Steam Game Review: Roller Coaster Tycoon
When it comes to the RTS (Real-Time Strategy) gaming genre, there are quite a few games that have left their mark. From the Command and Conquer series to Blizzard greats like Starcraft, or Warcraft, there are plenty of options when it comes to combat-style RTS games. Roller Coaster Tycoon, however, took things in a whole new direction and this is why it's in the spotlight for this BTN Gaming Review.
Now Roller Coaster Tycoon, upon arrival, totally reshaped the way people look at RTS games. In fact, it really created a whole new sub-genre in the Real-Time category. While the player doesn't necessarily control every aspect of the game, they do have control over the most key features. This is just one of the many details that makes Roller Coaster Tycoon stand out from its predecessors. Another key aspect, and quite possibly the one that carried the most impact, is the simple yet detail-oriented style of play. It's a very relaxed game in the fact that there isn't an enemy on the map who is ready to pillage and plunder you for everything you've got, but that's not to say that it doesn't have its own edge. Roller Coaster Tycoon delivers its thrills in a much more intricate and subtle way. It's these exact features that make it a great game, while at the same time might give a newcomer some frustrations.
For starters, Roller Coaster Tycoon's maps (campaign?) is a series of challenging theme parks that all have a certain goal that must be obtained. Whether it's building a brand new park from scratch, obtaining a specific park value, or even just to up the rating of an already thriving theme park, every single level in Roller Coaster Tycoon is wrapped around achieving these goals. Once these goals are achieved, a new map is opened up and the player can progress further on down the line. This is a great feature because it keeps the player interested with new scenes, new objectives, and really fills out the experience with the many different types of obstacles that can be overcome. However, it's this exact reason that might deter the more "casual" player. The reason for this is the simple fact that there is no sandbox mode. Not only is there the void of sandboxing but there is also this... nagging urge to just quit a park once the objective has been completed. If the player decides to save the current progress on any park once achieving the goal, they can return to it at any point in time.... but there really isn't much of a need to do so. This can severely cut the replay value of the game short, and while it isn't the biggest problem in the world, it can still be considered when arriving at the decision to purchase the game.
While the goal-oriented gameplay of Roller Coaster Tycoon is great, jaded only by the lack of a sandbox freeplay mode, we can't forget the details. Literally, the details. Roller Coaster Tycoon is absolutely FILLED to the brim with detail-oriented time management, and it's in these details that Roller Coaster Tycoon really thrives. From being able to design the roller coaster of your dreams, down the simplest detail as simply painting every ice cream shop a different color, it's these little intricacies that drive the game. That said, it's also these very minute, albeit important, features can become daunting at certain points in the game. For instance, when it comes to building said "Dream Roller Coaster" the game will not allow it to be built unless all of the brakes and speedups are in the right place. Prices too high for ice cream? Well that will drive potential patrons away before you even get the chance to fix it. So with that said, it's quite easy to get lost in the details and if things start getting to difficult to understand, just remember: breathe and if all else fails, RESTART!
On that note, however, there is also lack of any sort of tutorial or information that is in-game to help the player, should they feel lost. Don't get me wrong, I completely enjoy playing a game and feeling it out without any sort of help system at all. That's why I do what I do! But there are other players out there who don't want to mess around with understanding the mechanics or explore and experiment... simply put they want to achieve that goal for the next map. This is why some sort of help system within the actual framework of the game would be a huge help. For instance, your rating is dropping too low and you are just two months away from getting that coveted pat on the back for achieving an overall rating of 875 and you are sitting on 725. How do you get that rating up? Do you build more attractions? Do you lower the gate price? Do you run promotions? None of these answers are found directly in the game, not even in the help section. Thankfully though, there are pioneers out there who are willing and ready to write guides on issues such as this! That said, at least this information shouldn't be hard to find.
Overall, Roller Coaster Tycoon is a great little game, especially if the player is just looking to relax and chill out with a non-stressful game. All of its features can be seen as a double-edged sword so to speak, and if you are planning on buying the game, just make sure to take these things into consideration.
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