Along with the other recent titles, which Excalibur has released into the simulation market, we now have Bus & Cable Car Simulator: San Francisco.

This one is not up to the company's usual level of work. For a start I’m not really sure why you have to start the game in, what is presumably, your flat, even though it looks like it’s come straight out of a horror game, I was half expecting to be jumped by a monster before I even got to my bus.

However, this is a pointless place to start, apart from turning the light on and off it serves no purpose other than to delay the game. Here you meet the simulation's first level of poor response as you try to exit, not as easy as it should be.

Outside you encounter your pickup, which gives you free access to the whole of the city, unfortunately it too is poorly executed and its lack of response made driving a chore, so I abandoned the pickup after only a few intersections.

When you finally get past the barriers the game creates, you’re into driving either a bus or cable car around the streets of San Francisco. One of the impressive elements of the game is the recreation of the city itself, using the Vision Engine. Had the pickup not been such a pig to actually drive, it might have been a pleasure just cruising through the city.

As far as the stats are concerned, you get to pick either a bus or cable car to drive which is part of the sixteen available vehicles. It’s the usual deal, run a successful business, keep your transport in good condition and try to expand, a capitalists delight.

The lack of responsive controls does make this game more frustrating than the other, very similar games in the series, though it’s good for a quick pick up and play game that will while away the odd half hour.

5

Charles Packer