RTC Number 3 (Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (PC))

Member Name: boredindunoon

Product:	Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (PC)
Date:	04/01/09 (190 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hour Of Fun, Amazing Graphics, Huge Variety Of Rides.

Disadvantages: Can't Build Underground Without The Update, Can Seem Difficult With So Much To Manage.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a simulation game that lets you build and control your own theme park from the comfort of your home computer. This is the third game in the series and is without doubt the best, offering a massive range of new rides, overhauled graphics, and new features.

You are in complete control of every little detail. From choosing the rides you want to build, to designing and building your own custom coasters, to managing your staff, choosing advertisement campaigns, keeping up with maintenance, and so fourth. At your command is a immense selection of roller coasters (steel, wooden, suspended, and water,) junior rides, thrill rides, water rides, gentle rides, transport rides, a range of shops and facilities (such as first aid and toilets) and various other rides and attractions. Also available is a wide selection of scenery. Not to forget the brilliant "Fireworks MixMaster" where you can create a stunning firework display synchronized to the music (even your own music if you so desire). You've also got research to 'invent' new rides. The list goes on and on, as there is so much that can be done within the game.

There are a variety of modes for you to choose from. These are tutorial, career, sandbox (a game with no money worries) or custom scenario. The career mode is perhaps the most playable as you advance through various scenario objectives before unlocking and getting the chance to play the latter and more difficult levels.

There's a peep designer (that's rollercoaster tycoon talk for person), a coaster designer and a building designer. The peeps now visit your park in 'family groups' and all have individual tastes when it comes to preferred rides. You can even recreate your own family in the peep editor, which was fun to do.

The graphics really are stunning and very streamlined. You can zoom right in to see the details of your park. They have serious been overhauled, and are a vast improvement on the previous two versions. Night mode is simply stunning to say the least, especially at high quality graphics settings. Normally when a game offers both day and night (such as SimCity), I'll stick to day mode, but in this case night mode really looks amazing, with all your rides and paths lit up with neon effects. I hate to keep going on about the graphics but they really are brilliant. Even watching the trees sway in the wind and watching the reflections in the water, is breath taking.

The CoasterCam is great, as it lets you ride your roller coasters and other park attractions. There is a certain satisfaction in taking the time to build you own ride, being able to ride it, and then watching the peeps in your park ride it, and see what they think of it.

One thing to mention is that you can not build underground like you could in the previous versions of the game, you have to download the update patch which will correct this. While the game interface is well laid out giving you control of everything, it can seem a bit complex if you are not familiar with the RollerCoaster Tycoon world.

There are two expansion packs (to date) for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, these are called "Soaked!" and "Wild!" You can buy the game by itself and have a great time playing it, or you can buy these expansion packs (either separately or bundled with the game) and enjoy even more water rides, coasters, and even animal enclosures. There is also an online community when fellow players can exchange new roller coasters they've designed.

I should point out that it was cheaper for me (at the time) to buy the standard game and then the two expansion packs, than it was to buy the "Deluxe" edition which included them.

There are a few elements such as designing rollercoasters where the learning curve may seem a bit steep. Trying to work out how to do all of those corkscrews, half loops, etc, while still building a fun ride, can seem a bit difficult, but with some time (and with the help of the tutorial) you'll pick it up and it really will be worth it.

Overall, the game is very playable and enjoyable. If you liked the previous RollerCoaster Tycoon games, then you'll love this one as it is a vast improvement, and if you didn't like them, you may still like this one for the same reason. A game for all ages that will provide hours of fun.

(I'm a reviewer on Amazon, and some my reviews are copied from there to dooyoo. Please feel free to check out my Amazon profile under my real name of Mr Andrew M Kerr.)

Summary: Thanks For Reading