to the world.
Audio Design
The audio in Train Sim World 5 is equally impressive. Each train features distinct engine sounds, signaling systems, and track noise. These audio cues enhance the realism, making players feel as though they are truly on board.
Accessibility and Performance
Platform Availability
The game is available on multiple platforms, including:
PlayStation 5
PlayStation 4
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One
PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
Performance Enhancements
Optimized for next-gen consoles, Train Sim World 5 supports 4K resolution at 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. PC players can enjoy additional graphical options for a tailored experience.
Accessibility Features
Dovetail Games has included various options to ensure inclusivity:
Subtitles for all dialogues and tutorials.
Adjustable difficulty levels.
Customizable control schemes.
Community and Add-Ons
Train Sim World 5 fosters a vibrant community through its downloadable content (DLC) and mod support.
DLCs and Upgrades
Players can purchase additional routes, trains, and liveries. Notable DLCs include the “East Coast Main Line” and “High-Speed Line Paris–Lyon.” These expansions add hours of content and are compatible with previous versions.
Community Creations
The game supports modding, allowing players to share custom liveries and scenarios. This feature keeps the gameplay fresh and extends its lifespan.
Live Roadmap and Future Updates
Dovetail Games has introduced a live roadmap system, keeping players informed about upcoming updates, planned routes, and features in development. This transparency strengthens the connection between developers and the gaming community.
Educational and Recreational Value
Beyond entertainment, Train Sim World 5 serves as an educational tool for those fascinated by railway systems. The game’s detailed tutorials cover:
Train operation fundamentals.
Signaling systems across different countries.
Maintenance and troubleshooting.
This makes the game appealing not just for gamers but also for train enthusiasts and aspiring engineers.
Technical Challenges and Player Feedback
Despite its many strengths, Train Sim World 5 has faced some criticism:
Occasional Bugs: Some players have reported minor graphical glitches, such as clipping issues or delayed texture rendering.
Learning Curve: While tutorials are detailed, newcomers may still find advanced systems overwhelming.
Cost of DLCs: The extensive range of add-ons can become expensive, especially for players aiming to collect all routes.
Dovetail Games has been proactive in addressing these issues, releasing patches to improve stability and enhance the user experience.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Immersive Gameplay: Authentic train controls and real-world routes.
Enhanced Graphics: Stunning visuals with attention to detail.
Dynamic Weather: Adds realism and challenge.
Community Support: Active forums, modding capabilities, and DLCs.
Accessible for Newcomers: Tutorials and adjustable difficulty.
Educational Value: Provides insights into railway systems.
Cons:
Steep Learning Curve: Advanced systems may intimidate beginners.
DLC Costs: Additional content can be expensive.
Limited Route Variety: Some regions remain underrepresented.
Minor Bugs: Occasional graphical glitches.
Final Verdict
Train Sim World 5 is a remarkable entry in the series, setting a new standard for train simulation games. With its realistic gameplay, stunning visuals, and robust community features, it offers an unparalleled experience for enthusiasts. While there are minor drawbacks, such as the cost of DLCs and a steep learning curve, these do little to detract from the overall quality. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a curious newcomer, this game promises countless hours of enjoyment.
For anyone looking to immerse themselves in the world of trains, Train Sim World 5 is an absolute must-play.
Further Exploration
How to Get Started:
Choose Your Route: Begin with a tutorial to familiarize yourself with basic controls and systems.
Experiment with Modes: Try Scenario Planner 2.0 to create unique challenges.
Join the Community: Explore forums and download user-created content to enhance your experience.
Future Potential:
Dovetail Games has hinted at expanding to underrepresented regions, such as Asia and South America. Fans can look forward to new routes and technological advancements in upcoming updates.
