Railway Empire

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 69
  3. Negative: 11 out of 69
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  1. shag00
    Feb 20, 2018
    6
    It really is great to see a new train based strategy game make an appearance, it's long overdue.I have been waiting for a follow-on to Railway Tycoon 2 (RT2) and this is probably it for the moment.

    I like this game being based on history with a link to realism. An ideal railway game would have the following elements, 1/ A route laying element where the player has a set of tools to    It really is great to see a new train based strategy game make an appearance, it's long overdue.I have been waiting for a follow-on to Railway Tycoon 2 (RT2) and this is probably it for the moment.

    I like this game being based on history with a link to realism. An ideal railway game would have the following elements,
    1/ A route laying element where the player has a set of tools to build track from A > B which incorporates various trade-offs to give an advantage/disadvantage dependent on the player' skill and other factors.
    2/ A detailed train routing and consist element with user selectable AI assistance.
    3/ A managable economic system which is easy to understand.
    4/ A financial element restricted to the train and associated industry main game.
    5/ A UI which is low on clutter and intuitive to the user.
    6/ Some reference material that explains the above.
    7/ An editor for modders.

    In this game, 1 and 2 are more or less there, 3 is let down by the UI, 4 is quite disappointing, 5 is a failure, 6 is laughable and 7 does not get a look in. In the end I rate this a marginal purchase because it misses out on being a step up from RT2, in fact, graphics aside it is a retrograde increment.That said, a good clean and rework of the UI would help enormously to lift it's rating, especially city demand and train routing.

    I am not a fan of spy's and saboteurs in these types of games as they largely serve to distract players from what should be the main aim, mainly to run an efficient railroad. The breakdown mechanic also needs some work as it's pretty silly having new trains with service facilities breaking down every run with a random breakdown balloon.

    Let's hope some game revisions are made.    … Expand
  2. Klewer
    Jan 11, 2022
    7
    A sold enough railroad simulation game. The actual track building portion of the game in probably the strength. However it feels a little "gamey" at times with a lot of things locked behind research and the overly annoying voice overs. Still worth a look for fans of these type of games.
  3. Krasipeace
    Sep 12, 2020
    5
    i find it ultimately annoying to build signals... every fcking time!
    Overall missions are not big challenge. Sandbox is cool, at 1st, but easily becomes boring!
  4. Gunganator
    Jan 27, 2018
    6
    The game is a good game in terms of time that can be wasted playing it. It has many endearing features that you might enjoy, but in the same respect some you may feel lack polish.

    Pro's Good track laying system Reasonably well polished UI Decent difficulty level build from one scenario to the next Many scenarios Many game modes Simple tracks laying for beginners Complex track    The game is a good game in terms of time that can be wasted playing it. It has many endearing features that you might enjoy, but in the same respect some you may feel lack polish.

    Pro's

    Good track laying system
    Reasonably well polished UI
    Decent difficulty level build from one scenario to the next
    Many scenarios
    Many game modes
    Simple tracks laying for beginners
    Complex track system for the more capable
    Many pre scenario configurations to increase replayability
    Hopefully a Good workshop support ethic (expected first day)
    Lots of maps with some unique challenges
    Weather that affects trains :)
    Good challenging AI (when playing in simple track mode - Also a con)

    Con's

    Poor UI for mangement of trains
    Poor demand information, can easily be mis-read
    Signalling can be very confusing to begin with
    Trains go to a specific platform
    Trains will not choose empty platforms, you must micro manage
    Trains will use shortest route, even if it's blocked
    Waypoint system, not very well explained or easy to use.
    No cross junctions - building bridges over your own track?
    AI uses simple track even when you choose complex
    Stock exchange is very limited in options
    Buying stock appears to be a huge money sink unless you buyout the competition (no dividends)
    Must use dirty tricks to restrict the AI from expanding way too quickly mid game.

    The game feels and looks really nice at first impressions. The UI looks welcoming and the options for starting scenarios etc are really clean and nice. The team behind the game have taken some advice and requests onboard for the game during the beta, like adding the option to choose a pause function before you start playing.

