The worst of these diversions is the ticket selling mechanic. The developers added in some filler to break up the driving sections, though I found most of them to grow annoying after several hours of play. While the game has a solid driving feel, the main gameplay loop is very limited. The only time I found myself killing pedestrians or causing collisions was due to my own negligence or error, never because of the game’s design (with a couple of exceptions).

I’ve played a few European shovelware sim games and Bus Simulator 18 is very much a cut above. The game’s audio, visual, and control feedback did a great job of putting me in the driver’s seat. I used the Xbox One S controller exclusively, though the game supports keyboard and mouse input, as well as dedicated steering wheel setups. The game even has a few articulated buses to spice up the experience (and raise your maximum occupancy level). All the buses had a unique feel, weight, and turning radius. I only played with realistic and found it to work very well. The game offers player two distinct driving modes: simplified and realistic. While I’ve never been on a city bus (I live in a swamp and use a fan boat to get to the public library and post news everyday), the game sounds exactly what I’d expect a real bus to sound like. While I’ve never played Bus Simulator 16, one of the game’s loading screens proudly boasts that Bus Simulator 18 has over 1100 different bus sounds compared to just 55 in 16. The modeling work and interior details are pretty good.

The game features licensed buses from a few different manufacturers. As you progress through the game’s campaign, you will unlock the ability to move into the various districts of the town until you are given permission by the city government to operate your business throughout the town. A small European town is your virtual bus playground. You are given the choice of a few outfits, hair colors, and other customizations. The game begins with the creation of a bus company and your avatar. While you start with a single bus and a single route, you can build you way up to a large operation with lots of busses and employees. Bus Simulator 18 give you the chance to operate your own bus company.

Modding bus simulator 18