On the heels of the Projekt Gladbeck expansion, Chicago Downtown is the latest official expansion for OMSI 2. Chicago incorporates incredibly long bus routes with a couple of new bus models that are native to the Chicago area.
The expansion also includes iconic locations such as Navy Pier and the Stadium, to name just a few. Plus, dozens of other well-known stops have been added along the way, as you travel to your main destination.
Traffic and emergency vehicles (i.e. ambulances, police cruisers, etc.) congest the streets of Chicago, making it difficult to stay on schedule. The weather and time of day can also affect your bus route.
No details were spared in the development of the Chicago Downtown expansion. And even though the passenger models are the same from the base game, there are a plethora of different bus/vehicle sound effects that are included in the Chicago speak upgrade. Moreover, the developer nailed the ‘lingo’ and the accents of the citizens perfectly.
The expansion currently includes two major travel routes through Chicago; it doesn’t allow access to the many alleys and side streets that most gamers would want to explore. As a fan of the series, I would really like to see a collaboration between the OMSI 2 community modders and the official developers where they expand on Chicago Downtown’s content.
The Chicago Downtown expansion also provides two new buses that can be driven through the city of Chicago; the 40 foot articulate diesel and the 60 foot hybrid buses. And if that isn’t enough, the player can also use buses from any of the previously released expansions. Where traffic is concerned, the expansion also adds seventeen new AI vehicles to the ever-growing list of traffic.
The Chicago Downtown expansion is a must-have for any OMSI simulator fan. Just remember to visit the online modder community for new buses and maps; there’s always something new to try out.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1
Processor: CPU 2,8 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Video card with min. 1024 MB VRAM
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Storage: 3 GB available space
Developer: Darius Bod000
Publisher: Aerosoft GmbH
ESRB: N/A
Price: $19.99
Steam Link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/361290/
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The recreation of the Chicago downtown area is simply beautiful. There are some areas / locations of the city that do have lower polygon count than others, but the key locations (i.e. the landmarks where the real driving is done) are absolutely brilliant. | |
| Sound | |
| The Chicago speak upgrade, which includes authentic city sounds and voiceovers, brings the expansion to life. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The stellar gameplay from previous OMSI installments is present in the Chicago expansion. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Chicago Downtown happens to be the most exciting OMSI expansion to date. Hopefully, the developer will implement more routes Chicago in a later patch / expansion. | |
