Railway Empire 2 Image
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

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  • Summary: All aboard the express train to riches and fame in Railway Empire 2!

    Don the coat of a clever entrepreneur, take over a small railway company in the early 1800s and turn your steam engines into the workhorses of the economy. Grow your company into the largest railway company of the
    All aboard the express train to riches and fame in Railway Empire 2!

    Don the coat of a clever entrepreneur, take over a small railway company in the early 1800s and turn your steam engines into the workhorses of the economy. Grow your company into the largest railway company of the continent and outsmart your competitors as you connect cities and companies with an ever-expanding network of rail lines, bridges, and tunnels.

    60 famous steam engines are at your disposal, all pulling freight and passenger cars as they usher in an era of historic importance during the Industrial Revolution.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. May 26, 2023
    85
    Much like the evolution of trains in Railway Empire 2’s history-spanning campaign, the game itself has learned lessons from the original and forged ahead with a stronger outing all around. While it has a compelling competitive edge to it, the game is best when things are serene.
  2. May 31, 2023
    85
    Management simulation with steam engine nostalgia and a motivating passenger and goods system. More comprehensive and accessible than the first part.
  3. May 31, 2023
    80
    As with its predecessor, Railway Empire 2 is a clear recommendation for railroad and business simulation fans. Thanks to its beginner-friendliness, even newcomers will find their way around, and veterans can get even more out of it thanks to the new options. In any case, you should plan for a lot of time.
  4. Jul 11, 2023
    80
    As a casual player, Railway Empire 2 can get incredibly overwhelming quickly with the number of different things to pay attention to, such as: resources, connecting lines, what the competition is doing, and budget. This is a strange contrast to the slow-moving nature of the game and the peaceful feeling that the theme and graphics provide. For anyone who is a fan of train simulators or management games, however, Railway Empire 2 is an enjoyable experience that can provide countless hours of entertainment.
  5. Jun 8, 2023
    70
    The wonders of building your own railway are back. Railway Empire 2 is beautiful and addictive, and while a full sequel should perhaps offer more, it’s great fun anyway.
  6. Jun 5, 2023
    68
    If you are after a game that requires you micromanage a train empire then this might be for you. If you want a game that lets you run a train empire without having to hold the hand of each of your engineers… maybe give it a miss.
  7. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 22, 2024
    60
    As a result, it is impossible to get rid of the impression that the game is somewhere between an expansion and DLC, which brings all sorts of small changes that made it unnecessary to develop another installment. [Issue#328]

See all 8 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
  1. May 31, 2023
    9
    Railway Empire 2 basically plays like its predecessor: A strategic economic simulation in the golden age of the steam locomotive of 1830 andRailway Empire 2 basically plays like its predecessor: A strategic economic simulation in the golden age of the steam locomotive of 1830 and 1930. I build stations, connect them with tracks and create train lines to earn money through the transport business.
    Unlike its predecessor, small and large maps will be offered in the US and Europe from the start. Basically, all the maps have been recreated, are much larger and much prettier. Instead of 20 or 30 cities, I can now connect more than 100, and my empire will eventually grow accordingly. To be able to manage this, there are some new features in Railway Empire 2: The complexity of transport and logistics has been increased, for example there are now station gridirons, the warehouses have been revised and stations can be equipped with inns to accommodate passengers to change trains.
    In addition, I no longer create individual trains but create train lines to which I can add as much trains as I want.
    Compared to its predecessor, train stations can now be built anywhere in the country, which means that new transport systems can be built with the help of the warehouses and inns. The graphics of the game are phenomenal! I mean it's a top view strategy game with terraforming and first person perspective. I can drive my trains over self-built bridges. That just looks great. The landscapes with their mountains, trees and animals are just fun. The game offers a tutorial, a campaign of 5 chapters and 16 scenarios, the custom game and the model building mode. The campaign took me around 20 hours, I think the scenarios will take twice as long. The game has been released on PC and all consoles and even has cross-platform multiplayer, which I haven't been able to test yet. The mode is cooperative. Overall, the game is highly recommended for railway fans and of course all fans of Railway Empire 1.
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  2. Jun 4, 2023
    4
    Without going too far into discussing what was different from the predecessor and how it could be improved, here is a disappointing list forWithout going too far into discussing what was different from the predecessor and how it could be improved, here is a disappointing list for those who loved the first game:
    -Tracks are much more annoying to build, you have to set flags again and again to control the height of the tracks so as not to spend astronomical sums.
    - In-game time runs so slowly that I was only able to unlock ONE locomotive in 3 hours of play. (way too slow)
    - Train stations only have TWO building/expansion slots (burst dream of mega-terminal)
    - No innovations: Same locomotives, same map, etc. (What were they even thinking?)
    While the game is playable and all, it is just disappointing for me.
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