by Adam Sprott

Created on: September 27, 2008   Last Updated: November 03, 2009

After playing Loco Mogul, I can say it is one of the best downloadable games I have played. For anyone interested in trains or Model Railroading, this is the game you should download. The game is simple enough for someone of any age to play, but it can also be a challenge for a more advanced player. I have played other, more expensive, railroad-based games before that were nowhere near as good as this one is.

Loco Mogul has a fairly structured game-play with lots of helpful tips and reminders throughout the game. As you build your railroad through several territories with different resources and challenges, you have to upgrade your locomotive and buy out your investors; this adds more difficulty as you have to balance how much you need to spend per territory with what you spend on your company an excellent challenge for a younger child learning these management skills, or for an older person who may wish to run a few risks and add more of a challenge. Each time you play the same territory it is a different map with varying difficulty, and this helps keep up the challenge of balancing your finances.

I found the game to be very creative and innovative. As someone who has been a Model Railroader for years, this game is about as close as you can get to running your own railroad. You have to build the railroad, and then manage how you will deliver each car to its respective station, and make money while you do it. Except for the fact that this is a computer game, you might as well be running an actual model railroad as you play it.

The graphics are excellent. The map and train are very well done and the people add a bit of a comic element to the game. The sound has classic railroad and 1800's music that adds to the atmosphere and really helps pull the player into the game.

I absolutely loved this game and think it is a great addition to any computer gaming archive. It appeals to many ages and provides a challenge at the same time to many skill levels. Once again, anyone who likes Model Railroading will love this game; either as something to let you keep playing while your own railroad is under construction or repairs, or to provide inspiration to start your own, or just as something to enrich your interest in trains. This game comes highly recommended and easily earns a 5/5.

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