Bus Simulator 21

Bus Simulator 21 is another part of the simulator series, which allows players to drive city buses. The game offers a number of changes compared to the previous version (e.g. new vehicles and a second map). StillAlive studio is responsible for creating this game, which has also developed Bus Simulator 18. The publisher is astragon Entertainment.

Mechanics

In Bus Simulator 21, the player's main task is to drive city buses in accordance with the applicable traffic regulations, as well as taking care of schedule timeliness. We must also remember about the passengers (interact with them, sell tickets) and deal with all kinds of problems. The game offers new vehicles as well as two extensive maps. The first one is a revamped version of the city of Seaside Valley, modelled on the European metropolises (referred to as the extended version known from the add-on). The second, the city of Angel Shores, is new and inspired by San Francisco.

However, the role of the driver is not everything - in addition, the player also manages the company. Also in this respect, improvements have been made to the game mechanics - we can, for example, shape extensive timetables and routes for our bus fleet (we should take into account the number of passengers). Importantly, users who do not want to do this kind of thing and prefer to drive can rely on an AI assistant to take over from them.

The developers have also improved the systems responsible for the mobility of pedestrians in the city and the weather. The game also offers a fast travel system, the ability to speed up time and the option to immediately take over any bus driven by artificial intelligence - we can sit at the wheel at any time.

Game modes

We can play Bus Simulator 21 alone or with others. The core of the game is the career mode. Doing our job properly, we are gradually building up our position and reputation, and our results will make passengers more eager to ride with us, so we earn more money and can buy better buses. There is also a sandbox mode, in which we focus only on driving.

The game also has an online, co-op multiplayer mode, where several players jointly build one transport company.

Technical aspects

The developers of Bus Simulator 21 used Unreal Engine 4. The game offers a nice graphic design and looks much better than the previous part. Noteworthy here are the reliably rendered models of each bus, as well as the eye-catching locations.