Price: $0.99 Score: 7/10 Category: Games
Train Conductor 2: USA is the sequel to the very popular Australian based Train Conductor, a Voxel Agents game that puts you at the helm of traffic control in an area of highly congested train traffic.
The point of the game is to effectively manage train traffic by tapping on the locomotive and then dragging it down to the track that corresponds with the number hovering above the fast moving train. Conceptually this sounds simple, but the game is much more difficult in execution.
After a couple trains have passed through the screen traffic starts to pick up, forcing you to stop trains momentarily, leave trains to pass on the wrong track (deducting a point), and do anything possible in order to avoid the all deadly crash that will end the level and force you to start over at zero.
As you start to learn the game you realize that flashing lights warn you when and where trains are coming from so you can strategically swerve out of the way or stop trains to accommodate. It’s also fun to play with a friend, so four hands work on the chaotic project instead of two.
While the original game took you through various stops in the outback, the sequel features gameplay in Miami, New York, Nashville, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. In essence, this means that the screen for each set of fast moving tracks changes. For example, the Miami level plays over a beach backdrop and Nashville features a bunch of flying ghosts. The illustrations are all wonderful and the game is challenging, but after awhile it starts to feel a little monotonous.
Also, the game offers Facebook integration, but no other score tracking system. The addition of Plus+ would foster a much more competitive gameplay environment that keeps people interested longer.
Then again, the game is a dollar, and when you think of it in those terms Train Conductor 2: USA will certainly engage people and please fans of the beloved original.
Bottom Line: Train Conductor 2: USA is a fun, simple game that’s easy to learn but extremely difficult to conquer. 7/10
