Bus Driver
- June 3, 2014
- SCS Software
- 40h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple StoreIn Bus Driver, you transport passengers around a detailed city while adhering to traffic rules and schedules. With 12 unique buses, 30 routes, and varying weather conditions, the game offers a realistic and immersive bus driving experience. Its sophisticated traffic rules and multiple duties add to the replayability, making it a unique driving game.
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Mac OS
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Windows
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Reviews
- Nostalgic gameplay that brings back childhood memories for many players.
- Simple and fun mechanics that make it easy to pick up and play.
- Variety of buses and routes, providing a decent amount of content for casual gaming.
- Outdated graphics and clunky controls that can frustrate players.
- Strict traffic rules and penalties that can feel overly punishing.
- Repetitive gameplay with limited replay value once missions are completed.
- graphics175 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, released in 2007, are widely regarded as dated and simplistic, often described as reminiscent of early 2000s visuals or even PS2-era graphics. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and find the graphics acceptable for its age, many criticize them for being generic, buggy, and lacking detail. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not impress modern gamers, they do not detract significantly from the enjoyable gameplay experience.
“The graphics still hold up in certain aspects to this day, although the game came out in 2007.”
“The game offers some nice graphics which is pleasant all the same and has some nice attention to detail even though it is a little rough around the edges.”
“The graphics, bearing in mind the age of the game, are excellent.”
“The game’s graphics have frequent bugs, pop-in effects, and bad optimization/slight slowdowns and subtle stutters for no good reason.”
“The graphics are bright but also incredibly boring and generic.”
“This game's GUI and graphics are astonishingly horrible for a 2007 game, but controls are pretty simple.”
- story130 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily consisting of brief mission descriptions that set the scene for the player's role as a bus driver, such as weather conditions and schedules. While there are 36 missions across six tiers, the repetitive nature of the gameplay and lack of significant narrative depth can lead to boredom after a while. In contrast, some players appreciate the variety of missions, particularly the unique prison bus scenarios, but overall, the story aspect is not a strong focus in the game.
“As for the story, it is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7, and these two games form kind of a substory in the RE universe, but it does also tie into the rest of the RE story in a quite surprising way.”
“And I have to say it definitely is the best story a RE game has ever seen, by far.”
“Each mission has a description to the current situation as a bus driver - be it about the rainy weather or the tight schedule. It was nice to get some brief detail of what to expect and immerse myself in the driver's situation.”
“After 8 missions in, I felt bored because it's repetitive driving with almost no obstacles to keep me alert.”
“There’s also no mission which requires you to complete more than a single circuit around a route.”
“Bus driver only offered 6 tiers with 6 missions in each tier.”
- gameplay90 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this bus driving simulator is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its simple mechanics and rewarding challenges, while others criticize its clunky controls and frustrating interface. Many appreciate the nostalgic feel and relaxed nature of the gameplay, though some find it lacking in depth and realism. Overall, it offers a casual experience that may appeal to fans of the genre, especially if purchased on sale.
“The mechanics are solid and the progression gives you a good sense of satisfaction at the end.”
“I gave this game a thumbs up because it contains a rather interesting and unique approach to bus driving games which provides relaxed gameplay while also giving the player the challenge to get a score as high as possible once the final destination has been reached.”
“The gameplay is challenging but rewarding.”
“The gameplay is mundane with wonky controls and a clunky interface.”
“Camera views on the buses are horrible, visibility overall is a pain, gameplay isn't fun at all and it doesn't deserve the name: simulator.”
“The game physics are pretty bad and just the overall gameplay is not fantastic and not especially fun to play.”
- music64 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's music primarily consists of a single catchy menu theme that evokes nostalgia for many players, often described as memorable and emotionally impactful. While some users note the lack of in-game music during bus driving, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack, despite its simplicity, enhances the experience and remains enjoyable over time. However, opinions vary, with some finding the music annoying or repetitive, while others appreciate its charm and fitting ambiance.
“The soundtrack still holds up and it is overall a pretty simple game to learn and master.”
“A 2007 game about realistic bus driving has one of the best theme songs/menu songs ever made.”
“I remember playing this game every morning before going to school when I was very, very young... I'll never forget the music. This game will always have a special place in my heart.”
“This game has only 1 song; the song which plays in the menus.”
“No music plays when driving the bus.”
“I play this every now and then, but not for long, it's not a good game and oh god every time I launch this the music haunts me.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it generally runs stable and is well-optimized with good controls, players report frequent graphical bugs, pop-in effects, and occasional lags that detract from the experience. Additionally, the lack of customization options and a workshop feature limits replayability, although external resources can enhance gameplay.
“Like most SCS games, it runs stable, is optimized properly, has great controls, and generally does great at what it's intended for, even if it lacks certain gameplay aspects.”
“Your performance can either earn you points or have points deducted from your total.”
“The game itself is not so addictive when you have finished the integrated levels and there's no way for customizations, but there are lots of resources on the web which can bring more fun, like vehicles, maps, vehicle performance, etc.”
“The game’s graphics have frequent bugs, pop-in effects, and poor optimization, resulting in slight slowdowns and subtle stutters for no good reason.”
“Poor performance is evident with occasional lags for no reason.”
“The game suffers from frequent bugs and bad optimization, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its lack of a definitive ending, encouraging players to revisit routes to improve their scores and complete challenges. Unlockable rewards and the competitive aspect of beating previous scores further enhance the incentive to replay, making it an engaging experience overall.
“There's also tons of replay value here with challenges and many unlockable rewards, that will give you reason to go through the game over and over again.”
“Scores are calculated for each route, so there is replayability in trying to best your previous score.”
“Overall, this is a great game with great replayability.”
“No real ending, and beyond competing with someone else for a higher score on a given route, there’s no replay value.”
“Has slight replayability to try and go for higher scores.”
“This creates the replayability: once you have done a route, you want to redo it, but without mistakes this time!”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is significantly compromised by frequent freezing, particularly when alt-tabbing from fullscreen, and erratic physics that fail on snow and tight curves, leading to loss of control. Additionally, players report various glitches, including incorrect lane detection and scoring issues that fail to register actions properly, detracting from the overall experience.
“The physics sort of give up on snow and on tight curves, and the game freezes at random, meaning you often just slide into other lanes and traffic with no control over it.”
“There are also obnoxious glitches, like where it'll tell you you're out of your lane on a curve even though you're not.”
“The game freezes if you alt-tab from fullscreen.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is consistently described as humorous, featuring simple graphics and easy controls that enhance its comedic elements. Players find amusement in the reactions of passengers, particularly when they crash, leading to funny screams and overall lighthearted gameplay.
“It's a funny little arcade game.”
“Easy controls and funny!”
“This game is fun because if you crash, people scream—it's funny!”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic amount of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on the aesthetic elements like cute billboards and appealing textures. As such, there is no clear information regarding the game's monetization strategy or practices.
