If I could give Railroads Online more of a 'mid' rating, then I would. However, seeing as that is not an option, I do lean more to the side of my experience being mostly positive.

Previous controversies aside...there is a lot of potential here. The devs have a publicly available roadmap that they have followed to a T with a set schedule, implementing major QoL features and player suggested feedback. The only remaining stop on the roadmap as of now...is a UI overhaul which will most likely introduce more QoL features that the game so desperately needs. After that, I imagine the game will leave early access finally after nearly four years.

That being said, the game is not perfect. It still lacks some basic features and QoL tidbits (turntables still don't work very well). There are still client side issues that need addressing (such as more rolling stock, locomotives, props, track, etc gradually decreasing your FPS to the point of the world becoming unplayable). However, the devs ARE listening, and I've seen many community suggested ideas implemented thus far...and they have an entire feedback post where they have an ever growing list of features suggested by the community that they are considering for the game. The game definitely still needs time to bake...but once it gets fleshed out and finally goes into 1.0...I think it can grow into something truly fantastic.

Now, for the actual game...it's fun, a LOT of fun. If you're a sucker for sandboxes that involve trains, then this game really satisfies the `tism. Building your world up, laying out your tracks, connecting industries...you can get really lost in it. My world has slowly grown from a little single track running from my main depot, to the sawmill, up to the logging camp and back...into a massive array of multiple double track main lines the connect between the main industries and lead back to my main hub which has MULTIPLE yards, a roundhouse, and a small town. I've enjoyed every hour spent building it, and running the trains is just satisfying when you know that you built every mile of rail you're rolling along.

There are THREE maps to choose from...which doesn't sound like much, but they are all unique. You've got the OG Pine Valley, which will scratch that 'mountain railroading' vibe that most will associate with American narrow gauge. Lake Valley, which features more flat terrain, a desert, and a large lake. Then, you have Aurora Valley, a winter-esque map that has beautiful Northern Lights at night time. The two new maps also include new industries not present in Pine Valley, but you CAN place your own industries so those could be added to Pine Valley anyway. Placing your own industries is a nice feature in of itself. If you don't like where a certain industry is...just delete it and put it somewhere that is more convenient for you (I have done this with the Logging Camp in my Pine Valley world).

Locomotives and rolling stock...there is already quite a few. From the humble starting Porter known and loved by the community as 'Betsy"...all the way to the massive Class 125 which would later become the iconic K-27, and there WILL be more added as time goes on. All of your engines and rolling stock can be customized as well. You can choose different headlights, smokestacks, and liveries for your engines, and also number them, or assign a road name. Some of the older engines feature less customization...and more options alltogether would be nice anyway after seeing what Century of Steam is going to be offering in that department (However, I don't want to mention CoS too much, I'm a firm believer that both these games CAN coexist).

Driving the actual engines isn't hard and still somewhat realistic. Different engines take different fuels (It would be nice if THIS could be customized, such as converting the Glenbrook to run on oil or coal). They need water (No proper water sim or firing...yet. Hopefully we get that), and you have sand for those tough grades. Some engines have counter pressure brakes, some have friction brakes, some have air...(Again, would be nice if THIS was a customization feature). Running the locomotive is somewhat realistic. There is proper cut-off simulation, so the faster you go, reducing the cut-off will bring more speed out of the engine while wasting less fuel. Engines have tractive effort which can be calculated for how much they can pull up certain grades. This is a major part of building your railway...is making sure that your turns aren't too tight for the engines you're running and that your grades are not overly steep. Wheel slip and coupling link snapping USED to be in the game but are no longer present...I hope they are reintroduced as difficulty features alongside proper firing.

The actual building and track laying is good...but still needs work. Track laying is much more intuitive and less frustrating than it used to be. Gone are the days where laying parallel tracks was an absolute chore. Still, it's not perfect. Flying, which is toggled for track laying and rerailing, should be an option to enable in of itself for player convenience...and perhaps a dedicated top down camera mode for track laying all together would be nice. More options for bridges would be nice, seeing as there are only three...and there is only one you can use for higher altitudes.

Railroads Online is without a doubt, doing something that no game before it has done. I can recommend it to anyone interested in trains...but ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of American narrow gauge. There's also Century of Steam on the horizon...but as I mentioned, games can coexist...that's why competition can be a good thing.

Ideally, wait for future updates and for the game to go into full release...but, if you need to scratch that itch...the game is currently in its best state thus far.

UPDATE: The game has now officially gone into full release. A lot of good changes and additions have made it into what is now considered 1.0. However...issues have still arisen. Inconsistent train physics, random derailments, to name just a few bugs since 1.0 dropped. The game's optimization still leaves a lot to be desired as well. There are also still some small things that have been present for a while that bother me. Switches are still a different color to normal track...so they kind of look out of place if you look closely. Some textures are also blatantly...bad; see the Mosca's sand dome for a really bad culprit.

I'm really just listing off minor things that persist as of this review. The point is, despite the game's now 1.0 state...it does not feel like a completely fleshed out product. It still has that 'Early Access' taste if you will. A lot of things still need fixing, and I'll admit that locking the ability to place your own trees and rocks behind a DLC is kinda...iffy...but nonetheless, I enjoy this game. I wouldn't have put over two hundred hours into it otherwise. I still see a lot of potential. I see lots of room for improvement. I can still reccomend this game, despite its flaws.

Railroads Online is far from perfect...and it still needs work in order to feel 'complete'. However, it is still a damn good time if you sink some time into it.

Fun game, even with its issues. I look forward to what may come to it in the future.

