Recently, Steam Sounds Supreme released, in conjunction with Blast Pipe Productions, Matrix Trains and Donkey Works, their Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Stock Add-On for Train Simulator 2021, and they have very kindly sent RailAdvent a copy to review.
The KWVR Pack includes locomotives, coaches and wagons bespoke to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, filling in some of the gaps left by the original route pack.
What's included for the price?
Included in the £8.50 asking price is the reskins of 78022 in BR Green, City of Wells in 1980s condition, Austerity ‘Fred' and 3F 43586. Also included are 26 wagons, Pullmans Ann & Mary and custom sounds.
Did you know? RailAdvent Plus members get 15% off this pack! Click here for more information
First Impressions
First impressions of this pack are great, we went straight into a scenario with Fred (part of the pack), and you can instantly tell a lot of work into the pack has been done. Custom sounds and reskin just completes the look of the KWVR for me.
There aren't any tutorials for the reskins, but we wouldn't really expect there to be one as these have been developed externally. However, the locos reskinned are definitely easy to drive. The long and short of driving this locomotive is that if you understand the usual driving for steam locomotives in Train Simulator 2021, then you will find this a doddle.
It is great to see though that the scenarios were all playable out of the box, whilst a few additional requirements are needed, they all played well without them so don't hold off buying because of this.
Optimisation and Detail
The locomotive, stock and scenarios all ran well, with a constant 50-60fps, even on a mid-tier laptop, with no lagging or issues when in general gameplay.
The detail on these locomotives and associated stock is once again up to the standard of Steam Sounds Supreme, Blast Pipe Productions and the rest of the team. The “chuffing along” sounds along with the general graphics, quality of textures etc.
I found no issues with regards to either the sounds or the graphics, all very high quality and shows the amount of time put into this pack.
Having a number of new locos means that there is no end to the amount of gameplay, fire up 78022 on your favourite route and away you go, or alternatively sit back in a free-roam and make your own KWVR gala!
General Gameplay
Driving the locos was an enjoyable experience, be it in cab concentrating on your levels or outside looking at the textures, coaching and wagons go by. Whilst driving the locos are all different, they are all fun to drive (even if Fred is a bit fun going downhill….!)
As with the base models, there are plenty of controls inside the cab to give a sense of reality. The engaging scenarios don't make you bored easily, and what's great about the scenarios is that they are all different – freight, passenger, express stopper. It's great to see such variety in a pack.
The pack is also QD ready so you can take the pack anywhere you like.
Jumping into the scenario editor allows you to make your own scenarios. Will you be going for a freight run with Fred or an Express run with Wells? The choice is yours, so let your imagination go wild. The assets are easy to find and place down.
You can see some gameplay in the below video:
Any Bad Points?
Just the one bad point to the pack I found:
I found that the Wells tender was a different colour green to that of the actual loco. I am told by Steam Sounds Supreme that a fix is being implemented and may already be available when this review goes live
Final Thoughts?
In conclusion, this pack is really enjoyable, detailed and just excellent to have a play around with. It brings a lot to the route itself and opens up opportunities for playing with the route more. Now that we have KWVR wagons, you could make yourself a gala scenario and run with the entire set of locos. Its also nice to see small additions to reskins, such as the BR green variant of 78022, previously this was only available in black.
The KWVR Stock Pack add on is available for £8.50 from the Steam Sounds Supreme store by clicking here.
I personally think that this pack is priced well for what you get – actually you get a lot for your £8.50!
Don't forget that RailAdvent Plus members get 15% off the price of this pack. Click here for more information.
I would definitely get this locomotive pack and add it to your Train Sim 2021 collection if it is just to play around with in free roam / Quick Drive or start making your own scenarios with.
A big thank you to Steam Sounds Supreme for sending us a copy to review.
