Thankfully, the visuals are quite pleasing and the locomotives are very detailed, even if there are some rough edges here and there, especially when it comes to the rather outdated shaders, at this point. Obviously, all of these things would mean very little if the graphics engine wouldn’t be able to accurately reproduce all those carefully modeled train engines. Moreover, you can create this content yourself, by making use of the included editor, which allows you to build your own worlds, complete with tracks, trees and even tunnels. This includes more locomotives, routes and a variety of skin packs, depending on what you want to change. In case you run out of things to do, fear not, for there is a lot of custom-built content out there that can be freely downloaded from the official website. Good graphics and plenty of content to keep you occupied If, on the other hand, you choose to be the Yardmaster, your role is to supervise the entire railroad and make sure that each route is on schedule, while also keeping an eye over the cargoes and their destination. The Driver mode puts you in the conductor’s seat and allows you to take full control over the train’s cabin, which usually includes a lot of buttons, levers, and the occasional switch. In addition, realism is also part of the deal, so the experience is that much more authentic and challenging, albeit a bit more difficult to get accustomed to in the beginning.Īs previously mentioned, there are multiple modes to choose from, depending on how you want to play the game. Trainz: Railroad Simulator 2004 is a complete simulator pack that includes everything you might desire when it comes to trains, regardless of whether you want to drive them around, closely manage an entire railroad, or just build your own virtual routes and go on joyrides all day long. They kept up with the times, though, because even if the first locomotives ran on steam engines and they required a lot of coal to keep hauling the cargo around, new models use electricity and they are even capable of floating above the tracks, using electromagnetism. Trains are extraordinary machines, even if they are a rather old invention.

Microsoft train simulator free download