In addition to the game's three modules, Trainz also ships with Discreet's gmax software.  This software allows players to edit any of the objects appearing in the game, or even to create their own.  Players can upload the objects created to Auran's website to share them with other Trainz players.

The graphics in Trainz look great.  The trains are nicely detailed and the scenery looks very nice as it rolls past the trains.  Also of note are the weather effects - whether it's lightning storms and rain, snow, or lazy clouds drifting across a sunny sky,  the effects are realistic and add a lot of character to the game.

Whether or not Trainz is actually a game is a pretty good question.  Players can drive their trains to their hearts' content, but must use their own imaginations to provide motivation for moving the trains from one place to another.  There are no cargo or passengers to pick up in the game, and there is a complete absence of any kind of financial model.  In this sense, Trainz really is a model railroad simulator - most of the fun is in designing the layouts and then watching the trains run through them.  Gamers who need more motivation than to simply create for creation's sake will grow bored with Trainz before too long.  The destructive at heart might be able to prolong their interest in the game by staging train wrecks, but this will only take them so far.

It would have been nice had Auran included more than 3 track layouts with the game.  Not all players who enjoy running the trains will have the patience or even the skills to create large layouts.  While it is possible to download additional layouts from the Auran website, more of these 1 MB or so downloads should have been included with the game right out of the box.

It should be noted to train enthusiasts that the trains in the game all come from the modern era.  There are no steam locomotives or objects from days gone by.  As of this writing, all of the additional locomotives available for download on Auran's site are from recent times as well.  Anyone wanting to create a historic railroad should be aware that they will more than likely have to create the train and object models themselves.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 81%.  If you enjoy constructing landscapes and populating them with trees, buildings, and other objects, and don't mind the free form nature of the game, then Trainz is highly recommended to you.  Those looking for less scenery and pretty looking trains and more gaming, should probably pass on Trainz as they will lose interest in the game before too long.

System Requirements:  400 MHz Pentium II CPU;  128 MB RAM;  16 MB Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM;  290 MB Hard Drive Space;  Mouse.

« Page 1