A few days ago, we wondered whether the latest train simulator of the Japanese Rail Sim would be released in English, and it will be.
Today Japanese developer Sonic Powered released a trailer revealing that Japanese Rail Sim: Hakone – Town of Natural Beauty and Hot Springs (yes, they love their long titles) will be released in English (on top of Japanese and Simplified Chinese) for Nintendo Switch on September 19.
The game is also coming to PC via Steam and PS4 “soon” albeit no release date has been announced for these platforms.
You can see it in action below.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series, its predecessor Japanese Rail Sim: Journey to Kyoto was also released in English a while ago. Sonic Powered published quite a few of its simulators in the West, including the excellent Airport Hero ATC series.
This new train simulator may lack the complexity of hardcore series like Train Sim World, but it focuses on the trip and the experience, on top of featuring information about the areas you visit. It cleverly uses real-world footage to provide an experience as immersive as possible.
Specifically, it focuses on the famous Hakone Tozan Line, the first mountain train line in Japan, and lets you drive three-car trains powered by the Allegra 3000 series and two Saint Moritz 2000 series locomotives.
The simulation will also feature switchbacks, in which the train will change direction (and driving locomotive) to drive up the steep slopes of the mountain railway.
The line includes tight turns, plenty of tunnels, and beautiful scenery. As drivers, we’ll be challenged to use the brakes and engine wisely to optimize the comfort of the passengers, with a cute assistant named Nodoka who will provide guidance and information.
