New Software To Be Reviewed Review

I just love railways, and everything about them. There is no better way to travel, in every sense. It's just tops.

And many people agree with me on that. Thus, in an effort to bring railways and their charm to life right in front of your glazed-ver eyes, a whole slew of railway themed games have been made, such as Railroad Tycoon, or Trainz Simulator.

And, as they say, for every good one, there are a dozen bad ones. And sadly, Railway Valley is NOT one of the good ones.

Essentially, RV is not a tycoon game or a rail simulator. It's an awkward attempt at a strategy/puzzle game. Your goal is to stay in the black. If you run out of money, game's over.

To accomplish this end, build a network of rails and direct trains from one place to their correct destinations. You can't build the trains, or choose where they come from - all you can do is build the track and hope the trains get to where they need to.

And trust me, this is not an easy feat. The trains come at timed intervals, and you must clear the line for them. If another train comes along, both crash and you get no profit from them.

You have to build all kinds of twisted and tangled rail networks, and it is very easy to get very confused very quickly. And when you get confused, your trains do. No money comes in, and you and your trains are left bubbling over with frustration.

Laying tracks is not easy. You have to lay them one at a time. If you want the track to turn you rotate it with your mouse. It's a slow, cumbersome, time-consuming piece-by-piece operation.

And to make sure your trains are going on the right track, you have to switch the switches yourself, which can get tedious, confusing, and ultimately frustrating - especially when another engine needs to go in exactly the opposite direction.

The graphics are mediocre. The engines, coaches, and trucks are all very simple - and they never stay on the tracks. The environment and the trees are simple and cartoony. Aside from your trains, the tracks, and the desinations, there's not too much to look at.

The sound effects sound like someone made them themselves - with their mouth. It's an endearing characteristic, it really is, but it's not very professional.

The music is a few creepy notes on a synth - not fitting at all.

It's a good thing they don't sell this game - I don't think anyone would buy it, anyway.