Bus Simulator

Bus Simulator is honestly more entertaining than I thought it would be. Driving a bus, picking up passengers, and ensuring you give them the correct change may not be as thrilling as traversing planet Pandora in search of loot in Borderlands 3, or surviving Hell on Earth in the upcoming Doom Eternal, but Bus Simulator is an immersive experience that I can see myself revisiting on a rainy day.

There’s a calming sense of satisfaction to be had from Bus Simulator, though you’ll have to work for it. This is the very definition of a slow burner - it’s deliberately repetitive in a way that will irk most gamers, yet caters perfectly to a specific niche.

Bus Simulator takes the bus driving experience and presents it warts and all. At times, it's relaxing and satisfying to have a smooth journey, at others, it's a drudge to be caught in traffic. The career operates at a slow pace and, whilst short, your objectives all become very similar. Technically, the game struggles to stay smooth but there's a novel multiplayer on display that might provide longevity for fans.

A curiously compelling gameplay loop makes Bus Simulator much more entertaining than it has any right to be. The presentation is poor, but the act of actually picking up passengers and taking them to A-to-B in an expanding open world is moreish, and the title has a self-aware sense of humour that’s easy to appreciate.