Road Diner Simulator was announced some time ago to be coming from Gas Station Simulator developer Drago Entertainment, and now we’re finally getting our first look at the game.
The new teaser mostly just shows off the target aesthetic while also giving a glimpse at some of its intended features. As is often the case with teasers, no gameplay is shown, but we at least get to see a guy guzzle down coffee moments after it’s poured for him. That’s pretty cool.
The key takeaway here would be Road Diner Simulator’s usage of Unreal Engine 5 with its fancy lighting and reflections. Previous games used Unreal Engine 4. While this means that the lighting in the diner looks more convincing, we’re left with the awkward animations and dead-eyed character models. Not that I mind, I feel that comes with the small dev/big ideas territory. Just an amusing one.
The teaser was presented to me as though it was going to show off more of the interconnection the title will have with Gas Station Simulator. The idea is that Road Diner Simulator will read off your Gas Station Simulator save and depict your progress on the opposite side of the road. There has been some indication that success in one game will attract more business in the other, but right now, we only have indications that, yes, your gas station will be there. I at least like the concept, as it’s something Maxis toyed around with in the ‘90s with games like Streets of SimCity.
Whether or not it works out in practice is another matter.
[Update: Drago Entertainment has since clarified that the level of your gas station, motel, or diner will affect the pool of customers in the area. Normal customers are the generic types you already see roaming around your gas station. However, in Motel Simulator and Road Diner Simulator there will be special and local customers. Locals are essentially regulars who frequent your establishments frequently, while special customers are “rare customers with deeply developed backgrounds and dialogs.”
They also state that the three games will link together in a “local economy.” Simply put, building up better business in the area will bring about more affluent customers who will buy and tip more. However, they also state that decisions made in one game might bring penalties to the other linked games.
Again, this is all interesting in concept, but I’m wondering (and hopeful about) how it will be balanced it will be in practice.]
I really enjoyed Gas Station Simulator, but the follow-up, Food Truck Simulator, was, uh… kind of awful. Drago Entertainment has no shortage of ambition, as they’ve already announced many titles in development with similar concepts. I have no doubt that they’re trying to deliver quality titles, and improvements have been made to all their previous titles. It just seems like they’re putting a lot on their plate.
Either way, I’m still looking forward to trying out Road Diner Simulator.
Road Diner Simulator is slated for a PC release, with consoles following after. There currently is no announced release window.
