Story: If you’ve ever wanted to experience the wild world of public transportation, Bus Simulator 21 is here to give you a realistic, though sometimes wacky journey through that world. You start at the beginning, as the architect for a city’s new bus service and while you kick things off with just a single bus and a handful of stops, that is just how this experience begins. The goal is to serve the public of course, getting the citizens to their various stops on time and in one piece, but a larger arc involves expanding the service routes and creating a public transportation empire of sorts. This is still a simulator however, so even if you’ve covered the urban sprawl with easy to access transport, you’ll still need to stop at the red lights.

Entertainment Value: If you associate “simulator” in video games with Goat Simulator or similar insane, over the top romps, Bus Simulator will quickly ground your expectations. This is indeed a simulator experience, one in which you have control over the most mundane details and have to execute every action, with a focus more on realism than anything else. You’ll make all the decisions, from your first bus purchase until your transit system has connected every corner of the town. Not just the big picture stuff either, like where to place stops or when to add new buses, but you’ll also be behind the wheel yourself. If you try to approach this like Grand Theft Auto, you’ll find yourself deep in debt from damages to your buses, other vehicles, and general property, not to mention traffic issues and such. In other words, you need to watch your speed even if the route time window is close, stop at the red lights, and watch your fellow drivers to protect both of you.

But the simulation aspect doesn’t end with proper road safety, as you also have to manage your passengers, who sometimes pull some pranks. This can include trying to ride without buying a ticket or playing loud music, but you also need to manage your ticket sales and make sure you serve wheelchair riders in orderly fashion. This is a lot to take in and to be honest, the level of detail can be overwhelming, but once you start to find a groove, Bus Simulator can be a very interesting gaming experience. You can find a cadence and just chill, as there is a lot to learn, but the pace isn’t frantic and you can often control how hectic your routes will be. This means you have to learn a lot and go through routines often, but that’s part of the simulation of being a public transit magnate, right? The game does have a sense of humor at times as well, so while the play is usually very serious and rather deadpan, the passengers can provide some laughs now and then. I wouldn’t say this game is a barrel of fun, but it is well made and can be a zen experience at times.

I found controls to be rock solid, even on a controller, though this would clearly be an easier game to navigate with a keyboard and mouse. Even so, going through the menus becomes second nature over time and while sometimes a little cumbersome, things click at a certain point. The driving is simulation style, so don’t expect a lot of flashy moves or near misses, as you’ll rack up serious financial woes in the process. The graphics aren’t going to dazzle if you’re a veteran of the AAA game landscape, but the city is well designed and looks quite good. The attention to detail is deep and whether you’re driving along or running around for some reason, you can soak in a lot of little visual touches and areas to explore. The buses are given the most focus and they look tremendous, while the various people tend to look fine, but rather basic. I had a good time with Bus Simulator 21 and it delivers the experience it promises, so it earns a recommendation.