That's The Ticket! Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop Review (PS5)
Time to get BUSy in Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop - out now on PS5. Here's my review, primarily based on the base game.
Tickets at the ready: we have a Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop review for the PS5, featuring the latest update, as included in the Season Pass. This review is for the core game, brand spanking new for me, while touching upon the new additions in the DLC.
I went out of my way to cover this game, bearing in mind that stillalive studios and astragon Entertainment released this a couple of years ago. If I bought it, I’d know I’d never review it as likely to get hooked. Like each route, this write-up has a deadline – so here are my thoughts.
In a nutshell, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is about building a bus empire. That’s a little extravagant, but you begin with your first bus, drive the routes multiple times to build up a kitty, add new buses, and, essentially, form a fleet. You’re a hands-on boss, as you can set the standard for your drivers by doing the routes and being your best. The better the experience for the passenger, the more income you’ll receive.
Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop Review
First, you can customise your driver with several options, such as tops, trousers, hats, and glasses (plus some hideous patterns). Most important is giving a proper name to your business and choosing the right buses and, in time, liveries to make Johnny Public want to bench their Tesla and opt for public transport. But it’s not an easy feat.
It takes some time to familiarise yourself with Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop – both through the controls and also learning the routes and road laws. The controls are customisable, allowing you to make the experience as close to a simulation as possible or a simplified version. Do note that the latter doesn’t make it that much easier, as running lights, forgetting to indicate, or even running over pedestrians(!) take their toll, and you find yourself in the red.
The steering is realistic, one would assume, as throwing a bus around a corner is nothing like Disney Speedstorm. For the first hour, I ran the same routes to perfect my rating, income, and undo all my previous mistakes. Eventually, you get as accustomed to the roads as you would in something like GTA, allowing yourself time to focus on indicating, stopping in the proper zones, and maintaining high standards.
The Scenic Route
My first impressions weren’t great, to begin with. The character modelling isn’t anything special, and the textures for a PS5 game were a little underwhelming. However, the sheer immersion of driving a bus around Angel Shores distracts you from the imperfections. It’s such a contrast not wanting to floor it everywhere, like in most games.
With the latest update, there’s the Ebusco line of buses. I know nothing of buses, nor have any interest in them, but there are three, each with customisable interiors – which did win me over. The customisation in Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is very good, giving a fair amount of freedom with the look of your company and the way it runs. In particular, you can repeatedly run a route by yourself to improve your rating when you switch to your AI drivers.
On that basis, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is quite grindy, and that’s expected as you’re mimicking bus routes, not the Gumball Rally. While the visuals aren’t very exciting, it makes up for it in replayability with the story and career modes. However, I found the game overly strict with traffic rules – why is running over pedestrians such a big deal? Ha!
Verdict
Similar to Euro Truck Simulator 2 in some respects, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is quite an addictive game with lots of customisation – both aesthetics and gameplay options. Angel Shores is a place you want to familiarise yourself with; it’s just whether you’re ok experiencing it on a bus and following the rules.