Review of Railway Empire 2: an adventure on rails

Railway Empire 2 is the sequel to the railroad management and construction saga developed by Gaming Minds Studios and distributed by Kalypso Media. This studio is also behind the port management saga Port Royale 4. From the Xbox area, we thank Kalypso Media for providing us with a digital copy of the game to be able to bring you this analysis. This second opus improves everything that was offered in its predecessor to take it to the next level. If you want to know what this game is all about, buy your tickets and get on the train we’re leaving!

Railway Empire 2: A Railway Management Experience

As in the previous episode, the saga takes place in the same historical context as the railway revolution took place: during the second half of the 19th century. In this case, the adventure will take place in the United States and on the European continent. All thanks to a multitude of scenarios available to start a game or via the campaign mode. The latter is made up of various episodes in which we will have to overcome a series of objectives to complete each scenario that the game offers.

From the first moment you have to control everything. From the station, the profitability of the railway lines as well as the price of the goods we transport. Since everything will influence the cities where the station is located to grow in population and size sign of the richness brought by the presence of our company in the city. This will allow the construction of buildings to add new factories for products to be transported on our trains. Although not everything we carry is cargo. By interconnecting the cities, the movement of passengers and correspondence will begin on our lines. Data that can be seen from the station’s information panel.

Railway Empire 2 It offers us a multitude of tools for the construction of roads and railways as well as for the management of our company or its economy.. The construction of railway lines is as complex as it is realistic. when we decide build a roadwe’re going move carefully on the ground taking into account the level lines. Trains are not made for climbing steep grades. For this reason, optimizing the track layout is key to reducing construction and transportation costs. As our business grows, we will be able to specialize the lines only for the transport of goods, passengers or mixed. This opens up a range of options when planning our lines to optimize them in the best possible way.

As we progress through our game, we will accumulate research points. These points will go intended to improve efficiency as well as unlock new locomotives. These efficiency improvements include the reduction of various expenses, such as staff costs or the maintenance of our trains. Technological progress will allow us to reduce times and with them the costs of our lines to generate higher revenues.

This is where an interesting factor comes in: the purchase of shares of competing companies. Because if anything characterized the first episode, it was how the AI ​​absorbed various railroad companies from each other with overwhelming speed. We have this option available. when we have a sufficient number of shares in another competing company, we can absorb it. Thus, all your properties will be under our wing..

Excellent attention to detail

One of the most outstanding points of this game, in addition to its fantastic management, is its technical section. Maps of USA and Europe have great topographical and visual detail. The zoom in this game allows you to see the landscape of the game in detail. This is not an isolated event. When approaching to observe cities, careful attention to detail is appreciated. Since the modeling of the houses and NPCs that inhabit these towns is more than well done. And as we see, protagonists such as locomotives are no exception.

The attention to detail on these vehicles is spectacular. If we want to observe them more closely, we can do it from the garage. Where they will also offer us information about the locomotive in question, such as when and by whom it was created or when it entered service. All the scenarios available, which are not rare, have the same graphic quality as if we were playing in a smaller one.

Despite this, we do enjoy some issues once we raise our tracks. The only thing to highlight is the non-existence of level crossings. When a lane crosses a road, it does not generate a level crossing, but rather crosses the road above it. Although it does not affect the road, it blurs the immersive experience created by the studio. Besides, Railway Empire 2 There is one more important thing missing in this type of game: the adjustment of the camera angle. It is not possible to tilt at the will of the user, which does not allow on certain occasions to maneuver freely in certain construction operations.

Multitude of game modes to pass the hours

This episode not only incorporates the classic campaign by chapters. but also an interesting cooperative multiplayer mode with up to four players. Ideal for those who want to start a business adventure. But the highlight is its individual mode. The configuration of the scenarios is very complete, you can choose the size of the map. From a small quadrant of the map to an entire continent. And yes, Europe (partly) is on the map of Europe. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for Latin American countries, at least for now. It’s not crazy to rule out that they will arrive via a future expansion.

When configuring scenarios, We will be able to choose the number of competing companies, the initial money and the character we choose. Depending on the character, we will have benefits such as discounts on certain expenses, discounts on road construction, etc. It will also depend on the map we choose to play, since we will need some features more than others.

A sound section that more than responds

During our railway blockade, an excellent company will keep us soundtrack to pass the time. A time that can be paused and accelerated up to x3 by the way. The music is classic western, his bass playing and a beat that will make the hours pass as we expand our rail networks across an entire continent. At her side, she is accompanied by more than excellent range of sound effectslike those produced by the railway during its passage, the hustle and bustle of the city… A variety and quality of sound effects more than worthy to create a superb immersive game atmosphere that will delight fans of details.

conclusion

Railway Empire 2 is crowned as a sequel to its predecessor, improving the points where it did not stand out as it should, bringing a new gaming experience. All this thanks to a technical section with great attention to detail, a more than excellent sound section and the definitive experience of the railway management. Anywhere in Europe and the United States we will be able to develop our business and interconnect everything within our reach with a good build system.

Unfortunately, all light casts a shadow, and this game doesn’t get rid of it. Despite all the good it has to offer us, using certain tools can be rough at first. This, combined with the inability to adjust the angle of the game camera, makes some lane planning tasks difficult. That’s not why you should back down when playing this game, because it will be available through Xbox Game Pass, so I invite you to give it a try.

If you are a fan of management and railroad games, this is your game. Railway Empire 2 It will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC starting May 25. As always, if you want to learn more about scans like these, be sure to stop by your home here in the Xbox Zone.