Train Sim World 3 review – training day

metro.co.uk:

Dovetail’s beloved train simulator is now both more approachable and more realistic, with the perfect introduction for new players.

Dovetail Games’ Train Sim World franchise is one of the games industry’s hidden stalwarts. Almost by definition unglamorous but nevertheless hugely popular, it has undoubtedly touched a nerve for a very specialised constituency of gamers: those with a deep love of trains. Having been the recipient of a regular flow of add-ons and upgrades over the years, Train Sim World 3 is now here and while, understandably, it doesn’t contain any earth-shattering curveballs, it should make its huge userbase very happy.

The new game also has the potential to harvest a whole new set of fans, as long as they can cope with the oft-perceived stigma of admitting an interest in trains. Train Sim World 3 is by far the most accessible entry yet, for those who have previously neglected to test their train-driving skills. Its most obvious addition, in comparison with its two predecessors, is the Training Centre: a rather flashy virtual facility which has a circular track (along with all manner of sidings and the like), which gives you the perfect venue for learning how to drive trains without putting even virtual passengers in danger.

If you’ve never driven a train before and are keen to find out how to do so, Train Sim World 3 has an extensive system of first principles training tutorials, including one for each of the nine trains it contains. Tyros will find that train-driving, while a specialist task, is not overly difficult to get to grips with, at least in the context of a simulator. Once you learn the fundamentals of brakes that need to be pressurised, how to set the direction of travel, operate safety systems,