Chris Sawyer's Locomotion Critic Reviews

Locomotion hits on all cylinders as a transportation business simulator. If you are not stuck on the other areas of city simulation, you are sure to be satisfied.

All said and done, Locomotion is a good sim, but it does feel dated and in particular seems geared towards the more hardcore transport or tycoon enthusiast.

Those who can look past Locomotion's hideous shell and see its inner beauty will be treated to an economic simulation that is very well-designed, both detailed and accessible, and a lot of fun once you get into it.

It's unfortunate to see that the graphics in game hasn't appeared to change too much either. Viewed from a isometric viewpoint, the game appears drab and just astonishingly unattractive.

Leaves on the line may cause brain delays in strategy management.

While Locomotion doesn't vary much from "Transport Tycoon"--which itself is a classic game--you can't help but feel that this remake doesn't really feature any of the improvements and enhancements that you'd expect after 10 years.

Unfortunately there are titles out there that have better effects and the gameplay isn't vastly superior. Locomotion isn't one that stands out and there are other titles out there more deserving of your hard earned cash.

Does little to innovate or excuse its technical shortcomings.

It's not a lot of fun to play, and it's not even enjoyable to sit and watch. But if the concept of the game sounds intriguing, and if you don't mind old-style 2D graphics, then I'd suggest you try out "Railroad Tycoon II" instead.

This title has incredible depth and play value, absorbing you into the ins-and-outs of the economic strategies of transportation management.

Its interface - particularly the "one link at a time" track laying is maddening; there's too much sitting around.

With a lack of presentation values, an engine that not only looks bad but also is the main cause of serious construction problems, and AI that could use a serious overhaul, Locomotion has too many problems for any serious recommendation.

I love the depth of play, I feel challenged by the game's AI, and I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I complete a scenario. On the other hand, I think the game should represent the advances the gaming industry has made in the past five years.

Graphically, it looks dated. Yes, it has the same look and an identical user interface to that from RollerCoaster Tycoon, but here the colours appear drab, the maps flatter and some of the tiles don't appear to connect all that well, making some parts of the map look like an Escher illusion.

In an odd way Chris Sawyer's latest creation is a victim of the very sub-genre he accidentally created, that of the cynical "tycoon' cash-in - from "Zoo Tycoon" to "Casino Empire." Perhaps a better title for Locomotion might have been "Chris Sawyer's Tycoon Tycoon."

There's a fine strategy game under here somewhere, but the clumsy interface and staid presentation mean few people will have the patience to find it.

My biggest objection to this game, however, is just that it's not the "spiritual sequel" to "Transport Tycoon" -- it IS "Transport Tycoon." It's not even "Transport Tycoon Deluxe," the enhanced version of the game that fans have been playing all these years.

A game that plays as badly as it looks. There is no formal presentation, no story to follow, just a variety of different missions to beat with no reward to be found at the end of the tunnel.

Though it's not an entirely offensive game, in its attempt to be individualistic, Locomotion has learning nothing from other games in the genre and ends up feeling like a 10-year-old game with a 5-year-old coat of paint.