Bus Simulator 21: Subsequent Cease is not the refined PS5 showcase you’re going to indicate to all your folks. Regardless of benefitting from a pair years of additional iteration, this expanded new-gen port continues to be scrappy, with buggy AI behaviour and an underlying sense that the sport code is nearly falling aside behind-the-scenes. That mentioned, few sequence strike a zen-like enchantment fairly like this, the place it’s straightforward to only zone out and drive your routes. It’s a shiny and breezy expertise all through.
For many who’ve by no means touched this franchise, it straddles the road between tycoon and straight-up simulator. You should construct transportation routes within the fictional – and expanded – metropolis of Angel Shores, which affords a really European flavour of Americana. The unique German-inspired Seaside Valley can also be out there, though we’d argue this has quite a bit much less identification than the US map, which is crammed with memorable districts and landmarks.
There’s a guided story mode which assigns you particular quests as you construct up your empire, however a newly added profession possibility lets you skip all of the guff and simply dig proper into the great things. Constructing balanced routes that serve the wants of commuters after which driving them is the core loop right here. As you carry out higher – stopping in the suitable spot, indicating appropriately, and so forth – you’ll accrue stars which is able to affect how successfully your AI drivers fulfil the routes when you’re busy elsewhere.
It’s a sensible gameplay construction as a result of it encourages you to drive completely as a way to maximise your revenue when you setup and full different routes. It’s additionally surprisingly dynamic: you’ll must take care of all kinds of obstacles, like clients asking to get off the bus earlier than the subsequent cease, ticket dodgers, and serial litterers. All of this pairs with a powerful sense of humour, as you take heed to the inane babble of the patrons sitting on the seats behind you.
Whereas the sport doesn’t look notably fairly, it does run at 60 frames-per-second on PS5, and the developer has applied haptic suggestions and the adaptive triggers, which assist talk the texture of driving a big double-decker. Put up-release assist is en-route, too, promising new college bus-inspired gameplay and trams, so there’s numerous life left on this one even when you’ve mastered the intensive content material out there on day one.
