Bus World – Passengers, Panic, and the Perilous Path Ahead
Bus World invites players to step behind the wheel and navigate routes that are anything but ordinary. From the eerie silence of Chernobyl’s exclusion zone to the volcanic tremors of Iceland and the perilous bends of China’s jungles, every journey feels like a test of nerve and skill. This in-depth exploration of Bus World captures the thrill of transporting passengers through disasters, breakdowns, and breathtaking landscapes, immersing you in a simulation where survival and storytelling collide on every road.
Bus World Review Pros
- Nice graphics.
- 5.1GB download size.
- 1000 Gamerscore.
- Game settings – language, show FPS, subtitles, hide gear tool tip, automatic transmission, camera stabilisation, passengers’ dissatisfaction in free mode, Invert axis, and sensitivity sliders.
- You can remap all buttons and controls.
- Audio sliders for volume, music, interface, ambience, and voice.
- Two game modes – Scenarios and free mode.
- Bus simulator gameplay.
- On-screen tutorial pop-ups and notifications.
- The first job is you transport survivors of Chernobyl, so bear that in mind. It’s not graphic or anything like that.
- A full 3D game world, and you play in first person and can move the camera 360 degrees.
- Simplified controls, you can easily jump between drive and reverse, a handbrake and a button to open the doors.
- The mini map will show your route with green lines and stops with arrows.
- Your score goes up and down with green and red numbers, and you can lose points by driving badly, missing missions, etc and get good points for picking people up, driving well, etc.
- Four driving views so you can play in third person if you wish, without of bus, far from the bus, and in the passenger section of the bus views.
- Learn facts about the locations you are in from the loading screens; luckily, they stay there long enough to give you time to read them.
- The game uses the language of the location and spoken word.
- I do like that you can switch views and watch the passengers get on and off the bus.
- In-game cutscenes see less integration and fade in and out.
- When near Chernobyl, you will get a giga meter come up, and the screen will change to make it harder to drive.
- Earn exp and level up to unlock new routes and free modes.
- World map level select, and each location has a set amount of scenarios to play through.
- Drive many different buses and vehicle types.
- In free mode, you can choose a route, create your own or go out without one. You can earn a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal depending on your score, and drive whichever bus you have unlocked.
- You can customise your buses with new paint jobs.
- The locations do look alright, and they have people walking around, other cars on the road, so they do have some life to them.
- Driving newer buses feels better, and they are a lot cleaner and nicer on the eye.
- It’s a game you can easily put on and just take fares and rack up some unlocks without too much stress and fuss.
- You get timings and stop names so you can see how well you are doing. Depending on the bus and its tech, you will either have a notepad and pen or a touchpad screen to display this information.
- Honestly, I found it rough to play at first, and it does have its problems, but I can easily sit there and just pootle about and do fares, get new buses and have a good time.
- The road rules are in place for accidents with other motorists and running red lights.
- If you get stuck, you can call a tow truck to come and get you.
- OK, loading times, nothing super fast and not super slow either.
- Bus stops will have a box to show where to park and disappear as you enter it.
- A very zen game is how I would best describe it.
- Different times of day and weather types.
Bus World Review Cons
- The performance on the Xbox Series S is horrendous with loads of slowdown, stuttering, and the rear-view mirror reflections are just slide shows.
- It would be helpful if you could turn off effects like wing mirrors so you can try and get some more juice out of the performance.
- I couldn’t see a reset to the default option for remapping the controls.
- The steering is sluggish.
- For all the realism the game goes for, there isn’t anything for the little things, like indicators or speeding.
- Had the game just lock up and stay on a loading screen, and it happened a lot.
- The menu system is clunky and not great to use at all.
- There are no online interactions from leaderboards to Co op play or anything.
- You don’t get a proper dashboard, so you can see your speed, and the speed limit, and in fact, most routes don’t even have speed limit signs up.
- The game uses the same customer models over and over, and they move like robots running out of battery.
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Bus World
Developer: KishMish Games
Publisher: KishMish Games
Store Link:
Bus World Review
Summary
Bus World – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay:
Bus World invites players to step behind the wheel and navigate routes that are anything but ordinary. From transporting survivors of Chernobyl to tackling volcanic tremors in Iceland and perilous bends in China’s jungles, every journey feels like a test of nerve and skill. Gameplay offers two modes, scenarios and free play, with simplified controls, remappable buttons, and multiple driving views. Players earn experience, unlock new routes, and customise buses with paint jobs, while scoring systems reward careful driving and passenger satisfaction. The world map, cutscenes, and immersive loading screens add depth, making Bus World a zen yet challenging simulator.
Bus World – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives:
Despite its ambition, Bus World struggles with performance and usability. On Xbox Series S, slowdown and stuttering are frequent, with rear-view mirrors reduced to slide shows. The sluggish steering, clunky menus, and lack of reset options for remapping controls frustrate players. Saving progress can be unreliable, loading screens often freeze, and realism is undermined by missing details like indicators or speed limits. Repetitive passenger models and robotic animations further weaken immersion, while the absence of online features leaves the experience feeling isolated.
Bus World – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements:
Bus World builds its narrative through the unique scenarios tied to real-world disasters and environments. Driving survivors from Chernobyl, navigating volcanic zones, and learning facts about each location through loading screens create a sense of story woven into gameplay. The mix of survival, transport, and environmental challenges makes each route feel like part of a larger narrative, blending simulation with storytelling.
Bus World – Visual and Performance Aspects:
Visually, Bus World offers decent graphics with varied weather, times of day, and populated environments featuring pedestrians and traffic. Newer buses look cleaner and more appealing, while camera options allow players to view from inside, outside, or passenger perspectives. However, technical issues such as stuttering, pop-in, and poor reflections undermine the presentation. The lack of a proper dashboard or speed limit signs detracts from realism, and repetitive character models reduce the visual impact.
Bus World – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?
Bus World is a simulator that blends survival, storytelling, and transport into a unique package. While performance flaws and clunky systems hold it back, the game still offers a rewarding experience for players who enjoy immersive scenarios and unlocking new routes. Its mix of zen driving and disaster-themed challenges makes it a distinctive entry in the bus simulator genre, worth exploring if you can overlook its rough edges.
Back of the Box Quotes:
“From Chernobyl to Iceland, Bus World delivers tension, grit, and zen driving thrills.”