If I could give Railroads Online more of a 'mid' rating, then I would. However, seeing as that is not an option, I do lean more to the side of my experience being mostly positive. Previous controversies aside...there is a lot of potential here. The devs have a publicly available roadmap that they have followed to a T with a set schedule, implementing major QoL features and player suggested feedback. The only remaining stop on the roadmap as of now...is a UI overhaul which will most likely introduce more QoL features that the game so desperately needs. After that, I imagine the game will leave early access finally after nearly four years. That being said, the game is not perfect. It still lacks some basic features and QoL tidbits (turntables still don't work very well). There are still client side issues that need addressing (such as more rolling stock, locomotives, props, track, etc gradually decreasing your FPS to the point of the world becoming unplayable). However, the devs ARE listening, and I've seen many community suggested ideas implemented thus far...and they have an entire feedback post where they have an ever growing list of features suggested by the community that they are considering for the game. The game definitely still needs time to bake...but once it gets fleshed out and finally goes into 1.0...I think it can grow into something truly fantastic. Now, for the actual game...it's fun, a LOT of fun. If you're a sucker for sandboxes that involve trains, then this game really satisfies the `tism. Building your world up, laying out your tracks, connecting industries...you can get really lost in it. My world has slowly grown from a little single track running from my main depot, to the sawmill, up to the logging camp and back...into a massive array of multiple double track main lines the connect between the main industries and lead back to my main hub which has MULTIPLE yards, a roundhouse, and a small town. I've enjoyed every hour spent building it, and running the trains is just satisfying when you know that you built every mile of rail you're rolling along. There are THREE maps to choose from...which doesn't sound like much, but they are all unique. You've got the OG Pine Valley, which will scratch that 'mountain railroading' vibe that most will associate with American narrow gauge. Lake Valley, which features more flat terrain, a desert, and a large lake. Then, you have Aurora Valley, a winter-esque map that has beautiful Northern Lights at night time. The two new maps also include new industries not present in Pine Valley, but you CAN place your own industries so those could be added to Pine Valley anyway. Placing your own industries is a nice feature in of itself. If you don't like where a certain industry is...just delete it and put it somewhere that is more convenient for you (I have done this with the Logging Camp in my Pine Valley world). Locomotives and rolling stock...there is already quite a few. From the humble starting Porter known and loved by the community as 'Betsy"...all the way to the massive Class 125 which would later become the iconic K-27, and there WILL be more added as time goes on. All of your engines and rolling stock can be customized as well. You can choose different headlights, smokestacks, and liveries for your engines, and also number them, or assign a road name. Some of the older engines feature less customization...and more options alltogether would be nice anyway after seeing what Century of Steam is going to be offering in that department (However, I don't want to mention CoS too much, I'm a firm believer that both these games CAN coexist). Driving the actual engines isn't hard and still somewhat realistic. Different engines take different fuels (It would be nice if THIS could be customized, such as converting the Glenbrook to run on oil or coal). They need water (No proper water sim or firing...yet. Hopefully we get that), and you have sand for those tough grades. Some engines have counter pressure brakes, some have friction brakes, some have air...(Again, would be nice if THIS was a customization feature). Running the locomotive is somewhat realistic. There is proper cut-off simulation, so the faster you go, reducing the cut-off will bring more speed out of the engine while wasting less fuel. Engines have tractive effort which can be calculated for how much they can pull up certain grades. This is a major part of building your railway...is making sure that your turns aren't too tight for the engines you're running and that your grades are not overly steep. Wheel slip and coupling link snapping USED to be in the game but are no longer present...I hope they are reintroduced as difficulty features alongside proper firing. The actual building and track laying is good...but still needs work. Track laying is much more intuitive and less frustrating than it used to be. Gone are the days where laying parallel tracks was an absolute chore. Still, it's not perfect. Flying, which is toggled for track laying and rerailing, should be an option to enable in of itself for player convenience...and perhaps a dedicated top down camera mode for track laying all together would be nice. More options for bridges would be nice, seeing as there are only three...and there is only one you can use for higher altitudes. Railroads Online is without a doubt, doing something that no game before it has done. I can recommend it to anyone interested in trains...but ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of American narrow gauge. There's also Century of Steam on the horizon...but as I mentioned, games can coexist...that's why competition can be a good thing. Ideally, wait for future updates and for the game to go into full release...but, if you need to scratch that itch...the game is currently in its best state thus far. UPDATE: The game has now officially gone into full release. A lot of good changes and additions have made it into what is now considered 1.0. However...issues have still arisen. Inconsistent train physics, random derailments, to name just a few bugs since 1.0 dropped. The game's optimization still leaves a lot to be desired as well. There are also still some small things that have been present for a while that bother me. Switches are still a different color to normal track...so they kind of look out of place if you look closely. Some textures are also blatantly...bad; see the Mosca's sand dome for a really bad culprit. I'm really just listing off minor things that persist as of this review. The point is, despite the game's now 1.0 state...it does not feel like a completely fleshed out product. It still has that 'Early Access' taste if you will. A lot of things still need fixing, and I'll admit that locking the ability to place your own trees and rocks behind a DLC is kinda...iffy...but nonetheless, I enjoy this game. I wouldn't have put over two hundred hours into it otherwise. I still see a lot of potential. I see lots of room for improvement. I can still reccomend this game, despite its flaws. Railroads Online is far from perfect...and it still needs work in order to feel 'complete'. However, it is still a damn good time if you sink some time into it. Fun game, even with its issues. I look forward to what may come to it in the future.