Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is no objectionable content in this game; however, parents should also be aware that the game has an online mode and that Common Sense doesn't recommend online play for anyone under 12. Overall, this game is entertaining and educational.
Families can discuss how games like this one successfully mix entertainment with education. Do you feel like you know more about how railroads influenced the economy? What happened to a city when you didn't connect it to your railroad network?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jeremy Gieske
SID MEIER'S RAILROADS! has everything you need in a great model train simulator: more than 45 historic and realistically replicated engines; the ability to lay intricate tracks with crossovers, tunnels, and bridges; and maps with plenty of cities and topography to make things interesting. But in the end, RailRoads is much more than a train simulator -- it's a challenging strategy game that has players battling wits and business sense against some of the most renowned railroad barons of all time.
A railroad empire is built on tracks, but solid knowledge of economics is required for players to succeed in this cutthroat business. Once cities are connected, players purchase engines to deliver cargo and make a profit. Some locations produce raw materials; others manufacture those materials into goods that can be sold at other locations. As cities grow and thrive, they have new demands and more room for bigger manufacturing plants. Players need to constantly monitor their trains to make sure they're running the right routes, at the right speeds, and with the right cargo to beat out their competitors.
It's the stock market, however, that separates the barons from the beggars. To make a quick buck, players can unload some shares, or they can buy opponents' stock to gain control of competitor companies. If a player purchases all of a competitor's shares, they knock them out of the game with a hostile takeover. However, players need to be cautious, since the same fate could befall them!
The final score is determined by the player's net worth and the completion of the objectives specific to the map selected at the beginning of the scenario.
The only thing that keeps RailRoads from a five-star rating is the glitches. The game has some pretty intense graphic needs, and even if the player's system meets the minimum needs, they can experience random lockups, as well as some odd in-game behavior (like trains floating off tracks, etc.). After adjusting and lowering the video settings the game should be playable, but players may still have occasional problems.
An entertaining and educational success, RailRoads deserves a spot on any armchair conductor's computer.
For other simulation games, check out Civilization 4 and Fish Tycoon. For those interested in airplanes, turn to Flight Simulator X.
Reviewed: 01/02/2007
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
|
||
Violence |
|
 |
||
Language |
|
 |
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social Behavior |
 |
 |
||
Commercialism |
|
 |
||
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoWine is produced as one of the manufactured goods. |
|
|
||
Educational ValueEconomics and business sense are taught through the gameplay. History of railroading and railroad inventions are covered during loading screens. |
|
|
||
