Bus Simulator 21: Thomas Built Bus Pack – Review

It’s only three weeks since Astragon Entertainment and Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop – treated us to the fantastic “Official School Bus Extension” which has to go down as one of my favourite DLC packs of recent years,

Today we’re back at the depot to check out another new addition to Bus Sim 21, with the “Thomas Built Bus Pack”.

The official School Bus Expansion already Included 3 School buses from Bluebird, but when 1 in 3 children in America rely on the trusty Thomas Built School Bus, this small DLC makes for the perfect addition.

Built by the world-renowned manufacturer Daimler, Thomas Built buses have been in the industry since 1916, so players old and young (especially in the states) can expect a familiar sight when they see the Thomas Built: Saf-T-Liner C2 in game.

I’ve never driven a Bus in real life, and being in England I’ve never been on an American school bus, so while I can’t vouch for authenticity, it certainly looks the part. The single new vehicle feels familiar to anyone who’s seen more than one American school bus in the movies (or real-life), and was instantly more familiar to me than any of the Bluebird buses.

It’s hard to judge graphics and sound on a DLC for a bus you’ve never actually been on, but it certainly looks and sounds spot on and has its own unique feel, just like so many buses in the game, so after purchasing the bus from the garage, I jumped on board to see how it handled.

Over the years, having played far more Bus Sim, Bus Sim 21 and Fernbus than your average oldie, I like to think I’ve got a pretty good handle on how the buses feel.

Many of the more modern buses have that hybrid “zip”, with near instant acceleration and smooth turning, while more traditional vehicles sometimes feel a little more cumbersome with a much more deep-rooted power.

with this in mind I was eager to see how the Thomas Bus felt, and straight away, it became evident why it’s the most popular School Bus in America.

While it’s definitely got that traditional feeling of slow but certain power, the steering is a dream, it felt like my first Vauxhall Astra after driving a large Estate car, I just felt like I knew exactly how big my new ride was, and what radius it needed for turning making tackling the rush hour to pick the kids up and drop them off at school, was both fun and rewarding, even though I’d picked a pretty awkward route, to add the Thomas Bus onto my existing school routes

I didn’t check the specs, nor compare it to the Bluebird busses, or anything more modern in the game, but straight away I was taking it around twisty roads and tight corners with ease. While it might not have the direct power of some more modern buses, it felt a pleasure to drive, with only the lightest touch on the brake to help with some tighter turns, but I just knew straight away, how fast that front end would come round and both at low and higher speeds, I felt perfectly in control.

The popularity of the Thomas Bus might be a good enough reason for many to check out this Bus Pack, just as I enjoyed the Enviro 200 which are seen around my local town, but nostalgia aside, there’s a good quality, reliable and predictable bus, which makes this pack well worth considering regardless.

Obviously, it’s more likely to be of interest to players with the Official School Bus Expansion, but if you haven’t got that, you can still use the Thomas Bus on a normal route, with the usual fancy wraps, sponsors and paint jobs we’re used to seeing.

Im usually fairly critical of “Bus Packs” charging £6-£7 for 3 buses, when most people will only really use one of them,

but I feel the Thomas Built pack offers better value, at only $2.99, it might only give you a single bus, but in my opinion it’s better than any of the Bluebird Buses for that school run authenticity.

I wouldn’t personally pick it for non-school runs, but of you’ve got the School Bus Expansion, I’d seriously recommend adding this to the collection, and if you’re still on the fence, maybe it’s time to take another look at the season pass, which not only includes the School Bus Expansion and the forthcoming Team expansion, but also a number of Bus packs, Including this one.

While the Thomas Built Bus Pack, doesn’t go down as a must have, and probably won’t interest players without the school DLC. Fans with the latest Extension will want to check this out, for one of the best feeling, traditional buses. Perfect for those school runs.

About Author