Train Frontier Express is a sandbox game which allows you to build a network of train tracks and the surrounding scenery to go with it, then once you have built your world you can take it a train for a spin around it.
There are three sections to the editing side of the game. First is the track editor which is fairly simple to use; place a piece of track to start and then change the direction of the arrow to where you want the next piece to go. Keep repeating this process until you complete the loop and you are good to go. You can be more adventurous by creating junctions to add alternative routes or cross overs. All the connections, bridges and supports are built automatically though there were a few glitches when placing tracks on raised ground, the track would disappear in to the ground and can only be fixed by lowering the ground height a little. Overall the track editor works well for basic designs, you can be up and running within a few moments, the problems arise when you start to get creative with tracks on raised ground.
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The terrain editor allows you to manipulate the terrain by raising or lowering the height. You can go as low as water level or high as a mountain. A flattening tool is also available which allows you to level the surrounding area, useful for placing tracks or structures on. There is a painting tool but I have no idea how to use it (see why later), it seems you can change between snow, grass and farmland ground textures. There were several occasions where my train would refuse to move due to ‘leaves on the track’, in other words something was on the track and I had to remove that piece, clear and flatten the ground then add the track again.
The third mode of the editor allows you to place scenery on the map. There are over 130 pre-built items to choose from including billboards, home, farm, office and factory buildings, road and track signals, electricity pylons, roads and vehicles. The game has a 1950’s theme so the building and vehicle designs takes inspiration from this era. The editor allows you to rotate the items 360 degrees and placed where you want, it is recommended you build in compass points directions as placing fences can be tricky to line up perfectly if you do not. The variety is good enough to create areas without too much repetition; from farm lands, office areas and industrial. Vehicles are static, I wouldn’t have minded seeing moving vehicles or people to give the game a little more life, as it can feel like you are visiting a ghost town.
Once you have created your world you can ride on one of the 10 trains available from old steam trains to more modern electric. Up to 9 carriages can be added and there are 29 designs to choose from. Controlling the train is a daunting at first, I have never drove a train before so I do not know if this is accurate. Basically you have a lever, controlled by the left analogue stick, which decreases or increases the speed by pulling down and up. The right trigger is used as an extra break and the left trigger will toggle the train in to reverse or forward when the train has stopped. I mention the controls here because there are no help or tutorial screens to explain this. A good number of camera views are available, chosen via the D-Pad, and include internal/external engine and carriage views, walking and flying view. The internal views differ depending on the engine and carriage you choose and are fun to experiment with.
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Multiplayer is supported and allows you to join or host a map. The options are somewhat limited, the lack of a server browser means that choosing to Join will put you in a random host. Once joined, it appears to run smooth and you are able to explore either by driving a train or the free roam camera. You are not able to edit the hosts map but you can save a copy to your Xbox to edit later. Despite the game only being available for a day I joined a few hosts and there were already some creative designs which was good to see. I can’t wait to see what they look like further down the line.
The presentation is a mixture of great and poor, the menu design is a little confusing. As mentioned there are no tutorials or in-game help or reference, you are thrown in to the game and have to learn by trial and error. It detracts from the polish as there’s good editor but nothing is explained. The graphics themselves look great, much attention has been put in to the detail of the trains and scenery, though some internal engine and carriage views are a little bland in comparison. The music continues the 1950’s theme from a mellow tune to more up beat rock and roll. Sound effects are sparse with a few engine related noises and ambience provided by birds. I would have liked to have heard a few more noises such as people or vehicle at train stations to bring it more to life.
So to sum everything up. The poor menu design and the lack of attention to tutorials or information can be solved with some trial and error. There are some very annoying glitches and bugs, which is always off-putting and I can’t defend those. I hope the developers continue to work on the game because with improvements we would be looking at a great game. If you enjoy creating worlds and sharing them with others, then Train Frontier Express is worth the ride for 240 :MSPoints:, everyone else may want to wait for an update to address the issues.
You can download the trial version or purchase the full game from the Xbox Marketplace. Visit the homepage at trainfrontier.com.
Game Trailer
A tour of a map I created
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