A Big Improvement (Railroad Tycoon 2 (PC))

Member Name: MBennett

Product:	Railroad Tycoon 2 (PC)
Date:	29/09/00 (116 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great gameplay, good graphics

Disadvantages: Aren't very many

Railroad Tycoon 2 is a big improvement on the original. This is not too difficult to achieve in terms of graphics, because the original was invented when anyone with a 386 processor knew they had the best system around. However, it is amazingly difficult to beat in terms of game play. Chris Sawyer tried his hand at it and produced another (now elderly) brilliant game, (Transport Tycoon) which was a marked improvement on the original. How, then, is it possible to improve upon something which has been developed to such a fine point and improved almost to perfection before you start. The answer is that I don’t know, and I don’t think there is anyone who does. Not that this matters, because developers PopTop Software have done so in a remarkable way.

The game casts you as one of a selection of different tycoons, all competing to become the richest in the world. You have to create your railroad from only a small amount of money provided by some initial investors (who, by the way, will always be on your back, making sure you invest their money wisely.) You build two connecting stations (complete with the necessary improvements), build connecting track, construct a train and you are off. You then have to expand upon this, by means of building further stations, track and trains and by financial trickery in order to increase your company’s wealth (and also your personal wealth.)

Dealing with finances in Railroad Tycoon (selling/ buying stocks/shares etc.) is not all that different form real life. Various things will influence your share prices, like you buying a lot at once to make them suddenly worth more, recessions, bankruptcy and also your competitors. Your goal on each map is to get a gold medal, which you do by completing certain objectives given in a short briefing at the end of each scenario. You get a bronze medal for completing certain objectives, a silver for completing more difficult objectives, and a gold by completing stil
l more difficult objectives.

The game comes with fifteen or so missions in the form of a campaign, and you have to complete them one after another. Actually, this is not strictly true, because you can begin a mission and then resign, which allows you to keep skipping the missions and follow the storyline. This, however, is not to be recommended as it spoils the storyline for the rest of the campaign. You can also relay missions if you think you can improve your score and possibly get a better medal. The game also comes with a set of stand-alone scenarios, most of which have been adapted from the campaign. You can play these in any order you wish, and you don’t have to bother with them at all if you would rather concentrate on the campaign.

This game is great, and it also comes with an add-on pack (which, I am led to believe, enhances the game even more, although I have not purchased it.) It does have a few flaws, but mentioning them here would just waste space, as this game is great anyway. I would certainly recommend this to some one else, as long as they liked this kind of game. If you do not like this genre, then you will probably not like this game, but that really only applies to a few people. Buy this game and become the greatest railroad tycoon ever.

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