Bus World

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 258 reviews

story20 positive mentions

optimization14 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of bus driving and disaster scenarios, providing engaging and varied missions that keep players interested.
The countryside design, particularly in Prypiat, is praised for its authenticity and attention to detail, enhancing the immersive experience.
Players appreciate the option to use manual transmission with an H-shifter, which is a rare feature in 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 unlocking system frustrating, as it requires completing unrelated scenarios to progress.
The lack of an auto-save feature means players must restart missions from the beginning if they fail, which can be tedious and discouraging.

story
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
75%
6%
The game's story revolves around engaging missions that involve transporting passengers and responding to disasters, such as natural calamities and historical events like Chernobyl. While some players find the missions challenging and anxiety-inducing, others appreciate the variety and depth of the scenarios, although repetitive tasks can lead to boredom. Overall, the narrative aspect is seen as fun and unique, but it suffers from issues like mission completion bugs and a lack of auto-save features.
- “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 which would let you enjoy the beautifully crafted maps they designed, as well as danger, risky, and thrilling missions from volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and radiation!”
- “The bus feels heavy even on keyboard; the graphics are nice and the story aspect is a lot of fun.”
- “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 auto save doesn’t exist. If for some reason you fail at one point, you have to play the mission from the very beginning.”
- “I play 11 events in this game from the start. The game was good really, but after some time the game starts 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. Fuu, why?”
graphics
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
44%
22%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them acceptable for an indie title, while others criticize them as outdated and reminiscent of games from 2007. Performance issues are noted, with significant frame rate drops even on modern hardware, and many users express a desire for improved visuals and optimization. Overall, while there are moments of decent graphical quality, many feel the game falls short in this aspect.
- “Awesome game, need to nerf the settings a bit but managed pretty stable fps and nice visuals.”
- “Graphics are great, although bus cab interiors could use some improvement.”
- “But overall a fun game and the graphics look great.”
- “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.”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
29%
58%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting poor performance even on medium graphics settings, often dropping to 36-50 fps on capable hardware like the RTX 3060 and 4060. Many users express frustration, noting that their systems can handle more demanding titles at higher settings, indicating significant room for improvement in optimization. Overall, while the game shows potential, it currently suffers from optimization issues that detract from the experience.
- “Gpu usage is not always at 100%, this map is kind of optimized compared to the first map.”
- “Good game but needs to be optimized.”
- “Game has a lot of potential and I look forward to improvements, especially optimizations.”
- “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.”
- “I stopped playing for now until performance is improved.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay is a standout feature, offering unique and challenging scenarios that set it apart in the bus genre, with well-designed mechanics and impressive attention to detail. However, players may find the vehicle controls cumbersome and requiring a learning curve, which could deter hardcore driving sim enthusiasts. Casual players are likely to enjoy the free mode and fun scenarios, but those accustomed to mainstream driving physics might need time to adjust.
- “The gameplay... this is where it really shines!”
- “Love the game, definitely fun and worth it. Its unique pretext of disasters and challenging scenarios makes it one of a kind in the bus genre, balancing mechanics while still being fun.”
- “The mechanics are well-designed, and the attention to detail in terms of bus models and city design is impressive.”
- “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 can be challenging to grasp initially, requiring a significant learning curve for players to fully enjoy the experience.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
63%
The game's music is praised for its fitting and atmospheric tracks that enhance specific moments, particularly during missions. However, players express a desire for an in-game radio station to allow for a more continuous experience of the soundtrack during free roam.
- “I was also positively surprised by the music that suddenly started playing, which actually did add to the atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack in missions is quite great, though I would love some in-game radio station covering the soundtracks that were incorporated in the scenarios to be played during free roam.”
- “The game has specific moments when it plays some songs that are very fitting.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences notable stability issues, including glitches, freezes, and crashes, particularly during critical moments. While players acknowledge these bugs as typical for an early access title, they express optimism for future improvements due to the game's fun and unique concept. Overall, the stability concerns are a significant drawback, but many remain supportive of the game's potential.
- “Kinda buggy though (freezes, crashes). If that can get fixed, the game has great potential.”
- “It just glitches in the worst possible moments. I will keep supporting it though because it's fun!”
- “A few bugs and freezes here and there.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players often find that while some missions in simulation games are enjoyable, others can be tedious and frustrating, leading to a mixed experience with grinding. For instance, specific missions, like the Chernobyl mission 3, are frequently cited as particularly dull and unenjoyable.
- “Some of the missions are fun, others are tedious or frustrating.”
- “For example, the Chernobyl mission 3 was tedious and completely not fun.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its music, which some players found surprising and enjoyable. However, many reviewers feel that it lacks the immersive experiences found in other titles, such as the Chernobyl setting in Metro 2033 or the driving experiences in OMSI 2 and The Bus. Overall, while the music contributes positively, the game does not deliver a compelling atmosphere on par with its competitors.
- “I was positively surprised by the music that suddenly started playing, which actually did add to the atmosphere.”
- “If I want to experience 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.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the immersive and authentic design of the countryside in Prypiat, which evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and realism. Players appreciate the attention to detail, such as the green fences and rough roads, which contribute to a deeply engaging and atmospheric experience.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 few bugs I've encountered haven't been game-breaking, but they've definitely made me laugh.”
- “The humor in this game is delightful, turning even the bugs into a source of amusement.”