For many of us, the Rollercoaster Tycoon games were a firm part of our childhood. This year, Rollercoaster Tycoon World (RCTW) gets it’s full release, but you can already buy the game in it’s early access form. So what’s it like?
Yes the game does have it’s fair share of problems but it is still very much playable. At the moment it is only available through Steam priced at £29.99. That may seem steep for an unfinished game – but the producers (Nvizzio and Atari) are not hiding that fact and have repeatedly stated that a lot more updates and upgrades are on their way. So should you wait for the full release or take a chance with the game now? That’s totally up to you; but I have to say I’ve really enjoyed delving back into the theme park building world again – even if it’s not yet perfect.
With such a huge fan-base, the demand for this game was high. With unforeseen problems leading to delays and public outcry on the forums, it stands to reason that Nvizzio felt pressured into releasing this early access game that is not as polished as we’d hoped. Hot on their heels is the similar Planet Coaster which is also due for full release later this year and is only adding to the mixed reviews this game is getting.
We shouldn’t forget though that this isn’t the final release. No one is saying we must buy this game now and I am sure that with so many people already playing, Nvizzio and Atari will take note of the constructive criticism and produce the game we’ve all been waiting for. I too am excited about Planet Coaster but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on RCTW. I’ve had a lot of fun playing the game for the past week and can really see how good it could be in the following months.
If you’re like me and can’t wait for the full release, I’m in the process of recoding some how-to videos. Over the first few days I started a park and worked through the bugs and basic tools to create something that looks pretty decent. Now I’ve moved on to a tutorial course to show you where things are, how to work through the bugs and tips and tricks to get you started.
I’ll keep posting over the next few weeks and if you have any questions or want to see something in particular, please let me know.
My first park
How to build a park in 30 minutes
Part One of How to Build a Theme Park
Part Two: Main Street
Part Three: Building a Rollercoaster
Part 4: User Generated Content (UGC)
After a series of Tutorial videos, I then moved on to implementing learned techniques and content from the game and other users into a brand new park – Pirate Cove.
Pirate Cove: Part One
Pirate Cove: Part Two
Extra: How to Build a Volcano
Pirate Cove: Part Three (Timelapse)
Pirate Cove: Part Four
Pirate Cove: Part Five JURASSIC PARK!