It’s that time of year where the latest instalment in the Train Sim World series pulls into the station, and while it’s easy to just say it’s another good annual entry and move on, Train Sim World 7 has made a few meaningful improvements this year that make it more accessible and enjoyable to newcomers as well as my specific type of sim-player.
I’m going to assume a level of familiarity with the series, partly because it’s quite a specific niche and partly becasue I don’t just want to repeat chunks of my Train Sim World 6 review. As always, Train Sim World 7 acts a bit like a launcher to the wider series, giving you access to all your previously purchased routes and locomotives and bringing in any new features the latest instalment offers. For those unfamiliar with the series it can be a bit confusing as there are several menus to go through before you can actually just drive a route, and certain things don’t sit where I’d expect them to, but the ever-present Training Centre remains front and centre for newbies that want to learn the ropes of driving a train.
This is actually where the biggest improvement to the series is, as Train Sim World 7 introduces a new beginner control scheme. It’s cribbed straight from Dovetail’s recent Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor, which was aimed at a younger audience, but it transfers well into the main series too. Typically when you play a Train Sim World game, you’re in charge of every aspect of the locomotive, which means using the master key to power on the cabin, setting the repeater and fiddling with a dozen different options that differ from cab to cab.
It’s obviously one of the selling points of the series, but the beginner control scheme simplifies this so you just need to focus on the repeater, the brakes and the throttle, automating everything else to the point it even opens the doors for you when you pull into a station. The physics are modified too, making braking and accelerating more immediate rather than the realistic physics that govern the standard control scheme, which gives you more control and you’re less at the mercy of pesky things like momentum or gravity.
I’m sure some purists will baulk at this mode, but I think there’s an audience for this outside of newcomers. Train Sim World is meant to be a relaxing experience for me – I don’t always want to faff around with the minutiae of running a train, sometimes I just want to go from station to station, picking up people and dropping them off while enjoying the beautiful in-game models and environments. I actually found myself using the beginner control scheme for the majority of my time with Train Sim World 7, and I think it makes it an even better game to play for relaxation.
Other new additions include an open-ended freight hauler mode for those that enjoy that side of Train Sim World, although I didn’t spend much time with this at all. I’m sure there are people that love it, but I much prefer picking a route or operator I’m somewhat familiar with and jumping into that. Train Sim World 7 adds real-time weather effects, so you can drive the 10.54 from Ilkley to Leeds and experience the same weather that’s occurring in real life. I don’t know about you but I think that’s pretty neat.
Elsewhere, PC performance has been improved thanks to the addition of FSR 4 and a new Epic graphics pre-set. It’s also supposedly been optimised for the Steam Deck. I wasn’t able to test this, but I did play entirely on the Steam Machine, where the game performs very well. I left it on the default High setting at 1440p and with VRR on it was very playable while still looking gorgeous. Visuals are always one of the high points with these games, and the excellent photo mode returns, complete with a multitude of options that let you take the perfect shot every time. Seriously, this is the only photo mode in gaming that consistently lets you take shots that wouldn’t look out of place on the Steam store page, and it’s very satisfying taking them.
Train Sim World 7 is a great entry into the series. Yes, it’s an annual entry that mainly exists to deliver the new routes it ships with, but the beginners control scheme is a genuinely excellent feature for new and returning players alike. The quality of life features and new real-time weather effects add to the package that make Train Sim World 7 a no-brainer for anyone even remotely curious in this type of game.
