A step down from RCT1On October 15, 2002, the sequel to the heavily successful RCT was released for PC. After seeing multiple expansion packs for the original, it was refreshing to finally get a true sequel to such an amazing amusement park simulation game. I had high hopes for this game since the original was my favorite PC game at the time and still remains one of my favorites. How does the sequel compare to the original? I'll give you my answer by making this review.
Graphics: 7/10 Honestly, when it comes to visuals, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 doesn't do enough to separate itself from it's predecessor. Everything from the landscapes, to the rides, and even the guests themselves look exactly the same as they did in the original RCT. I can see why the graphics wouldn't be any different in an expansion pack, but a sequel should at the very least look better visually than it's predecessor. The visuals aren't bad by any means, but there should've been some improvement in this category. I'm giving the graphics a 7 since nothing changed since the original was released.
Sound: 8/10 The sound effects and music in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 are just as good as they were in the original. There's more music that you can choose from for your guests to listen to as they're waiting to get on a ride. The sound effects for the rides and the guests screams are just as realistic sounding as they did in RCT 2. Overall, the sound in RCT 2 is good enough for me to give this category an 8.
Addictiveness: 8/10 For the most part, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 is still just as addicting as the original. All the creative freedom you have with the series is still here, with some new rides to work with as well. You can be just as imaginative with Roller Coaster building, where to build rides, food and drink stalls and restrooms as in the original RCT. Also, each park has their own scenario you need to complete. This is where RCT 2's biggest problem lies however. In the original, when you completed an objective, you'd unlock a new park, and with it, a new scenario. In this game, all the parks are already unlocked from the start. There's no real sense of accomplishment when you've beat a scenario here. It would've been nice to have parks to unlock in this game as well just for the sake of feeling like you've done something amazing. This hurts RCT 2's replay value, which I'm giving an 8 instead of a perfect 10 like I did with the original.
Story: N/A RCT 2 doesn't have a storyline, therefore I'm leaving this category blank.
Depth: 9/10 RCT 2 has a great amount of content for those who want to complete all the objectives. There are a total of 28 scenarios ranging in difficulty from beginner to challenging and expert parks. Each scenario can take hours to complete, so this game will keep you occupied for a long time. Unfortunately like in the original, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 suffers from a lack of a sandbox mode. I really wish that mode would've been added, but it wasn't, so I'm giving the depth a 9.
Difficulty: 5/10 RCT 2 isn't super hard and you can get the hang of it pretty quickly. There are different objectives to complete for each park, such as getting a certain number of guests into your park, reaching a certain park value, having a certain monthly income for rides, and more. These objectives can be kinda tough to complete at times, but they aren't super difficult either. Overall, RCT 2 provides a decent challenge to fans of the simulation genre, so I'm giving the difficulty a 5.
Overall Score: 7.5/10 Overall, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 is a step down from it's predecessor. With outdated graphics and no unlockable scenarios, RCT 2 is definitely a disappointment compared to the original. RCT 2 does have decent music, a great amount of content, and it provides a decent challenge though. While the original is a better game overall, the sequel is still a pretty good game on it's own. Overall, I'm giving Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 a 7.5 out of 10.
Graphics
7 Sound
8 Addictive
8 Depth
9 Difficulty
5
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