User Reviews (1 - 11 of 24)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

No Steps Forward

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am a longtime fan of Transport Tycoon Deluxe, and I must say I am disappointed in this supposed sequel. It offers absolutely nothing that TTD doesn't have and in at least one way (i.e., the way of building tracks and roads) is a very frustrating step back. If you have TTD, don't even consider this. Instead look at openTTD, a free game (you must have the TTD for windows disk to install). If you don't have TTD and can't get it, I guess you won't know what you are missing, so I suppose you can get Locomotion. But if you fall into this category, and you find yourself playing locomotion and saying, "Why didn't the programmer do it this way?" know that the answer is he did do it that way, 10 years ago. This is a downgrade from TTD and I will never play this game as long as I have openTTD. A clear lack of effort on the part of Chris Sawyer.

Don't bother

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: January 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I was a Transport Tycoon addict. I used to play the game for more than 10 hours a weekday, and even more in weekends. This game is by no means a sequel to TT. I didn't take the 1 star advices posted here before I buy this game and now I realize I wasted my money. Just don't waste your money and keep away. Buy something better or save it.

Very Derivative

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 18
Date: August 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game offers almost nothing beyond what "Transport Tycoon" had. There are no VR effects, few changes to the economic engine, and it's buggy as heck.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

A real disapointment

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: September 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game based on Chris Sawyers reputation and my enjoyment of games of this type, but when I installed it I was stunned. This game uses the exact same graphics engine as Rollercoaster Tycoon 1! A lot of people didn't like the fact that Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 used the same graphics as the first one, but here we are years later in a totally different game and it's still the same. The interface worked well for Rollercoaster Tycoon, but I didn't find conducive to this game at all. This game could have taken a lot of pointers from Railroad Tycoon 3. Chris Sawyer makes good games, but he really needs to modernize his efforts.

Disappointment

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As a strategy fan, I can generally accept a clunky interface and sub-standard graphics, but in this case they've ruined the game for me. Laying track/roads is very cumbersome and maddening. Routing is no picnic either.

There is probably great gameplay buried in the game but the poor graphics and construction hassles will prevent me from ever finding it. It is a shame that Chris Sawyer chose to use an outdated game engine for this effort - the door is still wide open for a competitor to create a strong transportation simulation.

I strongly recommend downloading the demo before purchase. Not doing so cost me $25.

why have you failed us, chris?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Unfortunately, this game isn't at all original, and is actually a backwards step in some regards, compared to Transport Tycoon. I can't believe so little changed in 10 years.

Fun, but not for all Rollercoaster Tycoon Fans

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 31 / 36
Date: September 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is fun, but it's not for everyone the way Rollercoaster Tycoon was (heck, my sister, middle aged like me, played RCT, and she plays very few games of any kind). Locomotion has a simple premise, but it's tougher to get a handle on the game's mechanics than was true in Rollercoaster Tycoon.

The interface is very similar to RCT/RCT2. Laying tracks is very much like making queue lines in the RCT games. Unfortunately, making queue lines was never the strong point of RCT, since the four view choices can leave you with no way to "see" the spot you need to see. Also, having train tracks cross each other is a bit clunky, and getting cargo to industries that use it is tough to time just right. If one needed cargo arrives in a different month than the other needed cargo (e.g. ore and coal arrive in different months), then nothing will ever be made. The first cargo disappears before the second arrives.

It's also not clear how you can make money (hint: go for passengers, not cargo). So you can easily spend all your money making, say, a cargo ship system, and find that you're never going to do well.

Still, the game is simple to jump into for older gamers. Laying track is simple, and other vehicles are even easier. It's getting these to mesh that gets harder. There's a good deal of planning that has to be done in your head to get a good system up and running. Where RCT would tolerate my ten year old's complex queue lines, Locomotion would leave her frustrated.

