Bus Simulator 16 is a downloadable title where you act as a driver of a city bus. In this game, your task is to safely transport the passengers in a German metropolis. The title has been developed by the Austrian studio StillAlive, which is known for, among other things, the adventure game Son of Nor. The did it for astragon Entertainment, which is also the publisher of Construction Simulator 2015. Bus Simulator 16 was released on March 2, 2016, and is available on PCs running Windows and macOS. The successor of the game is Bus Simulator 18.
How to Download Bus Simulator 16
The game is available for download on the Steam platform. To get the game click on the Download button at the end of the review.
How to Play the Game
In Bus Simulator 16, you will have the opportunity not only to become a bus driver but also a member of the team of the city bus service. The creators of the game have made sure that you face all the challenges that come with the job of a person transporting the passengers in the city. You will drive the car, sell tickets, and deal with unexpected situations. The game arena is an unspecified city located in Germany. You goal – safe driving, keeping track of time, driving according to the timetable, taking care of the passengers’ safety and avoiding collisions in heavy traffic. While you make progress of the game, other districts of the city can be unlocked. The game has been created in such a way that your achievements translate directly into the development of your transportation company.
The Game Mechanics of Bus Simulator 16
On the mechanics’ side, the game is a simulation. Thus you can expect a realistic model of driving and faithfully rendered urban traffic. You follow the predetermined routes according to your timetable. The game offers an intuitive interface and a nice navigation system that makes driving easy even for beginner drivers.
As we have mentioned, in addition to driving public transportation vehicles, your task is to help passengers, for example, by letting the disabled get onboard. You also need to respond to random events such as a malfunctioning door that needs to be closed manually or aggressive passengers. The game features licensed German MAN buses.
In the career mode, you will be able to earn reputation points which will translate into the number of your passengers. The better and safer your driving style, the higher the level of your reputation. Increasing the number of passengers will translate into better earnings for the company, which in turn will allow it to expand and purchase new buses. During the game, you can also modify your own vehicles. For online games, a simple multiplayer mode has been implemented in which you can compete against your friends.
Graphically, Bus Simulator 2016 does not differ from other similar titles. The game looks nice, but you can see that for the developers, the gameplay itself and the simulations aspect were more important than photorealistic graphics. The simulator is well optimized and runs smoothly even on low-end machines.