Rating

B-

Specific Ratings

GameplayB-
GraphicsB-
Learning CurveB-
Replay ValueB-
SoundB-

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Great management tools
  • Minigames are tons of fun
Cons
  • Too kiddy for its own good

Thrillville: Off the Rails (Xbox 360)

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Summary

For what it's worth, Thrillville: Off the Rails offers more amusement park management fun while also adhering to the kid in everyone.

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Description

Amusement parks are full of excitement, laughter, amazing rides, games and tons of rabid children hopped up on sugar. But it takes more than a few nifty rides and attractions to manage one, and Thrillville: Off the Rails does a solid job of offering players the chance to hop in the driver’s seat of their very own amusement park, while keeping the charm every kid loves about them.

Thrillville: Off the Rails is a tweaked up version of last year’s game. While the various tweaks may not be noticeable to anyone who played the previous version (just a few new minigames, customization options, and improved graphics), for first timers it is a well-imagined treat anyone will enjoy. Similar to the popular Roller Coaster Tycoon series, players are tasked with creating the ultimate amusement park. From the start, you will have to create a name, allocate workers to run rides, maintain and clean the parks, and of course, pick certain rides you would want. The set up for every level could take hours, with decisions that affect your entire park relying on how well you manage it in the beginning. They aren’t detrimental to your success, and since the game is easy to just pick-up-and-play, if you don’t want to worry about the details, you can always let the game choose a pre-arranged layout for you.

There are over 15 missions in the game, and instead of just working your way to the top of the amusement park spectrum, you will be tasked with certain objectives. While some of the tasks require you to just have fun, like building a three-looped roller coaster and having a certain income by the end of the day on that ride, many require you to think about your actions; one objective is to have ten guests refer to you as their “sweetheart.” It is a fun break from the ordinarily mundane tasks of simple micro-managing. Of course, you can always just roam around your park without worrying about objectives or simple tasks.

Refined for this version of Thrillville is the interactive dialogue you have with your park's customers. At any time, you can click on any guest and start a conversation with them. The dialogue is stretched to offer many forms of speech, including how a person is doing or if they are enjoying their time at the park. If a guest is happy with your park, you can give them free passes to return again next time, a move which may net you more free-roamers. If a guest is angry, you can ask them for ideas and solutions that can then help improve your park in the long run. Guests also have little icons above their heads which let you know how they are feeling, so you don’t have to talk to every single person to know their thoughts.

Probably the most impressive feature in the game, and one of the most enjoyable, is the custom ride manager; it lets you build any ride or attraction in your own vision. Little things such as prize booth locations or where guests sit when they compete can be specified, as well as designing every loop, turn and drop in your roller coasters. New effects such as the pendulizer and triple loop make even the dullest roller coasters depth-defying thrill rides. For those golfing experts, you can even waste your life away on the putting green and create a truly spectacular miniature golf course. During one level, we actually managed to create a golf course that circled around the entire amusement park, even resting under the roller coaster at one point. Again, the customization and originality is up to you.

The visuals do a good job of mixing business with pleasure. Thrillville has a very kiddy look to it, with all of the guests and people looking like mini Sims characters. It’s a look that helps give off an amusement style, but while the rides and attractions look much better detailed and believable, it is weird to see the guests in this vision. Thrillville has its few sets of interactive tools, like building and land managing systems that give even the most hardcore fans something to enjoy and interact with as well. The sound, however, is not as rewarding. The quirky amusement park music can get often irritating when you are trying to think or complete a task, and the moaning and groaning of guests sounds childish.

You can also jump online and play some of the minigames against other people. Balloon popping, mini golf and tons of other games can be played against one another. Or you can set up against a leaderboard to view high scores. There is also a co-op mode where you work together to complete tasks and assign chores between one another for the park. Unfortunately, this is not available online, and finding someone to help you manage an amusement park could get tiring fast.

For what it's worth, Thrillville does a fine job of offering more amusement park management fun while also adhering to the kid in everyone. The new customization options and managing modes give players tons of ways to create their park, while the mini games and rides offer hours of endless play time, both online and off. It’s still a little too kiddy for its own good, but if you're a fan of the series, you will no doubt have a great time.

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