Bus-Simulator 2012

About

Bus-Simulator 2012 is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by TML-Studios and was released on November 22, 2013. It received negative reviews from players.

In Bus-Simulator 2012, players assume the role of a bus driver in a fictional European city, navigating through traffic, picking up and dropping off passengers at various bus stops. The game features an open-world environment, real-time weather changes, and a day-night cycle. The ultimate goal is to successfully operate the bus line while adhering to traffic rules and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

33%

Audience ScoreBased on 382 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

graphics11 negative mentions

The game offers a detailed simulation experience with many functional controls in the bus.
It provides a unique and immersive feeling of being a bus driver in a German city.
The graphics and audio are decent, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.

The controls are overly complicated and not user-friendly, making it difficult to start and operate the bus.
The game suffers from severe performance issues, including lag and crashes, even on capable hardware.
The tutorial is inadequate, leaving players confused about how to progress and complete tasks.

graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
54%
24%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as outdated, poor, and often laggy, even on higher settings. While some players noted decent aspects like night lighting and weather effects, the overall consensus is that the visuals do not meet modern standards and detract from the gameplay experience. Users recommend caution, especially for those expecting high-quality graphics in a simulation game.
- “One thing I will say is that the graphics were very nice and the night lighting was superb.”
- “Graphics were great, and after 3 hours, I did learn how to drive the bus.”
- “I must say, it is one of the best and high graphics games I have ever purchased!”
- “Very poor graphics, keep your money.”
- “The graphics are a disaster; the controls are terrible and the AI are just stupid.”
- “This game is horrible; it lags, it has horrible graphics, don't even think about purchasing it.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting severe bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players describe the experience as frustrating, with issues such as unrealistic driving mechanics and game-breaking glitches that make it feel abandoned. While some find it enjoyable despite these problems, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial patches to improve its stability.
- “Absolutely horrible game even for its time, from how the buses drive down to the buggy mess this game is. This game is absolutely deplorable and all my memories of this game have been negative.”
- “However, there are just way too many bugs and glitches with it; it shouldn't be on Steam honestly.”
- “One of the major issues is how extremely buggy it is.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed to negative feedback, with many users citing significant flaws such as poor controls, unrealistic physics, and frustrating mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's graphics and simulation aspects, the lack of smooth and enjoyable gameplay has led to disappointment, particularly for fans of the genre. Overall, it struggles to meet the standards set by more polished simulation games.
- “Anyone who hasn't spent hours over their lifetime making very tedious and endless adjustments to a game's setup just to get a minimal amount of great gameplay hasn't lived and should buy an Xbox.”
- “But while it delivers on great looks and realistic ideas, it fails to deliver on a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience.”
- “If you get past the initial stage, I'd guess that it has value in the simulator department, but make no mistake, this isn't Euro Truck Simulator 2, which I found was very easy to get into and had a good level of simulator vs intuitive gameplay.”
- “But it's a lousy way to control the gameplay if only by keyboard!”
- “Gameplay sucks; the bus flies up in the air if you crash, and signals don't work with sound sometimes.”
- “I am an avid player of simulation games, particularly bus simulators, and for me, this game just didn't hit the right spots. The graphics were very basic even on high settings, and the overall mechanics of the game were rather poor as well, with the turning sending you 180 degrees into the nearest collidable object.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
18%
64%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant performance issues and bugs regardless of their hardware specifications. While some users report being able to achieve semi-stable performance through trial and error with settings adjustments, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and often frustrating to play.
- “A lot of people have problems with performance and bugs, but with a bit of trial and error and settings adjustments, you can make the game semi-stable on your machine even with low to average hardware.”
- “Admittedly, my specs aren't top notch, but I should be getting better performance than this.”
- “The game runs poorly in terms of optimization and stability... having a big rig does not change anything.”
- “Poorly optimized even though I more than meet recommended specs and run on low settings.”
- “The stuttering lag-lag-lag takes any joy from playing this title.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The reviews indicate a strong sentiment that the game's story is compelling and unique, setting it apart from newer titles that are criticized for lacking depth and meaningful narrative. Players feel that the shift towards simplistic graphics and a focus on story mode detracts from the overall experience, as they believe there isn't a substantial story to support it.
- “Bought for the compelling story.”
- “The new games lack something special that this one has. It's a shame that they went all bubble graphics and story mode when there isn't a story to be told... you're just a driver.”
- “The new games lack something special that this one has. It's a shame that they went all bubble graphics and story mode when there isn't a story to be told... you're just a driver.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently highlight the humor in the experience, describing it as incredibly funny and enjoyable.
- “We found this whole experience incredibly funny.”
- “The humor in this game had us laughing out loud at every turn.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious situations kept us entertained throughout.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the variety of bus routes available, which significantly enhances the game's replayability by offering diverse driving experiences.
- “I love the variety of bus routes available to drive; it adds a lot of replayability to the game.”
- “The numerous challenges and different strategies keep me coming back for more; the replayability is fantastic!”
- “Each playthrough feels unique due to the dynamic events and choices, making the replayability truly impressive.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the thrill and satisfaction players experience when interacting with the environment, such as creating pile-ups and flipping cars with a simple touch, which evokes a sense of chaos and excitement.