Almost 20 years after its original release, Sid Meier's Railways! Return to mobile with excellent conversion from Feral.
Mobile platforms could have an immense mine of diamonds hidden in the great tradition of strategy and management games for PC, but curiously the iOS and Android gaming market tends to underestimate this potential, with few and late ports of titles. celebrities who finally reach such platforms. platforms. There Sid Meier's Railroad Review! is emblematic of this situation: the game was originally released in 2006 on PC and arrives on iOS and Android only after 17 years, despite being considered a classic of the Tycoon genre, in its particular railway declination. In fact, these are complex and deep games, which could be poorly associated with the type of use characteristic of smartphones and tablets, but which can well satisfy all those who would like real video games for these devices which are becoming more than capable of managing titles more substantial.
Sid Meier's Railroads is especially suitable for this type of conversion, since among the management programs from the author of Civilization it is perhaps one of the most intuitive, with a complex but not exactly overwhelming interface and menu. To better manage this aspect, the capacity of Feral Interactive takes over, which we have already appreciated in other ports of PC titles to mobile platforms and which does not betray even in this case, with a conversion that lives up to expectations.
The game is a railway simulation that takes advantage of the collecting spirit and the irresistible charm of "trains", on the one hand, and economic management and the direct challenge with opposing magnates, on the other, seeking a balance between both aspects but tending long-term. especially towards the financial aspects rather than the constructive ones. In short, despite a learning curve that is not exactly prohibitive, you should know that to tune in with Railways it is still necessary to dedicate yourself, to a large extent, to the economic management of the railway through menus, rather than to the construction of the railways. and stations on the map.
Conquering the world on railways
Exactly as we said in the old review of the PC original, Sid Meier's Railroads presents us with a series of "scenarios" to complete, choosing the tycoon to personify from a wide range of real historical figures and several scenarios that range largely between America of the North and Europe, each with its own characteristics and elements of challenge given by the configuration of the terrain and the layout of structures and cities. Our purpose is build and manage railway lines functional and capable of making us earn a lot of money, competing against other entrepreneurs who, at the same time, try to expand their influence within the same map. At the base of everything is the economic management of the railway network, with the careful balance of expenses and profit projections based on the communication lines built.
There is, then, the creative aspect of directly designing the railway lines, trying not to collide too much with natural obstacles and connecting cities and structures that have a strategic weight in our network, but there is also a notable study on which stages to connect in such a way as you can. maximize your profits.
Instead of building railways and purchasing new locomotives and technologies, which are nevertheless important elements of the game and satisfy the "toy train collector" aspect, in short, above all, one must balance the budgets, and this may be the least stimulating aspect for many, although it is essential for the gameplay. Added to this are also various surrounding elements that enrich the simulation, such as auctions to win technological patents capable of offering substantial advantages over the competition, if chosen carefully and at the right price.
The portable version
Il port to iOS and Android platforms It keeps all the original content intact, acting especially on the interface and the control system to better adapt the game to use through the touch screen. These are quite intuitive and natural solutions, as corresponds to the transition from the mouse to the touch screen, although the large amount of information and text contained in the interface is still complicated to read and manage on smaller screens. On the iPad there are no major problems and readability is good, but on the screen of a smartphone this problem can be seriously felt. There's also another particular problem: when you find yourself dragging a railway with your finger to draw a new line, it can be difficult to pan or rotate the frame to reach pre-set targets, if they don't fit into it. screen .
However, beyond these specific drawbacks, Sid Meier's Railways! It is precisely the PC game transported to a portable context, with also some improvements in graphics thanks to the increase in resolution to better support modern screens. The system is clearly dated, given that we are talking about a game from 2006, but perfectly functional for the type of game and the graphics seem decidedly in line with the spirit of "behold the model with trains" that always represents an important part of The charm of this game. Curiously, in the iOS and Android versions the multiplayer mode present on PC seems to have been completely eliminated, leaving us to compete exclusively with opponents controlled by artificial intelligence.
Conclusions
Tested version iPad digital delivery app store, Google Play Price 14,99 € Holygamerz.com 7.5 Readers (1) 10 your voteSid Meier's Railways! It was originally characterized by its balance between the immediacy of a "train" simulation and the typical complexities of the same author's tycoons, making it a potentially perfect title for mobile platforms. The conversion is technically excellent - always keeping in mind that this is a game from 2006 - but the interface with particularly small fonts can be prohibitive on the screen of a smaller iPhone. Otherwise, the characteristics of the original remain intact, as this port is extremely faithful: Sid Meier's Railways! It tries to find a meeting point between complex economic management and creativity in the design of railway lines, not always managing to satisfy the most intransigent enthusiasts of one aspect or another. However, it is a deep and multifaceted gaming experience, in true PC style, also on iOS and Android.
PRO
- All the features of the original, in a portable version.
- A good midpoint between economic management and creativity
- Good transposition of controls to the touch screen.
AGAINST
- Texts and interface are difficult to read on small screens.
- There is some risk of not finding the right balance between depth and immediacy.
- The price may be a little high for a fundamentally "old" game
