SimCoaster

"A rollercoaster ride of fun!"

SimCoaster. I know this game as Theme Park Inc, which is what I shall be calling it from now on in the review. I clearly remember the day I got the game, as I lent it off a friend in exchange for a broken copy of The Sims. Three years later, it takes pride of place in my CD-ROM drive. But anyway, on with the review.

Graphics - 8/10
The graphics are very solid in this game, everything is nice and crisp, and they are a significant improvement from the last game. The park visitors are now 3D, and no longer the equivalent of a cardboard cut-out, which is good. However, first person mode still has it's faults, as everything appears a little grainy. Personally, I can ignore these niggles, but for you graphic freaks out there, you might not like it.

Sound - 7/10
Ah, the sound. If you have played Theme Park World, chances are you will have been incredibly irritated by the little black dot-like man in the corner. Well, guess what, it gets worse. This time, it's now a politically correct female dot, and she's even more annoying than the first one! Within 20 minutes of playing, you'll be begging to go to the options screen just to turn her whiny voice off.

Apart from this, the sound is very solid. The rides make all of the sounds they are supposed to, and there's some charming background music in there. All other character voices are very good, so no complaints anywhere else.

Gameplay - 10/10
The most important part of any game, and thankfully Theme Park Inc passes with flying colours. Personally, I think this is even better than Rollercoaster Tycoon. There are many changes from Theme Park World, such as Training Rooms, where you can teach your staff to learn special abilities, Research Labs, where your scientists sit in a dark corner thinking up new rides, and there are many new rides, shops and sideshows to boot. If you haven't played Theme Park World, this game basically involves you building your very own theme park, and maintaining it. One of the only problems with the game is that it's way too easy to get into debt, which detracts slightly from the fun of the game. On the plus side, with the addition of challenges, and your quest to become Chairman of the board, there is a whole new dimension to the game.

Rent or Buy?
I highly recommend you buy this game. It's main feature is that is a lot of fun, a characteristic missing from computer games too often these days.

My overall score: 9/10 (Not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/03