Bus Simulator 18

Bus Simulator 18 (also known as Bus Simulator on consoles) is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and was initially available on the 13th of June 2018 worldwide. It is the fifth game in the Bus Simulator franchise and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 16. A sequel titled Bus Simulator 21 was released in 2021.[1]

Bus Simulator 18
Cover art of Bus Simulator featuring an articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro bus
Developer(s)Stillalive Studios
Publisher(s)Astragon Entertainment
SeriesBus Simulator
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Microsoft Windows
  • 13 June 2018
  • PlayStation 4
  • 17 September 2019
  • Xbox One
  • 16 September 2019
Genre(s)Vehicle simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay
An in-game screenshot from the cockpit camera of a MAN Lion's City on a rainy day.

Bus Simulator 18 features a sizable map of fictional modern city Seaside Valley, consisting of twelve districts, which is 2.5 times bigger than Bus Simulator 16.[2] The game allows players to drive eight licensed vehicles from four different bus manufacturers including Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, and Setra ranging from low-floor buses to articulated buses.[3] Like its predecessor, the game also uses a procedural generation system that requires players to complete different missions to unlock new districts. Management-wise, players are able to create their own bus lines, as well as buying, selling and upgrading buses.[4]

Development and release

An in-game trailer was released in May 2018. In comparison to the Unity-based Bus Simulator 16, Bus Simulator 18 is powered by Unreal Engine 4, which shows considerably improved graphics.[2] It was released to Microsoft Windows in June 2018, with modding and multiplayer mode were featured for the first time in the Bus Simulator series.[5] PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were later available in August 2019 titled Bus Simulator.[6] A map expansion downloadable content was released in May 2019.[7]

Reception

Bus Simulator 18 received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[8][9][10]

Chris Jarrard of Shacknews gave a 6 to the game, writing "Bus Simulator 18 is not a game changer and to be honest, it's not the most rewarding experience I've ever had in front of my PC." He had three major issues of the game — a lack of content, multiplayer bugs, and a boring campaign.[12]

Chris O'Connor of Impulse Gamer rated it 4 out of 5. He considered the game to be quite relaxing, but he considered its content not deep enough.[13]

Alec Meer of Rock, Paper, Shotgun enjoyed the atmosphere in the game, which is so great that he even would like to become a bus driver. He says "Bus Simulator 18 leaves me with a deep sympathy for bus drivers and a great terror that I might ever become one."[14]

Andy Kelly of PC Gamer compared the game with the similar-genre video game Euro Truck Simulator 2 of SCS Software, commenting the game maybe not as good as the truck-simulator, but it is full of interaction, which is what the Truck Simulator franchise is missing.[15]

References
  1. Watton, Neil (11 August 2020). "Bus Simulator 21 announced for Xbox One, PS4 and PC". TheXboxHub. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. DaRipp3r (5 June 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 – New & Improved Features Revealed". pixelperfectgaming.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. Tuffcub (25 May 2018). "OMG YASS! Bus Simulator 18 Details Revealed!". thesixthaxis.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. O'Connor, Alice (31 May 2018). "Bus Simulator 18's co-op multiplayer sounds delightful". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. O'Connor, Alice (13 June 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 out now, with mods & multiplayer". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  6. O Donnell, Deirdre (13 June 2018). "Bus Simulator: now for Xbox One and PS4". notebookcheck.net. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  7. O'Connor, Alice (22 May 2019). "Bus Simulator 18 rolling along new roads in map expansion". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  8. "Bus Simulator PC". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  9. "Bus Simulator PlayStation 4". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  10. "Bus Simulator Xbox One". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  11. Fränkel, Harald (15 June 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 im Test - Geldregen am Bus- und Bettag". GameStar (in German). Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. Jarrard, Chris (9 July 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 im Test - Geldregen am Bus- und Bettag". Shacknews (in German). Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  13. O'Connor, Chris (16 June 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 PC Game Review". impulsegamer.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  14. Meer, Alec (19 June 2018). "Wot I Think: Bus Simulator 18". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  15. Andy, Andy (19 June 2018). "Bus Simulator 18 is a surprisingly stressful public transport sim". PC Gamer. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
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