Metro Simulator 2 – Test and News

The architectural works that characterize the charm of the Russian capital can be varied as desired. Among all these beautiful things, metro stations definitely win the prize for singularity. Some are true works of art. So when we found ourselves invited to take control of Metro Simulator 2, we immediately fantasized about discovering an underground, sublime and mysterious Moscow. We were far from imagining that this game is capable of making the Moscow metro even more stressful than that of Metro 2033.

As for the first episode released in 2021 on Xbox One, we find the Russians from Kishmish Games at the helm for Metro Simulator 2. It is an independent developer whose path you may have crossed on Xbox and elsewhere with the series of Bus Driver Simulator. Here we discover Moscow and its famous metro around two lines to travel to around twenty stops such as Prospekt Mira, VDNkh, Novokuznetskaya, Kitai-gorod and many other names that you may know from having read Metro 2033 or played its video game adaptation.

You can of course take your finger off the trigger: we are here in a metro driving simulator and nothing else. Two models can be operated here: the recent version of the means of transport called “Oka” or its Soviet-flavored ancestor, the Nomernoy. If the essential tasks to accomplish to get on the rails are almost identical from one model to another (starting the engine, lighting the cabin, activating the speed control systems, etc.), little things like the definition of information messages uses different technologies: a large and readable screen for the Oka, a small rectangle and two buttons for the Nomernoy. But apart from a few details, the experience is very similar from one metro to another and only affects the atmosphere.

In both cases, hold on tight. Metro Simulator 2 is a game that doesn't shine with its depth, at the same time as it manages to do little to increase the tension. In addition to a free mode allowing you to come and go on the two lines while being able to compose your own route, Metro Simulator 2 is essentially based on a series of slightly more supervised missions. The opportunity to learn how the metro works, how journey planning takes place and what to do once the journey is over. Each of the two metro models has its own tutorial which is educational in name only. Each step is only explained once, some things are not necessarily very clear for newbies because they are not specified enough; but the worst is that if you have the misfortune of not respecting the precise order in which to do things, you are guaranteed to get stuck! Either because it doesn't respect the rules (and then figure out how to correct things), or because the game is buggy.

Metro Simulator 2 seems to have been made to work in one and only one way, to the point that we were unable to complete the second tutorial, all possible actions are blocked with no possible backtracking. We also noted that by putting the game in French certain missions simply do not work. We are seated in the metro but without the possibility of doing anything. So if you plan to play it and in the possible absence of a patch, a minimum understanding of English is essential. Don't count on a help section or any documentation to rely on later, Metro Simulator 2 doesn't even have a screen that recalls the functionality of the controller buttons. Finally, note that the dashboard has its buttons labeled… in Cyrillic. If you have access to a translation on overview during learning missions, nothing is offered afterwards.

Once we have fought the bugs and other obstacles to the pleasure of the game, it remains an experience which has little interest anyway beyond discovery. Driving naturally consists of simple management of acceleration and braking to meet schedules without exceeding speed limits. We launch the announcement upon arrival, we open the doors, we send the second announcement, we close the doors and we leave. Metro Simulator 2 coats this with a small score system that evolves depending on whether or not you respect times, announcements and speed limits. That's it that's all. There is nothing to manage, unlock or customize, nothing unexpected happens, there is virtually no purpose in going through the lines more than once.

At this stage the experience is not even really recreational like that of train or tram simulations. Metro requires, we can't really count on the landscape to brighten up the journey, although we credit the game with its rather successful sound environment. Nevertheless, we would have liked to take advantage of metro stops that were much more careful, more lively, truly inspired by the places supposed to be represented. In Metro Simulator 2 everything is empty, dreary, inanimate. To put it simply quite ugly overall. All that being said, we don't see much that would allow us to imagine that this game could meet anyone's expectations.