So you want to be a virtual bus driver, eh? Well, kid, this job ain’t for the weak. Your Mario Kart experience won’t help you here, because now you’re behind the wheel of a real vehicle. There are road rules to obey, passengers to pick up, a strict timetable to adhere to… this is one of the toughest jobs in the world. Do you have what it takes, chump?
If there were a gruff, bearded bloke in charge of vetting players before they decide to tackle not one, but two bus simulators simultaneously, that’s what I imagine he’d say. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), there isn’t, so I downloaded both The Bus and Bus Bound, while staring longingly at the Bus Simulator 27 Steam page, and away I went.
First things first: it’s a great year to drive a bus, at least from the comfort of your own home. (I cannot speak on the bus driving economy in real life, I’m afraid.) The Bus, developed by TML-Studios and published by Aerosoft, the studio responsible for niche simulation games like Fernbus Coach Simulator and Forklift Simulator, saw its full release in March, after five years in early access.
Stillalive Studios’s Bus Bound, was released back in April. The studio had previously released Bus Simulator 16, 18, and 21, but Bus Simulator 27 — slated for release later this year — comes from Simteract, who have both previously worked on Train Life and Taxi Life. Essentially, there’s some serious simulation pedigree behind all three games.
But which is worth your time? I’ve spent more time than any one person should ferrying passengers all over a fantastic Berlin recreation in The Bus, and periodically swapping the German streets for the fictional American city of Emberville in Bus Bound, to compare the two, not to mention factoring in what we know so far about Bus Simulator 27.
Both games let you live out your wildest bus driving dreams, but Bus Bound is much more arcade-like than The Bus. Emberville is a city where all bus travel is free (or every passenger has a bus pass, I guess), which means you don’t need to deal with fares or tickets. Rather than earning cold hard cash, you’re simply given an approval rating from each passenger.
The more thumbs-ups you earn, which depends on how many passengers board and alight your majestic steed at each stop, the more stops and route options you unlock. Impress the passengers with your driving — stopping at stop signs, navigating around obstacles, and slowing down for speed bumps — to increase your approval multiplier. Eventually, when you’ve earned enough approval in a district, the town will transform, with new landmarks, more passengers, and additional roads to drive down.
The Bus is much more of a typical simulation. In “Economy” mode, essentially the only mode with progression, you start with some cash, a tiny depot, and a dream. Once you buy your first vehicle, you can accept individual jobs, with a goal of building the reputation of your transit company. You’ll also need to earn as much as possible, because eventually, you’ll be the CEO of your own bus empire.