    The difficulty against the AI can however be a bit of a mixed bag. If you try the game using the simple track system you will find it easy and relatively fun to compete against the AI. The AI is quite adept at using this track mode and ultimately gives you the most balanced game play available in this title.

    However

    If you choose to use the complex track system you will get the highest and frankly best sense of achievement once you have several trains all servicing a couple of cities and several resources. The signalling system once you have the hang of the nuances used within the game will be quite rewarding, although it doesn't jump straight out at you how to use it properly.

    The warehousing system which set this title apart from many others is a nice addition, although it does have the potential to increase your costs considerably. Especially as there is currently only one warehouse size available, which makes it not a viable option for areas with only 1 or 2 resources.

    A Typical Game on Complex track

    You spend a consideral sum of cash developing your stations, tracks which you will have several. Siding to allow your trains to pass eachother, with signalling that can be quite complex to get to work. Upgrades for workshops and water towers added to the track in strategic locations.

    You finally have 10 trains servicing 3 cities and 4 resources. It all running smoothly and you are making a good income. You decide to take a look at your company value and you are 3rd... you take a look at company in first place.

    The AI has 1 track servicing 5 cities and 7 resources, with 19 trains. these trains seem to plough on regardless and stack in stations till they empty and move on. They never seem to break down, they never stop for another train, they all use a single platform.

    BUT that's OK They had to spend more cash building their track, so it's fair. (sarcasm) Essentially the AI is set to cheat it's way through the game, unless you use under handed tactics you potentially will be bought out by them for no reason other than you cant compete with them after they get to a certain critical threshold of trains and stations. The only way to combat them is to gimp them using mechanics of the game. Placing 2 stations in every city instead of one large station. As any area you are able to build a station has a maximum allowance of 2 stations. Buy them out early on, and then play the rest of the game in peace, why bother starting the game with AI in the first place? Which brings us to the stock exchange, what is the point? buy the AI out straight away or dont bother, you can't protect your own interest in your own company. Investing capital in the opposition is like throwing money away, they don't pay dividends or interest, so until you complete the take over, its dead money. Once you do take the AI over, because they were using the simple track mode, their network is pretty much useless, and sometimes trying to follow what they had setup to make it complex compatible is so confusing, it's just easier to delete Con't Steam store page. http://steamcommunity.com/id/gungy/recommended/503940/ Critic tries to troll me in comments for not giving a 90% like he did.    … Expand
  5. Rrichard
    Jan 30, 2018
    5
    I would rather play Railroad Tycoon 3, as outdated as it is, than this. That game had sensible controls and user interface, and huge scenario maps allowing you to build across the USA, UK, EU etc. from the earliest ages to the modern age.

    The Railroad Empire UI looks like something out of a mobile game, completely misplaced for a train simulator. The art director should be disciplined.    I would rather play Railroad Tycoon 3, as outdated as it is, than this. That game had sensible controls and user interface, and huge scenario maps allowing you to build across the USA, UK, EU etc. from the earliest ages to the modern age.

    The Railroad Empire UI looks like something out of a mobile game, completely misplaced for a train simulator. The art director should be disciplined.

    The controls are confusing. Multiple buttons do the same thing, and multiple clicks are required to sift through to the information you need. UI seems optimised for a console TV screen, not a PC monitor.

    Its a shame because the 3D graphics are great, the game runs well, the track construction capability is great, but the layers on top of that are really sub-par.

    The voice actors playing 19th American businessman at the start of the game also clearly does not speak English natively. Seems a weird thing to cheap out on, given its your first introduction to the game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. The Games Machine
    Aug 9, 2020
    80
    Railway Empire is already a well crafted railway management game, however this Complete Collection brings all the additional content in a single package.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 24, 2018
    80
    Railway Empire follows the footsteps of Railroad Tycoon and also adds a new content with fresh new ideas –all packed in a comprehensible way and elegant style. [Issue#283]
  3. Games.cz
    Apr 24, 2018
    70
    An entertaining tycoon which has a trouble with the confused build-up and, above all, the confusing interface, which come up especially in later stages of the game. But its core is incredibly entertaining and carefully tuned.
    Read full review
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