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.

Gameplay

''Bus Simulator 18'' features a sizable map of a fictional modern city consisting of twelve districts, which is 2.5 times bigger than ''Bus Simulator 16''. 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. 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.

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. 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. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were later available in August 2019 titled ''Bus Simulator''. A map expansion downloadable content was released in May 2019.

Reception

''Bus Simulator 18'' received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

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.

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.

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."

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.

References

External links

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2018 video games
Bus simulation video games
Bus Simulator
Multiplayer and single-player video games
PlayStation 4 games
Unreal Engine games
Video games developed in Austria
Windows games
Xbox One games
Video game sequels