My first train simulator, being a flight sim fan usually. I wanted to love the sim and there are parts that are great, but I can't recommend it. I have a very powerful PC (the kind that can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at ultra settings with no stutters and >100 FPS, which is not common) but I find Train Sim World 5 to be a stuttering mess at times. It totally kills the immersion. Some routes seem worse than others and when it's good, it's great, but it's just too inconsistent. I find even when on a "good performance" route, you still get micro stutters / pauses every 10 seconds or so. It's far from smooth and this is on a top end PC. I can only imagine a low end PC performance..Beyond that (and this could just be my newness to Train Sim World), I was a bit disappointed that different addons don't seem to chain together. I would have loved to see a full line replicated, even if it meant buying multiple parts of it. That doesn't seem to be possible. So, for example, right now the West Coast Mainline is Euston to Milton Keynes, but what I understand is that even if Milton Keynes onwards is developed in future, they would still be separate addons. For me, this will limit how much I'll use the sim and I suspect each route will get old quickly. For me it's pretty frustrating to look at a route list going to all these different destinations, but the actual route you'll drive is just the small part of it within the current addon.
There's so much to explore and many trains to drive, the game is really fun to play when you need to relax, and the wide selection of trains is amazing. I orginally got this game for free as a starter pack but then bought the game afterwards because how much I liked it.
Overall, a pretty good game. The AI is a bit meh, would be better if they didn't all walk like robots and some of them be a bit more "unique". The thing I would love most is if they did different variants of the London underground tube. Maybe more modern versions that's not from 1972... Ones with doors that open outwards, nicer sound affects. DEFINITELY a revamp of the stations because half of them the trains going through the platform. An example of a train to add would be a S Stock train, specifically an S8 model that runs through the Metropolitan line. GREAT train. Lots of detail I think and potential. Apart from my rant, a very good and detailed game. Would recommend 👍
When Train Sim World first came out, it was a fun experimental simulator for a very niche purpose. The ability to be a human being inside of a train, instead of the train itself was a fantastic starting point and concept. However at the time, routes felt under-cooked and vastly empty. Fast forward several years later and this game is slowly becoming the successor DTG has groomed it to be.While no where near Train Simulator Classic in terms of customizability and route/train selection, Train Sim World 5 has grown into a respectable simulation game with an ever expanding catalogue of routes and trains. Some routes and trains are terrible, most are good and some are excellent. And in its current form, the game is getting closer to its name of "world", departing from the classic US/UK/GER network exclusivity.All in all, if you want a serious and customizable train simulator, then Train Simulator Classic is still the undisputed king, but Train Sim World is the ever improving heir-apparent.
---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
O Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
O Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
O Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
O Teens
O Adults
☐ Grandma---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
O Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
O Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
O Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls---{ Grind }---
O Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
O Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
O Long
☐ To infinity and beyond---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10
Alright, I’ll try to keep it short, but who knows 😂
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Look, coming from the Train Sim franchise 20xx, I definitely wasn’t expecting a massive difference; however, I’m happy to have been proven wrong. I’ll keep this short and just list some of my Pros, Cons and TTC (Things to Consider).
[hr][/hr]
Pros
[list]
[*]The walking function and ability to actually interact with the passengers, railway signals and switches, and train stations is a massive yes from me. This adds so much immersion to the game, really love this feature.
[*]Trains are really well-modelled.
[*]The coupling system for freight trains is realistically implemented, which means you actually have to get out of the cabin to ensure your stick thingy or whatever it’s called isn’t blocking the coupling.
[*]The map is really well implemented and useful. Hit the 9 key, and you can see a map of your entire route, zoom in and you can see signals, change switches, and see individual speed limits + other trains!!
[/list]
[hr][/hr]
Cons
[list]
[*]This may just be me, but I found lots of the scenarios were really specific with the braking distance required to pass them, which, for example, if you’re travelling @ 200km/h in an ICE-T and suddenly it says "Oh, brake at the station 1km ahead," you almost have to apply full emergency brakes just to come to a reasonable stop.
[*]And also on that note...
Slowing the train down to stop perfectly will just take time and lots of practice. Don’t expect to get it perfect on the first try.
