UNRAILED 2: WHEN TRAIN SIMULATOR MEETS CHAOTIC FRIENDSHIP DESTROYER
Ever wondered what would happen if someone took the first Unrailed game, injected it with steroids, and gave it a degree in civil engineering? Well, grab your pickaxe and kiss your friendships goodbye, because Unrailed 2 is here to make you question every life choice that led you to becoming an amateur railroad constructor.
HONEY, I UPGRADED THE TRAIN
The sequel takes everything that made the first game a hit and cranks it up to eleven. We're talking more upgrades than a tech bro's iPhone, biomes diverse enough to make a geography teacher weep, and enough customization options to make your little digital railroad worker feel like they just walked off a Paris fashion runway.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S A BOT
The bot AI is like that one friend who means well but constantly screws up - sometimes it's a genius, other times it's trying to pick up a pickaxe and somehow ends up yeeting wood into the void. Playing solo is about as advisable as using a chocolate teapot, but hey, if you're a masochist, go for it.
FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC (AND ALSO PAIN)
This game shines brighter than a train's headlight when you're playing with friends. The co-op is where the real magic happens - nothing brings people together quite like screaming "WHO THE HELL FORGOT TO CHOP THE TREES?" while your train barrels toward certain doom. And if you really want to test your friendships, the versus mode will have you questioning why you ever thought competitive rail-building was a good idea.
EARLY ACCESS BLUES
Like any Early Access game, it's got more bugs than a summer picnic. We have had a few control issues that made our character move like they've had one too many at the station pub, and occasionally the game decides to do its best impression of a slideshow presentation. But the developers are more active than a caffeinated squirrel, constantly pushing updates and actually listening to feedback.
CONCLUSION
Unrailed 2 is like the first game went to college, got a makeover, and came back with some fancy new tricks. Despite being in Early Access, it's already more polished than most full releases, though it occasionally trips over its own rails. The new progression system, biomes, and boss fights make it feel less like a simple sequel and more like a full-blown evolution.
If you enjoyed the first game, this is a no-brainer. If you're new to the series, prepare for a wild ride that's equal parts stressful and satisfying. Just make sure you've got some friends who don't mind a bit of chaos in their lives.
Score: 8.4/10 - Like trying to build a railroad while riding a unicycle, but somehow it works.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.