Bus World
- September 28, 2022
- KishMish Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Bus World" is a passenger transportation game set in diverse locations and time periods. Take on the role of a bus driver in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, 1986, where you'll deliver staff to the Power Plant before the disaster, all while experiencing the atmosphere of Soviet communism. The game strives for realism with accurate maps, photos, and videos of the Chernobyl Zone. Choose from various scenarios or explore the free mode with customizable routes.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of bus driving and disaster scenarios, providing engaging and varied missions that keep players interested.
- The graphics and environment design, particularly in areas like Prypiat, are well-crafted and evoke a sense of nostalgia for players familiar with the 80s.
- Players appreciate the inclusion of manual transmission options, allowing for a more authentic driving experience compared to other bus simulation games.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, resulting in significant frame rate drops and performance issues even on high-end systems.
- Many players find the mission structure frustrating, with some scenarios being overly difficult or requiring repetitive attempts to unlock new content.
- The lack of an auto-save feature means players must restart missions from the beginning after failing, which can be tedious and discouraging.
- story51 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a variety of missions that blend transportation with disaster response, offering players a mix of engaging and challenging scenarios. While some missions are praised for their creativity and excitement, others are criticized for being tedious or frustrating, often leading to repetitive gameplay. Overall, the narrative is seen as fun and interesting, but it suffers from inconsistencies in mission design and difficulty.
“The game provides you with interesting missions instead of just driving from A to B; natural disasters play a big part in the campaign missions, from the Chernobyl incident to typhoons, geysers, and other such incidents.”
“There's relaxed scenarios that let you enjoy the beautifully crafted maps they designed, as well as dangerous, risky, and thrilling missions from volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and radiation!”
“Once you get past the learning curve, the game is amazing and will keep making you crave more and more for most of its missions for how wonderfully they are crafted.”
“Some missions I played, especially in China, can’t be finished. You reach a point where you’ve done everything and you just can’t finish the mission. Then you try for one last time, doing exactly as you did in the last 200 attempts, and suddenly, you pass the mission. Why and how?”
“The missions are hard and kind of gave me anxiety. I wish I could just play the relaxing route, but I can't even play it because I need to solve the missions first.”
“I play 11 events in this game from the start. The game was good really, but after some time, it started to be boring and repetitive. When you must find something in an area, it's not a good mission. Okay, one time, why not? But then the next mission is the same. You must find something in the area. Why?”
- graphics27 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them acceptable or even good, while others criticize them as outdated and reminiscent of games from 2007. Performance issues are noted, particularly on medium settings, with significant frame rate drops reported even on modern hardware. Overall, while the visuals may not be top-tier, they are considered adequate for an indie bus simulator, with some areas showing potential for improvement.
“Awesome game, need to nerf the settings a bit but managed pretty stable fps and nice visuals.”
“The graphics are good and lots to see.”
“Graphics are great, although bus cab interiors could use some improvement.”
“The graphics are worse than what appears in the pictures.”
“Not recommended; the graphics are like 2007 era game graphics and need too much improvement.”
“The graphics are a misunderstanding, a combination of what we had 2 decades ago with an attempt to make it nicer, and it turned out ... well, poorly.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 58 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting poor performance even on high-end graphics cards, such as the RTX 3060 and 4060, often struggling to maintain 60fps. Despite some improvements in map optimization, many users feel the game is not well-optimized overall and express hope for future performance enhancements.
“GPU usage is not always at 100%; this map is kind of optimized compared to the first map.”
“The game has a lot of potential, and I look forward to improvements, especially optimizations.”
“Good game, but it needs to be optimized.”
“Poor performance on medium graphics: 36-50 fps (RTX 3060).”
“It is so bad in terms of performance; my PC can run Forza Horizon 5 at extreme maxed out with 8x MSAA with over 100 fps at 1080p, meanwhile this game barely runs over 60 and often drops to as low as 40.”
“Despite those graphics optimizations, it sucks even with a 4060 graphics card.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a standout feature, offering unique and fun scenarios that effectively balance challenging mechanics with enjoyment, particularly in the bus genre. While the vehicle controls may feel cumbersome initially, players are encouraged to embrace the learning curve for a more rewarding experience. Casual players are likely to find it enjoyable, though hardcore driving simulation fans might have mixed feelings due to the game's distinct mechanics.
“Overall, I'd still recommend the game; it's been a blast so far, especially the free mode gameplay.”
“Love the game, definitely fun and worth it; its unique premise of disasters and challenging scenarios makes it one of a kind in the bus genre, while also balancing mechanics to ensure fun.”
“Vehicle mechanics are cumbersome.”
“I'd say it takes a few hours to get the hang of its controls. Casual players may have fun, but hardcore driving sim gamers may not like it as much, as they often prefer games with mainstream titles and familiar physics.”
“The gameplay... this is where it really shines!”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's music is praised for its fitting and atmospheric tracks that enhance specific moments, with the mission soundtracks receiving particular acclaim. However, players express a desire for an in-game radio station to allow for more continuous enjoyment of the incorporated soundtracks during free roam.
“The game has specific moments when it plays songs that are very fitting.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by the music that suddenly started playing, which truly added to the atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack in missions is quite great, though I would love an in-game radio station covering the soundtracks incorporated in the scenarios to be played during free roam.”
“The game has specific moments when it plays some songs that are very fitting.”
“I was also positively surprised by the music that suddenly started playing, which actually did add to the atmosphere.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences notable stability issues, including glitches, freezes, and crashes, particularly during critical moments. While players acknowledge these bugs as typical for early access titles, they express optimism for improvements, citing the game's fun and unique concept as reasons for continued support.
“It just glitches at the worst possible moments. I will keep supporting it though because it's fun!”
“Kinda buggy though (freezes, crashes). If that can get fixed, the game has great potential.”
“A few bugs and freezes here and there.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that while some missions in simulation games can be enjoyable, others often feel tedious and frustrating, leading to a mixed experience with grinding elements. Specific missions, like the Chernobyl mission 3, are frequently cited as particularly unengaging.
“Some of the missions are fun, others are tedious or frustrating.”
“For example, the Chernobyl mission 3 was tedious and completely not fun.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its music, which positively contributes to the overall experience. However, some users feel that it lacks the immersive qualities found in other titles that effectively capture specific environments, such as Chernobyl in Metro 2033 or driving in OMSI 2.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the music that suddenly started playing, which truly enhanced the atmosphere.”
“If I want to experience the Chernobyl atmosphere, I will play Metro 2033. If I want to experience driving, I will play OMSI 2 or The Bus, but this game has none of these experiences.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the emotional impact of the game's design, particularly the authentic portrayal of the countryside in Prypiat, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and realism. The attention to detail, from the green fences to the rough roads, enhances the immersive experience, making players feel a deep connection to the environment.
“The way they designed the countryside in Pripyat was fabulous and amazing. The green fences surrounding the houses, the horrible roads that keep your head touching the bus ceiling, and the bus stops that appear from nowhere create a deeply immersive experience. Some may think it’s the developers’ fault, but in reality, it’s exactly as it looks in the game.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the humor in the game, noting that even the bugs encountered during early access have provided comedic moments, enhancing the overall experience without being detrimental to gameplay.
“The humor in this game is spot on; it had me laughing out loud at the clever dialogue and funny situations.”
“I love how the game incorporates humor into its gameplay; it keeps things light-hearted and enjoyable.”
“The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions make every moment in the game a joy to experience.”
