Lionel City Builder 3D: Rise of the Rails

Genre: Simulation

Players: 1

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Review:

Lionel City Builder 3D, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2016, is a Simulation game that probably isn’t the sort of game you picture when you see a game with “City Builder” in the title. This isn’t a Management Simulation where you build a city and try to balance different needs and resources, a la Sim City or Cities: Skylines. Rather, this is a game that combines only the lightest, most minimal elements of that sort of game with a train-operating Simulation

The presentation here isn’t very good. Simple 3D models for your train and buildings line a largely flat and featureless landscape bordered by an unconvincing texture intended to imply a world beyond the bounds of the map you’re in but doing a poor job of it. This is paired with passable but not especially great sounds for the train, and only occasional forgettable music.

When it comes to the gameplay, I can’t help but feel that in trying to be both a city Simulation and a train-operating Simulation, this game does neither of these things well. Operating the train is boring, slow-paced, and provides little gameplay variety. Meanwhile, the city Simulation elements, borrowed from the developer’s earlier game Coaster Creator 3D, seem to have the intention of having a more complex game, with meters showing how well people are served in different needs… but there’s no requirement to meet those needs, no real gameplay element here – you might as well be constructing a toy model for all the gameplay present here.

I suppose in that way I can see a very niche audience deriving some fun from Lionel City Builder – build yourself a little city and ride around in it in your train. However, even there the game falls somewhat flat, not giving players adequate camera control options. And regardless, the unimpressive visuals mean that the visceral thrill of this experience will be minimal.

Lionel City Builder just isn’t a fun game, no matter which way you look at it. It doesn’t have enough “management” to qualify as a city-building Management Simulator, and it doesn’t provide an engaging visceral experience as a train-operating Simulator. Neither mode has enough depth to keep players engaged for long. No matter what you’re looking for in this game, I think you’ll be disappointed.

tl;dr – Lionel City Builder 3D is a train operating Simulation game with some very light city-building Management Simulation elements. Nothing here is very deep or engaging, no matter what type of game you’re looking for here. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

Grade: D+

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