RollerCoaster Tycoon World, the upcoming entry in the long-running and beloved amusement park simulation, will be coming out this December. Pre-orders for the game are open now. Those who pre-order will have access to two different pre-launch beta programs. During this time, players will be able to give feedback to the developers and have some influence on the final game.
I got to take a look at RollerCoaster Tycoon World at PAX at the end of August. I liked what I saw. It’s been since the last RollerCoaster Tycoon game, and I was happy to see how the developers are updating the game for more powerful computers, but still offering the same basic charm and gameplay. As expected you can still build your rollercoaster, but in RollerCoaster Tycoon World, it’s much easier to manipulate the track to conform to your vision, rather than needing to select a pre-determined set of track pieces.
But RollerCoaster Tycoon has never been about just the rollercoasters. You have lots of modes that make you manage a park as a whole with the ability to dig down into every single guest to see what they like and don’t like. This feature is back, as is the vomit meter. Because what’s an amusement park if you can’t make some one throw up?
I’ve been a huge fan of the series since the first game was released in 1999. I spent most of my teen years as a real-life rollercoaster enthusiast. I grew up in Ohio, which is home to Cedar Point and King’s Island, two of the biggest amusement parks in the country. Because of this, I was immediately drawn to the game. It still amazes me that the first game was made by one person. That’s right, one. I have high hopes that RollerCoaster Tycoon World be as great of a game as the first one.
