Roller Coaster Tycoon 3
We wring out our bathing suits and explore Soaked! – the first expansion
Tags: Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 Categories: PC Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Aug 15th, 2005
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Simulation | No | ||
Maybe I’m a bit more forgiving than my colleague, but I would have scored Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 in the low 8’s based on the strength of just how fun it is, despite some very strong and valid control issues. The first expansion for the game, Soaked! delivers more than just new features such as rides and scenarios, is also improves some of the gameplay.
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One of the most noticeable “fixes” is the scenery that can be now be placed at corresponding heights relative to each other, rather than having to manually go in and move the terrain first. Another fix is the addition of tunnels, something that was sorely missing in the game, especially when some of the more intricate parks needed alternate pathways.
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Naturally there are new scenarios to play through, as well as a multitude of new rides and attractions. One of the ways that players can now get park visitors to hit more than one or two rides in their park is the addition of Passport Stations – by hitting all the places in a park and having their passport stamped, a visitor can receive a prize. Like most everything else in the game, it is fully customizable to the number of stations and their placement to what can be given away.
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One of the big draws will be swimming pools – which for some reason can rake in a huge amount of cash, often the same as a major coaster, if not more. This seems a bit… odd. Pools are very simple to make, much like creating a path (drag the cursor over a tiled area) and are only one of the new features that will draw the crowds. There are water slides and rides as well, even a new entertainer in a shark costume to keep the park visitors amused while standing in line.
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There are two new “themes” to go along with the water-based expansion, Atlantis and Paradise Island. These come with plenty of environmental features to help create an amusement park with a specific, well… theme. Of course, one can mix and match themes. A personal favorite is a “Disneyland” style park with different types of areas – such as an area specifically with a Wild West theme, one with an Atlantis theme, one with a “kiddie” theme, etc. each with their own specific rides as appropriate.
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New attractions include Dolphin and Killer Whale shows, as well as water and laser shows to the already rather fun fireworks display. There is so much new content included on the disc that Soaked! almost feels as if it were an entirely new game. Almost. A few more scenarios would have been fun. The scenarios have a very familiar ring to them, and it would have been nice had some of the VIPs from the main game brought more of a presence here (imagine if a Jacques Cousteau type person were to visit).
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The biggest problem with Soaked! however isn’t what is or isn’t included, but the fact that the controls, particularly with regards to certain things such as creating queue paths have not been fixed. This still takes players out of the game. That said, there is still more than enough here for players of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 to enjoy, and for those that have yet to pick up the game, this really makes for a complete package.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ Tunnels (and other fixes) + New environments, rides, attractions and more + Tons of new content |
8.2 |
| What Doesn't | |
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- Still some control issues - Not enough new scenarios or VIP visits |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| If you enjoyed Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 then this expansion is practically a "must own" - and those looking to explore the Tycoon genre would do well to pick up the game and this expansion | |
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Tags: Roller Coaster Tycoon 3
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Aug 15th, 2005 and is filed under PC Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
