Bus Simulator 21

Last updated

Bus Simulator 21
Bus sim 21 cover.jpg
Cover art of the game featuring Mercedes-Benz Citaro
Developer(s) Stillalive Studios
Publisher(s) Astragon
Series Bus Simulator
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
    • WW: 7 September 2021
  • PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
    • WW: 16 May 2023
Genre(s) Vehicle simulation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Bus Simulator 21 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment. It is developed on the Unreal Engine 4. It is the sixth in the Bus Simulator series, and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 18 . The game has been released on 7 September 2021 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Contents

Gameplay

Bus Simulator 21 takes place in "Angel Shores", a new fictional modern city located in the United States which is based on the San Francisco Bay Area. The game features a coastline and districts like Chinatown. In addition to the California map, the game will have a revised "Seaside Valley" map from its predecessor Bus Simulator 18 . [1] Vehicle-wise, the game introduces a double-decker bus, such as the officially-licensed Alexander Dennis Enviro500, as well as electric buses to the series. [2] Further licensed bus brands include Blue Bird, BYD, Grande West, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Setra and Volvo. The game also offers a cooperative multiplayer mode. [3] A career mode would be available following the Next Stop major update. [4]

Development and release

The logo of the game. Bus-Simulator-21-Logo.png
The logo of the game.

Stillalive Studios and Astragon Entertainment will remain as the series developer and publisher respectively. The game was targeted for a 2021 release for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. [5] The release date was later confirmed on 7 September 2021. [6]

Next Stop DLC

The Next Stop DLC is an expansion to Bus Simulator 21. It was released on 16 May 2023, one week earlier than expected, bringing dedicated versions of the game to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Next Stop DLC also includes new features, including:


The Angel Shores map extension is available to all players for free, while all the other new features can either be bought separately as they release, or as a season pass bundle at a discounted price.

On top of the new content players can take advantage of, the game includes new NPVs (non-player vehicles) to add to the realism of the game, including planes, trains, and trucks.

Reception

Bus Simulator 21 received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mafia II</i> 2010 video game

Mafia II is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K. It was released on 24 August 2010 for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. The game is a standalone sequel to 2002's Mafia, and the second installment in the Mafia series. Set within the fictional city of Empire Bay from 1945 to 1951, the story follows Vito Scaletta, a young Sicilian-American mobster and war veteran, who becomes caught in a power struggle among the city's Mafia crime families while attempting to pay back his father's debts and secure a better lifestyle.

Astragon Entertainment GmbH is a German video game publisher based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Originally a subsidiary of the German video game distributor Astragon Sales & Services GmbH, the company became known for being the original worldwide publisher of the Farming Simulator series and continues to publish it in Germany.

<i>Euro Truck Simulator 2</i> 2012 vehicle simulation video game by SCS Software

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a truck simulator game developed and published by SCS Software for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS and was initially released as open development on 18 October 2012. The game is a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator and it is the fourth video game in the Truck Simulator series.

<i>Project CARS</i> (video game) 2015 racing video game

Project CARS is a motorsport racing simulator video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published and distributed by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was released in May 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

<i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> 2014 video game

The Elder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2015, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.

<i>Prison Architect</i> 2015 video game

Prison Architect is a private prison construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Introversion Software. It was made available as a crowdfunded paid alpha pre-order on September 25, 2012 with updates that were scheduled every three to four weeks until 2023. With over 2,000,000 copies sold, Prison Architect made over US$10.7 million in pre-order sales for the alpha version. Prison Architect was an entrant in the 2012 Independent Games Festival. The game was available on Steam's Early Access program, and was officially released on October 6, 2015.

<i>A Hat in Time</i> 2017 video game

A Hat in Time is a 2017 platform game developed by Danish game studio Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which nearly doubled its fundraising goals within its first two days. The game was self-published for macOS and Windows in October 2017, and by Humble Bundle for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles two months later. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released in October 2019.

<i>Farming Simulator</i> Series of farming simulation video games

Farming Simulator is a farming simulation video game series developed by GIANTS Software. The locations are based on American and European environments. Players are able to farm, breed livestock, grow crops, and sell assets created from farming.

<i>Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds</i> 2013 video game

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a beat 'em up developed and published by Mages under the 5pb. brand, and originally released on February 27, 2013 for the Xbox 360. it is a spin-off of the fighting game Phantom Breaker.

Super Mega Baseball is a baseball video game series developed by the independent studio Metalhead Software in Victoria, BC, Canada and published by EA Sports.

