Bus Simulator 16

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a game by stillalive studios GmbH
Platform: PC (2016)
Editor Rating: 5.5/10, based on 2 reviews
User Rating: 10.0/10 - 3 votes
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See also: Simulator Games, Transport Simulation Games
Bus Simulator 16
Bus Simulator 16
Bus Simulator 16
Bus Simulator 16

Do you enjoy buses? Have you ever considered what it would be like to rock the driver's seat of a large passenger vehicle? Bus Simulator 16 is the latest entry in the series to push the idea of driving a bus, whether you like it or not! Here we are with the fourth entry into a franchise that's seemingly never exploded as a recognizable simulation game but gained a cult following as these titles tend to do.

It's hard to imagine how much a simulation game about driving a bus could change with each annual release. You may see some cosmetic improvements and bug fixes. Still, inherently, the mechanics of picking up passengers and driving will always remain the same. Even though past releases haven't been the most riveting, seeing how Bus Simulator 16 will sell itself is still exciting.

I'll Be Your Bus Driver

So anybody that still has trouble getting their head around what Bus Simulator 16 features, we'll go over the series' core mechanics again. You are an aspiring bus driver in Sunny Springs, looking to be the best damn busman you can be. You'll drive around, pick up passengers, drop them off, and rinse and repeat as you soak in the urban sights of the town.

But there's more to it than that in Bus Simulator 16, as players must manage the more meticulous details of the trade to earn success. You'll have to retain orders, calm upset passengers, sell correct tickets, and repair the vehicle to ensure smooth sailing. It sparks more players intrigued with the idea of working towards a financial goal by managing your bus correctly, but do all these ideas work?

Bus Simulator 16 tries to push the boundaries of previous entries by offering a more varied palette of mechanics. However, bold ideas tend to fall flat as they feel hastily executed, often resulting in a glitchy experience. Driving is difficult as it's hard to see oncoming traffic, and most missions tend to feel more like a public massacre rather than another day as a bus driver.

It doesn't help that the map is relatively small, where driving around the city feels like something completed in a few minutes. There's a feeling that Bus Simulator 16 was rushed out to the market only to meet their promise of an annual release. Unfortunately, despite the grand ideas, the game is lifeless, and most players will lose interest fairly quickly.

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round

Bus Simulator 16 isn't breaking any ground with this entry to the series, nor the simulation genre alone. What was hopeful for something that could give the franchise a more intriguing dynamic came out as a buggy, soulless, and ultimately a dull mess. If you want a real-life driving simulator that garners excitement and entertainment, Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the better option.

4

Bus Simulator 16 is still one of the only games to play out as a career bus driver. If you want to do that, you won't find any better. So at least the title has that going for it in the sense that it's unique, but that also means the lack of competition offers developers no incentive to improve gameplay.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Interesting ideas added to improve gameplay
  • Real-life buses with customization options
  • Still one of the only bus simulators

Cons:

  • Mechanics outside core gameplay feel buggy and rushed
  • The maps size is small
  • The overall driving experience feels frustrating

Download Bus Simulator 16

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

What we have here with Bus Simulator 16 is the first in a series of games. Now, I am a big fan of these driving simulator games that have been showing up over the years, especially the truck and train ones. However, I thought that the idea of driving a bus sounded interesting so this has been a series I have been into since this very first game here. Today, we are taking a look at if this first game in the series is worth your time or if you should just skip straight to the most recent release.

The Efficient German Transport System

The setting for the game if you ask me is Germany and you have a fairly large city in Bus Simulator 16 that is made up of different districts. The ultimate goal of the game is to become a good bus driver and make sure that your passengers are happy, getting to where they need to go on time, and that the buses are maintained properly. It would be very easy for me to say that this is a rather barebones experience in comparison to the two games that came after it. But to be fair, the series did have to start somewhere.

Taking Care Of Your Passengers

Let’s face it while most people who use the bus are normal, there are many weirdos that like to use the bus and I feel that Bus Simulator 16 tries to capture that. You see, you have to make sure things are running smoothly and this includes calming down any agitated passengers. I do feel that later games do this better, but it is still cool that it is here. You will have to sell tickets, make small repairs, and so on. There is a decent selection of buses in the game and while I am certainly no bus expert, they are officially licensed and all look the part so that is cool, especially if you think buses are cool.

The Rules Of The Road

Now, the idea of Bus Simulator 16 is to get your passengers where they need to go. This is easier said than done as they have done a fairly decent job of making this city seem like it is alive. We are talking stuff like traffic jams and road works that you have to deal with. Watching out for emergency services, bad drivers, pedestrians and so on. You need to always keep your eyes on the road as you never know what can pop up!

Busses On Ice

Look, there is one area of Bus Simulator 16 that makes this a very, very challenging game to go back to, and unfortunately, it is a pretty big one! What I am talking about here is the way that the buses handle. The buses have a very floaty feel to them, it is like the back end of the bus is always ready to slide out from you and it can make getting to grips with the games control way more challenging than they should be. I feel that they were going for “realism” here, but instead, it makes it more of a chore to play than anything, especially if you are on a busy section of the road as it can feel near impossible not to hit things!

7

While there are certainly some issues with Bus Simulator 16, especially in regards to how the busses handle. For a game that is the first in its series, I think that they laid the groundwork pretty well here. The handling of the busses is something you can eventually get to grips with and if I remember right, I certainly did back in the day. However, in going back and playing this now, it did feel more like a chore and made me just want to go and play Bus Simulator 21 or even Bus Simulator 18 instead as they built upon what this did very well.

Pros:

  • I think this was a solid first entry for the series
  • There are different types of licensed busses you can drive
  • I liked how there was more to the gameplay than just driving the busses
  • The city is pretty large and feels alive

Cons:

  • The handling of the busses feels very slippery and makes for a steep learning curve
  • The later two games in the series make this entry completely obsolete if we are being honest

Snapshots and Media

PC Screenshots

See Also

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