Platforms: PC (version reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Genre: Simulation, Management, Sandbox, 3D City Builder

Theme park simulation games have been around since the early 90s and made it mainstream thanks to the RollerCoaster Tycoon series by Atari. What makes the magic of a park sim is that players can unleash their creativity for hours on end building out-of-the-world experience theme parks that defy the law of physics and having to oversee every aspect of a theme park with ease.

At its best, developer Limbic Entertainment’s Park Beyond hits these highs with amazing rides, a straightforward upgrade system, and an immersive world filled with vivid colours and impressive graphics. However, the building sim does not leave a memorable impression on me with its finicky keyboard shortcuts, and complicated park management system that may overwhelm new players and frustrate season players, along the ride.

Tricky Coaster

The game begins with a refreshing perspective: You wake up in your bedroom and head over to the work desk to look at some designs before folding one into a paper aeroplane and throwing it out of the window. As a result, you’ll be taken right into the tutorial through that open window, where you’ll be introduced to Blaize. Here, Blaize will guide you through the introductory segment as well as the process of building a roller coaster to reach that throw-paper plane.

The tutorial is pretty straightforward on the basics of building a roller coaster, connecting point A to point B, and continuing to do so until the tutorials are complete. It may seem simple in which you’ll have to create tracks, loops, and adjust angles to make a functional roller coaster. In my experience, it wasn’t easy having to navigate the keyboard shortcuts and simultaneously having to zoom in and out adjusting the tracks until it reaches the finish line. It took me hours just to finish the tutorial. I recommend having to skip the tutorial and straight jump to the Sandbox mode if you’re purely intent to make the most out of Park Beyond.

Fun With Risk

The most fun about the game is undoubtedly the elaborate rides you can create and the “impossification” feature. This newly introduced mechanic lets you channel visitors’ happiness into buffing up facilities and park rides (available in the second level of the campaign and the Sandbox mode). Players can place showstopping structures such as an enormous Medusa head, and upgrade rides to improve its appeal and overall design. The Ring of Fire, when impossified, will become larger and more dangerous looking. However, impossifying your park exponentially poses a severe and catastrophic financial risk.

The success of your park depends on multiple factors, most notably, “trends”. The park visitors are fickle, and they pick and choose their favourite rides and food stalls at will. There are times when parkgoers may stand still in ride queues, jamming up the woodwork. Other times, they may circle the park endlessly, creating obstacles for others.

However, this seems very random, whether it is due to bugs or design choices. In one moment, you can have an extremely successful ride, but in the next, it can be abandoned, costing you money for maintenance. No clues/hints were given on why visitors react a certain way, even with the park analytics given and spending hours micromanaging every aspect of building a successful theme park.

The majority of my time with Park Beyond wasn’t all smooth sailing, bugs I have encountered are the music in missions and sandbox mode stutters infinitely and texture clipping occurs when using optional camera modes. Frequent crashes to the desktop without error messages. These have greatly damper my experience in a much potential park sim game.

Last Ride

In essence, Park Beyond is highly recommended if you want to build an improbable rollercoaster in sandbox mode with unlimited funds. However, if you are seeking anything more than creating grandiose parks, and are more interested in business management than roller coaster physics, it’s not worth picking up. There’s a lot more to pick apart, but overall the simulation aspect is just not worth delving into especially with other cheaper and more detailed fares out there.

Park Beyond may have lightyears ahead with its impossification mechanic, but other features and bugs encountered made it not worth the while of spending hours sinking in the game.

PROS

• Stunning 3D visual
• Sandbox mode
• Impossification feature

CONS

• Lack of balance in obstacles
• Cumbersome keyboard controls
• Bugs and stutter performances.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100

Review copy provided by Publisher Bandai Namco.