Mafia is a series of action-adventure games originally created and developed by 2K Czech. Since the third installment, however, the games are developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. The franchise consists of three mainline installments, along with a remake of the first game, a remastered version of the second game, and two spin-offs for mobile devices. A fourth game is in active development.

<i>DJMax Respect</i> 2017 rhythm video game

DJMax Respect is a rhythm game developed by Rocky Studio and Neowiz MUCA and published by Neowiz Games. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017, for Microsoft Windows in 2020, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2022 as part of ID@Xbox. In Japan, the game was published by Arc System Works. It is a reboot of and the latest installment in the DJMax rhythm game series.

<i>SnowRunner</i> 2020 video game

SnowRunner is a 2020 off-road simulation video game developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Home Interactive. Following on from Spintires and the sequel MudRunner, the game was announced as MudRunner 2 in August 2018. Focus Home and Saber Interactive re-revealed the title a year later as SnowRunner. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 28, 2020, which was followed by a port for Nintendo Switch on May 18, 2021. It was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 31, 2022. SnowRunner has the player control off-road vehicles as they traverse locations to complete objectives. The game features over 60 different vehicles and more than 15 locations. Much of the content is delivered across 4 anniversary year editions as DLC. A spin-off title, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game was released on March 5, 2024.

<i>Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon</i> 2015 video game

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Hakkon is a downloadable content (DLC) pack developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for the 2014 action role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. It was initially released for Xbox One and Microsoft Windows through Electronic Arts' digital distribution platform Origin, on March 24, 2015, and for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360 on May 26, 2015. The pack follows the Inquisition's exploration of the Frostback Basin, an overgrown wilderness area populated by Avvar barbarian tribes and the site of an ancient Tevinter fortress, to determine the fate of the last Inquisitor and the powerful dragon he hunted.

F1 is a racing video game series by Codemasters under the EA Sports banner since 2021. The series holds the official license of the FIA Formula One World Championship, with the FIA Formula 2 Championship available since the 2019 game. A total of twenty-two games have been released to date, with the series' latest installment, F1 24, released in May 2024.

<i>Bus Simulator 18</i> 2018 vehicle simulation video game

Bus Simulator 18 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment. It is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and was released in June 2018 for Windows and in September 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the fifth game in the Bus Simulator franchise and is the direct sequel to Bus Simulator 16. A sequel titled Bus Simulator 21 was released in 2021.

Bus Simulator is a vehicle-simulation video game series developed by Icebytes, Contendo Media, TML Studios and Stillalive Studios, and published by Astragon Entertainment. The franchise was introduced in 2007 by Astragon Entertainment. The latest installment, titled Bus Simulator 21, was released on 7 September 2021.

<i>PowerWash Simulator</i> 2022 video game

PowerWash Simulator is a simulation video game developed by FuturLab and published by Square Enix Collective. Players take control of a power washing business and complete various jobs to earn money. Gameplay primarily revolves around using a power washer to clean dirt off of objects and buildings. The game was first made available in early access through Steam on 19 May 2021, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 14 July 2022. Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, were for a 31 January 2023 release. A standalone VR port titled PowerWash Simulator VR for Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro models was released on November 2, 2023.

References

  1. Grippo, Gennaro (11 August 2020). "Bus Simulator 21 is driving towards a 2021 release". PlayStation Blog . Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. Watton, Neil (11 August 2020). "Bus Simulator 21 announced for Xbox One, PS4 and PC". TheXboxHub. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. Deogracias, Elisha (11 August 2020). "Your route, your way! Bus Simulator 21 coming to PC and consoles next year". Gaming Trend. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. "Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop: Big Update, Career Mode, Next Gen, Map Expansion, Gold Edition, and more..." gamespress.com. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  5. Barker, Sammy (11 August 2020). "Bus Simulator 21 Makes a Stop on PS4 Next Year". Push Square . Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. Watton, Neil (6 May 2021). "Bus Simulator 21 release date confirmed". TheXboxHub. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  7. Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop - School Bus Extension Launch Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games, 30 August 2023, retrieved 5 October 2023
  8. Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop - Thomas Built Buses Bus Pack Trailer, 21 September 2023, retrieved 5 October 2023
  9. "Bus Simulator 21 for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  10. "Bus Simulator 21 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  11. "Bus Simulator 21 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  12. "Mini Review: Bus Simulator 21 (PS4) - Zen Sim Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously | Aces high". Push Square . 8 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.