RollerCoaster Tycoon: Loopy Landscapes

"The best expansion to RollerCoaster Tycoon!"

*NOTE: This review will only cover info about the expansion of the game RollerCoaster Tycoon. To know more about the first game, check the review for RollerCoaster Tycoon. Also, you need the first one in order to play this game so don't go buying it with the first one.

RollerCoaster Tycoon has been a big hit ever since the release of the game. The addiction and high replay value of it keeps the person entertained to an extreme that it makes it fun in the long run. The company decided to release an expansion pack entitled RollerCoaster Tycoon: Corkscrew Follies. In that expansion pack, it added more scenarios and features to improve gameplay. Unfortunately, it feels that it wasn't enough still, as if something was missing. Couple of years later, here we have the final expansion pack to the series entitled RollerCoaster Tycoon: Loopy Landscapes. And to be honest, with this expansion pack, RollerCoaster Tycoon is at its most fun point of all.

Story - 0/10
Like the first and its expansion, there is no story. This one is no different.

Gameplay - 10/10
For an expansion pack, this one improved greatly, much more than what Corkscrew Follies improved on the first one. The companies seem to have took this game to a much higher level and decided to work on it on a whole lot more than that of Corkscrew Follies.

To start out, as like Corkscrew Follies, much more new scenarios. Here is a twist, there are entirely NEW types of objectives to complete! New, as in objectives that are not established in the other two. One example of an objective specific for this game is like "To build 10 coasters each with an excitement rating higher than 6.0". These are unique objectives and require much more skills than the other two previous ones. In addition, scenarios are divided into categories:

RollerCoaster Tycoon (original): The scenarios from the first RollerCoaster Tycoon
Corkscrew Follies: The scenarios from the expansion pack Corkscrew Follies
Loopy Landscapes: The scenarios from this expansion pack disc
"Real" parks: Scenarios from real-life parks around the world
Other parks: Scenarios outside of the definition of the above categories

This makes a total of over 100 scenarios with some unlockables! Not only that, but the scenarios are difficult, as situations become so limited that you need to think of another way to complete it. For example, there is a park where the scenario is so small and barely any room space, yet you need to get to finish building 5 coasters with all excitement higher than 6.5. This brings challenge at its best which is extremely good for this game.

As like Corkscrew Follies expansion, more new rides, scenery, shops and stalls, and such. Much more now, bringing a lot of variety to this game and allows more selections to choose from.

The camera angle thing I have mentioned in my past 2 reviews of the original and expansion is finally fixed in this game! Well, not totally fixed, but improvement greatly. Now controlling is a slight better than the other two, and you won't have to end up deleting something you did not want to delete. Unfortunately, the guests AI are just as the same as the first one and the expansion of it. They are slight improved though, but not a whole much.

Graphics - 10/10
In general, it would still be the same. But there are huge improvements with some of the designs. The only new graphics are just the ride designs, the footpaths, the scenery, and the landscape. Specifically the landscape, that is a huge improvement, now including a lot of variety including snow theme rather than the ordinary forest theme or sand theme. There are also more functions allowing to choose color schemes for rides, for the umbrellas from stalls, and such. Not only that, there are more different style of entrances and exits for each ride. A whole lot more additions and improvements.

Music/Sound - 10/10
A lot more music themes once more, just like the other expansion pack. And thus this provides more variety, none of the rides could necessarily have the same types of music playing any more. Sounds, just as repetitive, make no difference. After playing the other two, you should have got use to it by now.

Replay Value - 10/10
High, really high. There are a bunch of scenarios to play, there are even really challenging ones. And this expansion provides additional never-before-used objectives to provide more of a challenge. Now it becomes really addictive to an extreme.

Overall - 10/10
RollerCoaster Tycoon: Loopy Landscapes is a must-get if you have the original. Recently, there are boxes that include all 3 expansions so buy that one instead. This game is definitely worth getting to play, long-lasting and fun.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/09/04, Updated 11/20/06