Train Sim World 5 Review (PS5) | Push Square

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If you’ll forgive a veteran virtual train driver a moment of indulgence, Train Sim World is one of the few series this writer has returned to over and over again. There’s something deeply soothing about commandeering a hunk of metal through an otherwise uneventful afternoon, making passenger stops as you soak up the scenery.

We’ve been reviewing these games for about six or so years now, and the series has come a long way in that time. We skipped coverage of Train Sim World 4 as its release date didn’t align with our work schedule, but just 12 months later we find ourselves in the cockpit of a Class 390, exploring the stretch of track between London Euston and Milton Keynes.

While we’re not especially keen on the annualisation of the franchise, it should be noted that Dovetail is offering a free client upgrade for owners of previous expansion packs. This means, effectively, you don’t need to buy Train Sim World 5 to benefit from it: you can download the complimentary client, import your existing routes and rails, and get to work. This starter pack will only be available until 17th October, however, so act fast.

For the purposes of this review, we’re playing the Deluxe Edition, which includes three new routes and a ton of locos. The most appealing to this author is the West Coast Main Line, which in real-life runs roughly 400 miles, from Glasgow to London Euston. The developer generally selects smaller sections of railway with services that can be completed in under an hour, so you only get up to Milton Keynes here, as mentioned previously.

The various graphical improvements that have been implemented over the years genuinely impress, though; no longer is this a scrappy low-budget affair but one that borders on photorealism in places, owing to some lovely sky boxes and dynamic cloud cover. You really feel the progression of time over the course of a journey, as weather changes and the sun sets.

The Class 350 is perfectly modelled, but it’s the siren-like whir of its