Do the wheels on this bus simulator go round and round?

From the creators of Bus Simulator 21 and Bus Simulator 18 comes Bus Bound, an all-new driving-focused experience set in the evolving city of Emberville. Take the wheel of licensed American buses and turn everyday routes into a journey of urban transformation. Explore Emberville: a fully simulated, densely inhabited fictional town alive with traffic systems, a dynamic day/night cycle, and multiple weather conditions. From bustling intersections to quiet neighborhoods, every area has its own rhythm, and your route helps shape its future. Band together with up to 3 other players! Split off to tackle multiple simultaneous routes and cooperate to contribute to your host’s goal to improve and elevate Emberville.

I’ve spent many years as a gamer driving vehicles in various games, buses included but mostly in open world games like GTA. I’m not used to a full-on simulator like Bus Bound, so I wasn’t sure how in-depth it would be.

Bus Bound puts you in the role of a new bus driver in a city where you don’t get paid by fares, but by likes from your passengers. You’ll need to carefully make your way through the busy roads, keeping to the speed limit and using your turn signals at the right moments to keep everyone happy. There isn’t much in terms of a career mode, but there is some variety to be found.

You will need to take weather conditions and new routes into consideration. The town of Emberville is nicely designed and is a pleasure to drive through. The controls are easy to get to grips with and while some might find the game can get repetitive after a while, it can be incredibly relaxing to just drive through the city on your respective route.

The visuals are impressive. Emberville is nicely detailed from top to bottom, it has impressive weather visuals, looks great in either third or first-person and runs at a solid framerate. I didn’t come across any glitches with my time playing, so overall it’s quite a polished experience.

The Verdict

Bus Bound does what you would expect from a bus driving simulator. Emberville is a breathing, vibrant city worth exploring. It won’t be for everyone, and the lack of a real career mode is disappointing, but it’s well worth the bus fare.

Score: 8.0