[*]The "emergency systems" on some of the newer trains, such as but not limited to the LZB, PZB, SUPD (I don’t know if that’s its exact name, but it’s the system where you push a button every minute or else the train applies 100% brakes), are all a bit hard to understand, and the tutorials do not cover them in enough detail. Some issues I encountered were as follows:
-- For the PZB (I believe):
--- I didn’t get any indication from the 1000Hz or 500Hz magnets because apparently, from what I read in some article, they don’t require it? Anyway, I kept getting audible warnings for it and a solid "G" on the dash. The only way to stop it was to go significantly under the posted speed limit. Maybe I’m just doing something wrong, but after redoing the tutorial multiple times, I still never understood what this does. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling about this topic and list the next; I think you get the point.
[/list]
[hr][/hr]
TTC
[list]
[*]This game is really realistic. It will take time to learn all the buttons and takes a lot of patience and problem-solving when it comes to figuring out wtf is wrong with your train and why all of a sudden the throttle is red, and even though it is at 100% with brakes off, the AI is screaming random things in German at you, and you have no idea what’s going on... ahem... ICE-T (may have happened to me once or twice or more times 😑). (And mind you, I also speak German as a second language and couldn’t understand most of the time what the AI was yapping on about.)
[*]Routes are displayed 1:1 scale from real life, so a 50km trip will take a while. Be prepared to have a YouTube video on a second monitor or something, as some of the trips can get a bit repetitive and boring.
[*]Most of the trains and missions are hidden behind DLCs, so I’d recommend buying the deluxe version or whatever it’s called and then leaving it at that until you get sick of the content it has to offer, as the DLCs are priced as almost mini-games (average of $20 AUD).
[/list]
[hr][/hr]
So yeah, I think that’s it. RIP to my "short" review. Final thoughts are, if you tick the following boxes, by all means purchase this game:
[list]
[*]You have lots of time on your hands.
[*]You are patient.
[*]You like realism.
[*]You can understand AI German train systems shouting random stuff at you.
[*]You have deep pockets.
[/list]
[hr][/hr]
PS: I wrote this review at 7 hours because I have now completed 10 achievements and a bunch of missions already. However, I will update this review in the future if I decide to revisit this game.
I really, really, really wanted to love this game. The beautiful scenery, the calm atmosphere, the super cool trains, and the satisfaction of getting technical with various settings all offer so much potential fun. But the sheer number of bugs, glitches, and frequent crashes I have experienced in my 21 hours of play so far makes it incredibly frustrating and difficult to enjoy.For instance, during missions, the train display will sometimes completely stop functioning, and commands simply do not register. In free play, I have encountered random issues where a train suddenly slams to a halt, and I cannot release the brakes no matter what I try unless I despawn and respawn the train to reset it. These problems are frustrating on their own, but what is worse is realizing, after hours of scouring forums, that many of these bugs have persisted from previous iterations of the series. This gives the impression that each new release is not built from the ground up but is instead a slightly improved version of the last. While the game may be gradually improving, even basic tasks can sometimes feel impossible.Another issue I have faced is with assembling trains in the yard. Whether it is user error or not, I could not figure out why my cars were stuck with full brakes applied, even when all locomotive brakes were released. Eventually, I discovered that pre-configuring trains in the main menu's configurator resolved this issue. While that workaround works, it robs me of the joy of building a train from scratch, linking individual cars to create a massive, beautiful formation.I am not mad at the developers because I understand that this is an enormous project, but I do hope these issues can be ironed out in the future. Until then, I cannot recommend this game in its current state, despite its great potential. I will be waiting for updates in the hope that one day, I can fully enjoy this experience without constant frustration.
Good game, I love trains! Great routes and the only problem is bugs. Such as not being able to set course for the train (It says "Invalid location") or not being able to move the train in certain routes (Although I am not sure if that is just a game setting or not). In all, great game with great graphics.
My honest opinion? TSW is actually starting to take shape with the 5th iteration. There's no neutral review option but the game is relaxing and runs well on Steam Deck if you make graphical compromises. This is a weak recommend because the DLC is worth it on sale and Dovetail's business practices have always been known and questionable, but offering it as a free upgrade (I bought TSW4 only for 5 to be released literally the next day) was very much appreciated.
turns out i like trains, like i trains so much im thinking of going to be a conductor. very addicting, addons are expensive though. but its worth it for certain select ones
