Rollercoaster Tycoon 3
- November 22, 2004 13:32 PM PST
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Fans of prior amusement park simulators will likely be first in line for the opening of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, but there are plenty of attractions to hook newcomers, too.
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Roller Baron
When it comes to first impressions, RCT3?s polished visuals easily steal the show. As long as it?s powered by solid PC hardware, RCT3 flaunts the most detailed scenery ever seen in a simulation title. The real-time reflections and lush 3D foliage look gorgeous enough, but coupled with the vast size and scale of the parks, the overall effect is staggeringly realistic. Compared to the dazzling environments, however, RCT3?s simplistic visitor models look out of place--at least you can customize then via the in-game Peep Designer. Disappointingly, the sound comes with very few frills, with only the excited shrieks of 'coaster riders to get your blood pumping. Luckily, you can import your MP3 collection to add a little sonic spice.
Rollercoaster of Love
While there are no licensed roller coasters (or real-life replicas) this time around, the construction set boasts a huge roster of 48 'coaster types (like Suspended Swinging and Vertical Drop 'coasters), along with nearly 30 other rides (from Ferris wheels to water rides) and six park themes (including Spooky and Sci-Fi). The good news is that piecing 'coasters and parks together is easier than ever; between the flexible camera controls and the effortless new terrain-building tools, RCT 3 squeezes tremendous functionality out of its elegant drag-and-drop interface. Other welcome pluses include the new Sandbox mode (no limitations!) and the ability to import old RCT 2 levels, though you won?t feel like re-living the past once you see the new construction options. The bad news is that the menu design isn?t always intuitive, and many items must be manually tweaked after placement. Aside from those gripes, RCT3 is one sweet ride.