If you're looking for a simple, fun game, Locomotion is fine for teenagers and other gamers with a good deal of experience. The graphics are functional and don't add or detract from the game. The interface will be simple to pick up for anyone who played RCT, and not too tough for others. The tutorial helps alot with the basics. One big improvement over RCT: you can speed up time (3x or 9x)! I wish I'd had that in RCT.

However, the fun factor is no where near as high as RCT, the graphics will disappoint most who have played Railroad Tycoon 3, and the city-building won't match SimCity4.

You'll have fun with this game, but you're not going to wear it out in the way Chris Sawyer fans like me had hoped.

Mixed Impressions

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: September 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you like trains, you'll probably like this game.

If you liked Transport Tycoon, or Railroad Tycoon (and don't value graphics too much) you'll probably like this game.

If you liked Rollercoaster Tycoon (it uses the same game engine), you might like this game depending on how much you like trains. But, the same charm is there (although you may miss the peeps), so you'll probably like this game too.

If you like strategy games in general (but, not for the eye candy - are you sensing a theme here?), you'll probably like this game.

In fact, this game has a very likeable quality to it. And, the price seems right. Bottom line: it's a good game for the price.

So, why the lower scores? It's not a great game.

Of course, I must point out that the game's graphics are quite simple and seem dated. The sound is nice, however. Normally this doesn't bother me in the slightest way. In fact, I still enjoy the game's predecessor Transport Tycoon, which is ten years old. But, the game itself seems to be lacking depth. Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of things you can do in the game as far as building goes (although since the game is based on the Rollercoaster Tycoon engine, your game world tend to look like giant rollercoasters, especially where the AI is concerned - a little unrealistic). But, all the other neat things that COULD have been there, AREN'T. Basically, the game seems simplified. Of course, this can be a good thing, but I don't think it works well here considering the (supposed) scope of the game (being a global transport mogul), and the intended audience of the game.

So, we have a simplistic game with dated graphics. Herein lies the problem. Most gamers that want an in-depth strategy game can certainly forgive bad graphics as long as the depth and "thinking" is there. And most gamers that want cool new graphics can forgive bad story, depth, etc. So, where does this leave "Locomotion?" At the middle of the road, not really fully satisfying anyone in particular. Like I said above, the game will appeal to certain folks. But, I don't see the long-lasting play value that more in-depth strategy games have. Like I said, it's a good game for the price since you'll probably get addicted and build to your heart's content for a while, but it will likely leave you wanting more depth after you've scratched this surface.

A Disappointment, sadly.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I bought this because I was a long-time fan of Transport Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe, and I was thrilled to see an updated version of these classic games. Unfortunately, Locomotion fails to live up to the high standard of gameplay set by TTD. Granted, the graphics are much better, and the road and rail networks can be more complex, but the game still disappoints on a few levels.
1. I have trouble laying railroads that work. Somehow, I'll put track together that looks like it matches, but the trains can't negotiate it. If I want that kind of frustration, I'll go back to my HO trains.
2. The low-point of the original Transport Tycoon, and TTD, was the seriously brain-damaged Artificial Intelligence. The Computer players would level mountains and lay hundreds of squares of track to connect stations 5 squares apart. The computer players in Locomotion are nearly as bad.
3. The game does not have a sandbox mode. I still regularly play TTD because it allows you to generate a new, random scenario every time. This freedom means that the game always has something new to try. Locomotion locks you into certain pre-made worlds, with pre-determined goals to fulfill. I got bored with it very quickly.
So, in conclusion, I suggest that you dust off your old TTD cd, and get a copy of the TTDpatch to allow it to run on Windows 2000 or XP, and play that, rather than buying Locomotion.

Good When It Works

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: August 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I became addicted to Locomotion, with a few reservations. But it suddenly stopped working (Problem with Loco.exe, contact Microsoft). Bought a second, after installation had problems then stopped working. Tech support has no idea about the cause. I wonder how many buyers have this problem (which showed up after MS-XP upgrade was installed)? It seems to be a rental program, works for a while then needs a new copy. Save your money.

Review Page: 1 2 3 Next 

Actions