Train Valley: Console Edition

Genre: Management Simulation / Arcade

Players: 1

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Review:

Train Valley, first released on PC in 2015 and ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2022, is a game that mixes Management Simulation elements with Arcade-style elements, where players must manage their funds and build train tracks connecting various train stations, and must also manage and direct traffic on those railways to get as many trains as possible to their destination within a limited time.

Train Valley uses 3D visuals, though it’s so zoomed out from things that it would be easy to mistake them for flat 2D visuals. Suffice it to say, the visuals are not very impressive. This is all backed by a relaxed synthesized soundtrack that leans into the game’s Management Simulation elements.

The freedom to build your own tracks wherever you want is somewhat liberating, meaning that ideally you’ll be able to create the most efficient pathways for getting all of your trains to their proper destinations… though of course, the opposite is true too – if you end up with a mess of spaghetti that makes it a nightmare to sort out what trains are going where, you only have yourself to blame. I really like the way this game uses the mechanics of Management Simulations with a style of gameplay you typically see in more Arcade-style games, it really makes this fairly unique within both genres.

What i don’t like here are the controls, which are just plain awful. It doesn’t help that the controls are needlessly confusing, but even once you’ve gotten a better understanding for them, they still feel stiff and clunky and make it far too difficult to do the simplest things. I do nut understand why this game doesn’t allow players to just freely move a cursor to objects they want to interact with, and trying to page through all the different options when selecting a junction to switch can be a nightmare.

In theory, the touchscreen controls would alleviate this issue, and this game does support the use of a touchscreen, but the touchscreen controls are also needlessly confusing to the point where I gave up on them and decided to just put up with the terrible gamepad controls instead.

It’s a real shame that the controls in the Nintendo Switch version of Train Valley are so terrible, because if that wasn’t the case this would be a delightful blending of Management Simulation and Arcade genres. As it is, this is a game that would be difficult for me to recommend, and I feel that only those with the most patience will be able to appreciate it.

tl;dr – Train Valley is a game that mixes Management Simulation elements with Arcade-style elements. This game design is fairly unique and charming. However, it’s ruined by absolutely atrocious controls that make it a pain to do what you want in the game. Unless you have a great deal of patience, you’re probably better off skipping this one.

Grade: C-

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